Water Jet Machining

PRESENTED BY
PRAVEEN

CONTENTS
Non Traditional Machining Processes
Water Jet Machining
History
Construction
Operation
Advantages
Disadvantages
Applications

NON TRADITIONAL MACHINING

PROCESSESS

The general grouping of some of the typical non-traditional processes are

shown below:
1) Mechanical Processes
USM
AJM
WJM and AWJM
2) Thermal Processes
EBM
LBM
PAM
EDM and WEDM

3) Electrical Processes
ECM
EDG
EJD
4) Chemical Processes
Chemical milling
Photo chemical machining

WATER JET MACHINING

Water Jet Machining (WJM) is a mechanical energy based non-traditional
machining process used to cut and machine soft materials.
It involves the use of high velocity water jet to achieve material removal or
machining.
It is similar to Abrasive Jet Machining (AJM).
In this process, high velocity water jet is allowed to strike a given work
piece.
After striking, its kinetic energy is converted to pressure energy which
induces a stress on the work piece.
When this induced stress is high enough, particles of the work piece get
removed.

 It is the preferred method when the materials being cut are sensitive to the
high temperatures generated by other methods.
Water jet cutting is often used during fabrication of machine parts.
Water jet cutting is used in various industries, including mining and
aerospace, for cutting, shaping, and reaming.

HISTORY
In 1933, the Paper Patents Company in Wisconsin developed a paper
metering, cutting, and reeling machine that used a diagonally moving
water jet nozzle to cut a horizontally moving sheet of continuous paper.
Those early applications were at a low pressure and restricted to soft
materials like paper.
Flow Industries in Kent, Washington developed the high-pressure fluid
intensifier in 1973.
Flow Industries then combined the high-pressure pump research with their
waterjet nozzle research and brought waterjet cutting into the
manufacturing world.

CONSTRUCTION
The apparatus of water jet machining consists of the following components:
Reservoir: It is used for storing water that is to be used in the machining
operation.
Pump: It pumps the water from the reservoir.
Intensifier: It is connected to the pump. It pressurizes the water acquired
from the pump to a desired level.
Accumulator: It is used for temporarily storing the pressurized water. It is
connected to the flow regulator through a control valve.
Control Valve: It controls the direction and pressure of pressurized water
that is to be supplied to the nozzle.

 Flow regulator: It is used to regulate the flow of water.

Nozzle: It renders the pressurized water as a water jet at high velocity.

OPERATION

PROCESS PARAMETERS
Kerf: cut generated by WJM in the workpiece is known as kerf.
Kerf angle: it refers to the dimensional difference between the top &
bottom of the cut cross section.
Effect of speed on kerf:

 Effect of nozzle height on surface finish

ADVANTAGES
Water jet machining is a relatively fast process.
It prevents the formation of heat affected zones on the work piece.
Complex shapes can be produced by this process.
WJM has excellent precision. It is capable of attaining accuracies down to
0.005 (0.13 mm).
Metal cutting using waterjet technology eliminates the risk of cross
contamination since there is no contact medium (namely, a blade).
It is eco-friendly.

DISADVANTAGES
Only soft materials can be machined.
Very thick materials cannot be easily machined.
Initial investment is high.

APPLICATIONS
Water jet machining is used to cut thin non-metallic sheets.
Materials commonly cut with a water jet include rubber, foam, plastics,
leather, composites, tile, metals, food, paper and much more.
It is used for machining circuit boards.
It is used in food industry.

Thank You