EMG 2421 PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY II

Lesson Plan
Lesson 1: Specialized machining processes; electromechanical, electrodischarge, electrobeam, laser, chem-
ical and ultrasonic.

Lesson 2: Welding and fabrications techniques; forging, gas flame and arc welding, resistance welding,
other welding processes.

Lesson 3: Torch and arc cutting. Heat and design considerations in welding; Testing and inspection of
welded joints; welding standards KS06; Welding of plastics; welding of iron and steel castings.

Lesson 4: CAT 1

Lesson 5: Decorative and protective surfaces treatment: purpose; mechanical cleaning and finishing;

Lesson 6: Chemical methods; metal coating, plating.

Lesson 7: CAT 2; Semester Review

References
1. Degarmo E.P., Black J.T. & Kohsar R.A., Materials and Processes in Manufacturing, Maxwell
Macmillan Int., 1988, 7th Ed.

2. Geoffrey Gladstone Thomas, Production Technology, Oxford U.P., 1970

3. R. K. Rajput, A textbook of manufacturing technology: (manufacturing processes)

4. Smart W.G. & Amoako-Awuah B.K . (1994) Practical Welding, Macmillan.

5. Larry J & Harold V.J, Welding: Principles and Application, Delmar Publishers Inc.

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1. Specialized Machining Processes
Machining processes that involve chip formation have a number of inherent limitations:

1. Large amounts of energy are expended to produce unwanted chips that must be removed and
discarded.

2. Much of the machining energy ends up as discarded heat that often produces problems of distortion
and surface cracking.

3. Unwanted distortion, residual stress and burrs caused by the machining process often require further
processing.

4. Some geometries are too delicate to machine, while others are too complex.

5. Limitations of the workpiece material such as:

• Strength and hardness of the workpiece material is too high

• Workpiece material is too brittle to be machined without damage of the workpiece
• Workpiece is too flexible or too slender to withstand machining forces

The advantages of specialized or non-traditional machining processes(NTM) are as follows:

1. Complex geometries beyond simple planar or cylindrical features can be machined

2. Parts with extreme surface-finish and tight tolerance requirements can be obtained.

3. Delicate components that cannot withstand large cutting forces can be machined.

4. Parts can be machined without producing burrs or inducing residual stresses.

5. Brittle materials or materials with very high strength hardness can be easily machined.

6. Microelectronic or integrated circuits are possible to mass-produce.

These processes can often be divided into four groups based upon the material removal mechanism:

• Chemical - Chemical reaction between a liquid reagent and the workpiece results in etching.

• Electrochemical - An electrolytic reaction at the workpiece surface is responsible for material re-
moval.

• Thermal - High temperatures in very localized regions evaporate materials.

• Mechanical - High-velocity abrasives or liquids remove material

Specialized machining processes typically have lower feed rates and require more power consumption when
compared to conventional machining.
A major advantage of some specialized processes is that feed rate is independent of the material being
processed. As a result, these processes are often used for difficult–to–machine materials.
Specialized processes typically have better accuracy and surface finish, with the ability of some processes
to machine larger feature sizes at lower capital costs.

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1.1 Chemical Machining Processes

1.1.1 Chemical Machining (CHM)

Chemical machining is applied to parts ranging from very small microelectronic circuits to very large
engravings up to 15 m long. Typically, metals are chemically machined, although methods do exist for
etching ceramics and even glass.
Material is removed from a workpiece by selectively exposing it to a chemical reagent or etchant. The
mechanism for metal removal is the chemical reaction between the etchant and the workpiece, resulting
in dissolution of the workpiece.
The most common method of CHM involves covering selected areas of the workpiece with a maskant (or
etch resist) and imparting the remaining exposed surfaces of the workpiece to the etchant. The general
material removal steps for CHM are:

1. Cleaning - Contaminants on the surface of the workpiece are removed to prepare for application of
the maskant. Cleaning ensures good adhesion of the masking material and permit uniform material
removal. This may include degreasing, rinsing, and/or pickling.

2. Masking - If selective etching is desired, an etch–resistant maskant is applied and selected areas
of the workpiece are exposed through the maskant in preparation for etching. Methods of applying
maskant include:

• Cut–and–peel method:
– Maskant material, typically neoprene, polyvinyl chloride, or polyethylene, is applied to the
entire surface of the workpiece by dipping or spraying.
– Once the coating dries, it is then selectively removed in those areas where etching is desired
by scribing the maskant with a knife and peeling away the unwanted portions.
– Scribing templates may be used to improve accuracy.
– Cut-and-peel coatings are thick, ranging from 0.025 to 0.13 mm. Because of this thickness,
the maskant can stand exposure to the etchant for extended periods of time necessary to
remove large volumes of material.
– Preferred when the workpiece is not flat, is very large or for low–volume work.
• Screen printing:
– Involves the use of traditional silk-screening technology.
– The method applies the maskant through a mask made from a fine silk mesh or stainless
steel screen.
– The screen is pressed against the surface of the workpiece and the maskant is rolled on.
and development of a light-sensitive emulsion on top of the screen.
– Good for high–volume, low–precision applications with tolerances typically in the 0.05 to
0.18 mm range.

3. Etching - The part is either immersed in an etchant or an etchant is continuously sprayed onto
the surface of the workpiece. The chemical reaction is halted by rinsing. Note that the masking
material is unaffected by the etchant. For parts machined by immersion(Figure 1.1), the uniformity
of the etchant concentration within the bath can be improved by agitation.

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Figure 1.1: Schematic illustration of the chemical machining process. Note that no forces or machine
tools are involved in this process.

4. Stripping - The maskant is removed from the workpiece and the surface is cleaned as necessary.

The cut-and-peel method for stepped machining is shown in Figure 1.2.

Figure 1.2: Steps required to produce a stepped contour using chemical machining.

Lateral dimensions in CHM are controlled in large part by the patterned maskant.

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Chemical Milling

Shallow cavities are produced on plates, sheets and forgings. Depths of machining can be as large as
12mm.
Chemical milling is single–sided, blind etching of the part.

Defects in Chemical Machining

If the bath is not agitated properly, several defect conditions can result, as shown in Figure 1.3.

Figure 1.3: Typical chemical milling defects: (a) overhang; (b) islands; (c) dishing:

(a) Overhangs: are deep cuts caused by improper agitation

(b) Islands: or high spots, can be the result of improper agitation on large parts. Islands can also be
formed due to inadequate cleaning or inhomogeneity with the work material.

(c) Dishing: thinning in center due to improper agitation or stacking of parts in tank.

Chemical Blanking

• This is the through–etching of the workpiece. It is used to produce features that penetrate through
the thickness of the material. The material is removed by chemical dissolution.

• Double–sided etching is used to increase production rates and minimize taper on the etched walls
of the feature.

• Because of the precision required, chemical blanking is not performed with the cut-and-peel method
of masking.

• Typical applications: burr–free etching of printed–circuit boards, decorative panels, production of

small complex shapes.

Photochemical Machining(PCM)

Material is removed by photographic techniques.

Figure 1.4 shows the specific steps that are involved when photochemical machining (PCM) is performed
with the use of photoresists. These are as follows:

1. Clean the workpiece.

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 2. Prepare the artwork - Design of the part to be blanked is prepared using a computer-aided design
(CAD) system.
3. Develop the phototool - The CAD file is used to derive a photographic negative of the workpiece.
The photographic negative is then reduced to the actual size of the finished part.

Figure 1.4: Schematic illustration of photochemical machining.

4. Coat the workpiece with a photosensitive material(photoresist). Liquid photoresists may also be
applied by dipping, or roller coating and dried in an oven to remove solvents.
5. Expose the photoresist - The negative is placed over the coated blank and exposed to ultraviolet
light, which hardens the exposed areas. Exposure of the photoresist to intense UV light alters the
chemistry of the photoresist, making it more resistant to dissolution 1n certain solvents.
6. Develop the photoresist - Placing the blank in the proper solvent, the unexposed areas of the resist
are removed, exposing the underlying material for etching.
7. Spray the workpiece with (or immerse it in) the etchant, which etches out the exposed areas.
8. The remaining masking material is removed, and the part is washed thoroughly to remove all
chemical residue.

Typical applications of photochemical machining: printed circuit boards, electric–motor lamination, Mi-
croelectronics fabrication.
Advantages of photochemical machining are:

• Tooling costs are low

• Process can be automated
• It is economical for medium to high–production volume
• Capable of making very small parts where traditional blanking dies are difficult to produce
• Effective for blanking fragile workpieces and materials

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1.1.2 Design considerations for Chemical Machining

1. Designs involving sharp corners, deep and narrow cavities, severe tapers, folded seams, or porous
workpiece materials should be avoided.
2. To improve the production rate, the bulk of the workpiece should be shaped by other processes
prior to chemical machining.
3. Because the etchant attacks the material in both vertical and horizontal directions, undercuts may
develop. Tolerances of ± 10% of the material thickness can be maintained in chemical blanking.
4. Dimensional variations can occur because of size changes in artwork due to humidity and tempera-
ture. This is minimized by controlling the environment in artwork generation and properly selecting
artwork media.

Advantages of CHM

1. The process is relatively simple.

2. The process does not require highly skilled labor.
3. CHM induces no stress or cold working in the metal.
4. CHM can be applied to almost any metal, aluminum, magnesium, titanium, and steel being the
most common.
5. Large areas can be machined: tanks for parts up to 12-by-50 ft and spray lines up to 10 ft wide are
available. Machining can be done on parts of virtually any shape.
6. Thin sections, such as honeycomb, can be machined because there are no mechanical forces involved.
7. The surface finish is generally good to excellent for chemical polishing.

Disadvantages of CHM

1. CHM requires the handling of dangerous chemicals and the disposal of potentially harmful by–
products, although some recycling of chemicals may be possible.
2. The metal removal rate is slow in terms of the unit area exposed. However, because large areas can
be exposed all at once, the overall removal rate may compare favorably with other metal removal
processes, particularly when the work material is not machinable or the workpiece is thin and fragile,
unable to sustain large cutting forces.

1.2 Electrochemical methods

1.2.1 Electrochemical machining (ECM)

• An electrolytic cell is formed by the anode(workpiece) and the cathode(tool) in the midst of flowing
electrolyte. The metal is removed by the controlled dissolution of the anode.
• An electrolyte acts as a current carrier and the high rate of electrolyte movement in the tool–
workpiece gap washes the metal ions away from the workpiece (anode) before they have a chance
to plate onto the tool (cathode)(Figure 1.5).
• Note that the cavity produced is the female mating–image of the tool shape.

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 Figure 1.5: Schematic illustration of ECM.

• The electrolyte is a highly conductive organic fluid such as aqueous solution of sodium nitrate. It
is pumped through the passages of the tool at rates of 10 to 16m/s.

• The shaped tool is generally made of copper, brass, bronze or stainless steel.

• DC power supply of 10 to 25V maintains current densities of between 20 to 200A/cm2 of active

machined surface.

• Material removal rate of ECM for a current efficiency of 100% is:

M RR = CI (1.1)

where MRR is in mm3 /min, I is current in Amperes, C is material constant in mm3 /A − min.

• Figure 1.6 shows typical applications of ECM.

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Figure 1.6: Typical parts made by electrochemical machining. (a) Turbine blade made of a nickel alloy;
note the shape of the electrode on the right. (b) Thin slots on a 4340-steel roller-bearing cage. (c) Integral
airfoils on a compressor disk.

Design Considerations for ECM

• Because of the tendency of the electrolyte to erode away sharp profiles, ECM is not suited for sharp
corners or flat buttons.

• Controlling electrolyte flow may be difficult, so irregular cavities may not be produced to the desired
shape with acceptable dimensional accuracy.

• Designs should make provisions for a small taper for holes and cavities.

Advantages of ECM

1. Suited for machining complex 2D shapes into delicate or difficult to machine geometries made from
poorly machinable but conductive materials.

2. There is no tool wear during actual cutting therefore, the process is more economical with increasing
volume.

3. Produces a stress free surface which is advantageous for small, thin parts

4. Ability to cut a large area simultaneously makes production of small parts very productive

Limitations of ECM

1. Preparation of tool electrode may be time consuming and costly requiring several cut-and-try efforts
for complex shapes

2. Requires disposal of harmful by-products

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1.3 Thermal Methods

1.3.1 Electrodischarge Machining(EDM)

EDM process removes metal by discharging electric current from a pulsating DC supply across a thin
interelectrode gap between the workpiece and the tool(Figure 1.7).

Figure 1.7: Schematic illustration of EDM.

The gap is filled with dielectric fluid, which becomes locally ionized at the point where the interelectrode
gap is narrowest, generally where a high point in the workpiece comes close to a high point on the tool.
The ionization of the dielectric fluid creates a conduction path in which the spark is produced. The spark
produces a tiny crater in the workpiece by melting and vaporization and consequently tiny spherical
chips are produced by resolidification of the melted quantity of the workpiece material. Bubbles from
discharge gases are produced. The high temperatures produced by the spark also melt and vaporize the
tool, producing tool wear.
Dielectric fluid is pumped through the interelectrode gap and flushes out the chips and bubbles while
confining sparks. Once the highest point on the workpiece is removed, a subsequent spark is created
between the tool and the next highest point, and so the process proceeds into the workpiece. Literally
hundreds of thousands of sparks may be generated per second. This material removal mechanism is
described as spark erosion.
The functions of the dielectric fluid include:

1. Insulation between the tool and the workpiece until the potential is sufficiently high.

2. Spark conductor - The fluid must ionize to provide a channel for the spark and deionize quickly to
become an insulator.

3. Flushing medium - Flushing of the interelectrode gap to remove residual materials and gas. Filters
in the fluidic circuit are used to remove these wastes from the dielectric fluid.

4. Coolant - The fluid must carry away the heat produced by the process. A gross temperature change
in the dielectric fluid significantly changes the properties of the fluid. Therefore,a heat exchanger
1s added to the fluidic circuit to remove heat from the dielectric fluid.

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Common dielectric fluids include parrafin, kerosene, and silicon-based dielectric oil.
Two different types of EDM exist based on the shape of the tool electrode used.

• sinker EDM(Ram EDM: The electrode is a die in the shape of the negative of the cavity to be
produced in a bulk material. By feeding the die into the workpiece, the shape of the die is machined
into the workpiece.

• Wire EDM(Electrical discharge wire cutting:) uses a continuously moving conductive wire
as the tool electrode. The tensioned wire of copper, brass, tungsten, or molybdenum is used only
once, traveling from a take-off spool to a take-up spool while being guided to produce a straight,
narrow kerf on plates up to 3 in thick(Figure 1.8). The dielectric is usually deionized water because
of its 1ow viscosity. The wire diameter ranges from 0.002 to 0.01 in., with positioning accuracy
up to +0.00002 in. in machines with numerical control (NC) or tracer control. Widely used for

Figure 1.8: Illustration of wire EDM equipment.

the manufacture of punches, dies, and stripper plates with modern machines capable of routinely
cutting die relief, intricate openings, tight radius contours, and corners.

MRR and surface finish are both controlled by the spark energy. Spark energy is controlled by a DC
power supply. The material removal rate(MRR) can be estimated from:

M RR = 4 × 104 ITw1.23 (1.2)

where MRR is in mm3 /min, I is the current(A) and Tw is the melting point of the workpiece(◦ C)
The power supply works by pulsing the current on and off at certain frequencies [between 10 and 500
kHz). The on-time as a percentage of the total cycle time (inverse of the frequency) is called the duty
cycle.
Generally, high duty cycles and lower frequencies are used to maximize MRR. Further, higher frequencies
and lower discharge currents are used to improve surface finish while reducing the MRR. Higher frequencies
generally cause increased tool wear.

Design considerations for EDM

• Parts should be designed so that the required electrodes can be shaped properly and economically

• Deep shots and narrow openings should be avoided.

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 • To achieve a high production rate, the bulk of material removal should be done by conventional
processes(roughing out).

• For economic production, the surface finish specified should not be too fine.

Advantages of EDM

1. Applicable to all materials that are fairly good electrical conductors, including metals, alloys, and
most carbides. The hardness, toughness, or brittleness of the material imposes no limitations.

2. EDM provides a relatively simple method for making holes and pockets of any desired cross section
in materials that are too hard or too brittle to be machined by most other methods.

3. EDM leaves no burrs on the edges.

4. The absence of almost all mechanical forces makes it possible to EDM fragile or delicate parts
without distortion.

5. While feed rates in EDM are slow, it can produce complex geometries particularly in hardened tool
materia1s. One of the biggest applications of EDM processes is tool and die making.

Limitations of EDM

1. EDM processes are slow compared to more conventional methods of machining, and they produce
a matte surface finish composed of many small craters.

2. Formation of a recast or remelt layer on the surface and a heat-affected zone below the surface of
the workpiece. The effect of the recast layer and heat-affected zone is poor surface finish as well as
poor surface integrity and poor fatigue strength.

3. The thin, hard recast surface on a workpiece material that tends to be brittle at room temperature
causes fine cracks on the surface caused by the thermally induced stresses. Consequently, some
other finishing process is often used subsequent to EDM to remove the thin recast and heat-affected
layers, particularly if the product will be fatigued.

4. Fumes, resulting from the bubbles produced during spark erosion, are given off during the EDM
process. Fumes can be toxic when electrical discharge machining boron carbide, titanium boride,
and beryllium, posing a significant safety issue, although machining of these materials is hazardous
in many other processes as well.

1.3.2 Electron Beam Machining(EBM)

• Electron-beam machining (EBM) is a thermal process that uses a beam of high–energy electrons
focused on the workpiece to melt and vaporize metal. This process shown in

• Figure 1.9 is performed in a vacuum chamber. The electron beam is produced in the electron gun
(also under vacuum) by thermionic emission.

• Thermionic emission: A tungsten filament is heated to temperatures greater than 20000 C. A stream
(beam) of electrons is emitted from the tip of the filament. Electrostatic optics are used to focus
and direct the beam.

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 Figure 1.9: Electron Beam Machining.

• The diameter of the beam is on the order of 0.0005 to 0.001 in., and holes or narrow slits with
depth-to-width ratios of 100:l can be ”machined” with great precision in any material.

• Limitations of the process:

i. The interaction of the beam with the surface produces dangerous X-rays; therefore, electro-
magnetic shielding of the process is necessary.
ii. These machines require high voltages (50 to 200 kV) to accelerate the electrons to speeds of
0.5 to 0.8 the speed of light and should be operated by fully trained personnel.

• Advantages of the EBM:

1. The layer of recast material and the depth of the heat damage are very small.
2. For micromachining applications, MRRs can exceed that of EDM or ECM.

• Electron beam is used mainly for welding, to some extent for surface hardening, and occasionally
for cutting (mainly drilling).

1.3.3 Plasma Arc Machining

• Uses a superheated stream of electrically ionized gas to melt and remove material. The 20, 000◦ to
50, 0000◦ F plasma is created inside a water–cooled nozzle by electrically ionizing a suitable gas such
as nitrogen, hydrogen, argon, or mixture of these gases.

• The plasma arc is initiated in a confined gas–filled chamber by a high–frequency spark. The high–
voltage, DC power sustains the arc, which exits from the nozzle at near–sonic velocity.

• The workpiece is electrically positive. The high–velocity gases melt and blow away the molten metal
”chips”(Figure 1.10). A secondary gas or water shield to assist in blowing the molten metal out of
the kerf, giving a cleaner cut.

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 Figure 1.10: Plasma Arc Machining.

• The process can be used on almost any conductive metal.

• Advantages of the process:

i. Plasma beams are used to rapidly cut ferrous and nonferrous sheets and plates.
ii. High speed of material removal.
iii. Kerf width is small
iv. Surface finish is good
v. Parts as thick as 150mm can be cut
vi. MRR is higher than EDM and LBM processes
vii. Parts can be machined with good reproducibility

• Limitations:

i. Tapered cuts
ii. Double arcing, leading to wear of the nozzle

1.3.4 Laser Beam Machining

• The source of energy is a laser (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation) which
focuses optical energy on the surface of the workpiece. The highly focused, high-density energy
melts and evaporates portions of the workpiece in a controlled manner. A schematic of the LBM
process is shown in Figure1.11.

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 Figure 1.11: Schematic illustration of laser beam machining.

• The material removal mechanism in LBM is dependent on the wavelength of the laser used. The
most common types of lasers include:

1. The most common industrial laser is the CO2 laser. The CO2 laser is a gas laser that uses a
tube of helium and carbon dioxide as the lasing material. Output is in the far-infrared range
(10.6 µ m), and the power can be up to 10kW. Applications of CO2 lasers range from cigarette
paper cutting to drilling microholes in turbine engine blades to cutting steel plate for chain
saw blades.
2. Nd:YAG lasers are called solid-state lasers. The lasing material in these lasers is a solid
crystal of yttrium, aluminum, and garnet that has been doped with neodymium atoms. The
output wavelength is in the near-infrared range (1064 nm),and power up to 500 W is common.
Applications: Printed circuit boards and chip scale packaging applications.
3. Excimer(excited dimer) lasers with laser rods consisting of excited complex molecules
(usually noble gas halides) called dimers. Excimer lasers are pulsed lasers that output in the
near and deep UV range at powers up to 100W. Excimer lasers are significantly more expensive
to purchase and operate than CO2 or Nd:YAG lasers. Applications: mass micromachining
applications.

• Lasers are also used for joining (welding, crazing, soldering), heat treating materials and rapid
prototyping.

• Cutting depth can be expressed as:

CP
t= (1.3)
vd
where t is depth, C is the constant for the process, P is the power input, v is the cutting speed, and
d is the laser spot diameter.

Design considerations for LBM

i. Deep cuts will produce tapered walls

ii. Reflectivity of the workpiece surface is an important consideration; dull and unpolished surfaces are
preferred because they reflect less

iii. Designs with sharp corners are difficult to produce and should, therefore, be avoided.

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iv. Adverse effects on the properties of the machined materials caused by the high local temperatures
and heat affected zone should be investigated.

1.4 Mechanical Methods

1.4.1 Ultrasonic Machining

• It employs an ultrasonically vibrating tool to impel the abrasives in a slurry at high velocity against
the workpiece. The tool is fed into the part as it vibrates along an axis parallel to the tool feed at
an amplitude on the order of several thousandths of an inch and a frequency of 20 kHz. Figure 1.12
shows a simple schematic of this process.

Figure 1.12: Ultrasonic Machining.

• Cutting action is performed by the abrasives in the slurry, which are continuously flooded under the
tool. As the tool is fed into the workpiece, a negative of the tool is machined into the workpiece.

• The slurry is loaded up to 60% by weight with abrasive particles. Boron carbide, aluminum oxide,
and silicon carbide are the most commonly used abrasives.

• High–frequency vibrations are imparted to the tool holder and tool by piezoelectric transducers.

• Tool materials are usually brass, carbide, mild steel or tool steel and will vary in tool wear depending
on their hardness.

• The cut will be oversize by about twice the size of the abrasive particles being used.

• Holes will be tapered, usually limiting the hole depth–to–diameter ratio about 3:1.

• Surface roughness is controlled by the size of the abrasive particles (finer finish with smaller parti-
cles).

• Advantages of the process include:

i. The process can use shaped tools to cut virtually any material but is most effective on hard
and brittle materials.

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 ii. It is one of the few machining methods capable of machining glass.
iii. It is the safest machining method.

• Disadvantage: High-pitched noise can be a problem due to secondary vibrations.

• In addition to machining, ultrasonic energy has also been employed for coining, lapping, deburring,
and broaching. Plastics can be welded using ultrasonic energy.

1.4.2 Water Jet Machining

Uses a high–velocity fluid jet impinging on the workpiece to perform a slitting operation. Water is ejected
from a nozzle orifice at high pressure (up to 60,000 psi). The jet is typically 0.003 to 0.020 inches in
diameter and exits the orifice at velocities up to 3000 ft/sec. The water jet acts as a saw and cuts a
narrow groove into the material.
Nozzle materials include synthetic sapphire, due to its machineability and resistance to wear.
Mechanisms for tool failure include chipping from contaminants or constriction due to mineral deposits.
The advantages of WJC include:

i. No heat is produced

ii. No deflection of the rest of the workpiece takes place, thus the process is suitable for flexible materials

iii. Little wetting of the workpiece takes place

iv. The burr produced is minimal

v. It is environmentally safe

Disadvantages of water jet machining are:

1. Since the mechanism for material removal is simply the impinging pressure of the water exceeding
the compressive strength of the material, the materials that can be cut are limited to leather,
plastics, and other soft nonmetals.

2. The process is noisy and requires operators to have hearing protection.

1.4.3 Abrasive Water Jet Machining

Abrasives particles(silicon carbide or aluminium oxide) are added to the waterjet in order to increase the
material removal rate above that of water jet machining.
In the mixing chamber, the momentum of the water is transferred to the abrasive particles, and the water
and particles are forced out through the AWC nozzle orifice(Figure 1.13).
A full range of materials, including metals, plastics, rubber, glass, ceramics, and composites can be
machined by AWC.
Limitation: It also experiences rapid wear in the mixing tube.

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 Figure 1.13: Abrasive Water Jet Machining

1.4.4 Abrasive Jet Machining

• Material removal occurs by a focused jet of abrasives. Momentum is transferred to the abrasive
particles by a jet of inert gas. The small mass of the abrasive particles produces a microscale
chipping action on the workpiece material.

• Ideal for processing hard, brittle materials, including glass, silicon, tungsten and ceramics. Not
compatible with soft, elastic materials.

• Abrasive velocities on the order of 1000ft/sec are possible with AJM. Abrasives are typically not
recycled, since the abrasives are cheap and are used only on the order of several hundred grams per
hour.

• To minimize particulate contamination of the work environment, a dust-collection hood should be

used in concert with the AJM system.

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