Lab Session: 5

Experiment No:5

5.1 Title
Orientation session on ODL of MP-III Lab, Video graphic demonstration and discussion on
working and basic principle of Water Jet Cutting Machine

5.2 Objectives
The main objectives of this is

1. To know about the Water Jet Cutting Process

2. To understand the process on the basis of Research paper

5.3 Introduction
Water jets were introduced in the United States during the 1970’s, and were utilized
merely for cleaning purposes. As the technology developed to include abrasive water jets, new
applications were disco verged. However, until recently this tool had not been used to a great
extent in the construction industry
Cutting with a water jet is a method of engineering for cutting objects using the energy from high
speed, high density, ultra-high pressure water. The water is pressurized to a maximum 392 MPa
(approximately 4,000 atmospheres) and projected from a small-bore nozzle (Φ0.1 mm).
Water that has been pressurized by an ultrahigh-pressure pump reaches a speed approximately
three times the speed of sound, producing a water jet with destructive force. [1]

Abrasive Waterjet Cutting is essentially an accelerated erosion process. Ultra-high pressure

water is fired through a ruby or diamond orifice into a “mixing chamber” which creates a
vacuum and draws garnet sand into the water stream. This means waterjet is an extremely
powerful and versatile cutting tool, which is used globally for a wide range of waterjet cutting
applications.

5.4 Problem Statement

Its applications are widespread, with some of its more familiar uses including
cutting roof materials, dashboards and bumpers for automobiles. Cutting and demolition of
concrete structures. It is also used in cutting aircraft fuselages that use new materials.
Abrasive waterjet cutting machines efficiently cut stone, marble, ceramics, porcelain and
tile. Waterjet cutting is ideal for the insertion of inlays, and logos for stone and tile applications,
as the process effectively maximizes performance, reduces cost and increases profit. [2]

Figure 1 Application of Water Jet Cutting [2]

5.5 Working Principle

All waterjets follow the same principle of using high pressure water focused into a
beam by a nozzle. Most machines accomplish this by first running the water through a high
pressure pump. There are two types of pumps used to create this high pressure; an intensifier
pump and a direct drive or crankshaft pump. A direct drive pump works much like a car engine,
forcing water through high pressure tubing using plungers attached to a crankshaft. An intensifier
pump creates pressure by using hydraulic oil to move a piston forcing the water through a tiny
hole. The water then travels along the high pressure tubing to the nozzle of the waterjet. In the
nozzle, the water is focused into a thin beam by a jewel orifice.

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 [1]
Figure 2 Working Principle of Water Jet Cutting Machine

This beam of water is ejected from the nozzle, cutting through the material by spraying it with
the jet of speed on the order of Mach 3, around 2,500 ft/s (760 m/s). The process is the same for
abrasive waterjets until the water reaches the nozzle. Here abrasives such
as garnet and Aluminium oxide, are fed into the nozzle via an abrasive inlet. The abrasive then
mixes with the water in a mixing tube and is forced out the end at high pressure. [3]

5.6 Apparatus Diagram

Figure 3 Water Jet Machine [3]

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5.7 Construction of Water Jet Cutting Machine
The apparatus of water jet machining consists of the following components:
1. Reservoir: It is used for storing water that is to be used in the machining operation.
2. Pump: It pumps the water from the reservoir. High pressure intensifier pumps are used to
pressurize the water as high as 55,000 psi. For the abrasive water jet, the operating pressure
ranges from 31,000 to 37,000 psi. At this high pressure the flow rate of the water is reduced
greatly.
3. Intensifier: It is connected to the pump. It pressurizes the water acquired from the pump to
a desired level.
4. Accumulator: It is used for temporarily storing the pressurized water. It is connected to the
flow regulator through a control valve.
5. Control Valve: It controls the direction and pressure of pressurized water that is to be
supplied to the nozzle.
6. Flow regulator: It is used to regulate the flow of water.
7. Nozzle: It renders the pressurized water as a water jet at high velocity. Once the water is
pressurized, it is forced through a sapphire nozzle which is composed of the natural
sapphire stone due to the strength of the stone. The diameter of the nozzle can be varied
depending on the application for which the water jet is being used. A damaged nozzle leads
to poor cohesion of the stream, thereby reducing the cutting ability greatly. The nozzle
typically lasts 100 to 200 hours before it needs to be replaced.
8. Mixing Tube: The stream of water which emerges from the nozzle is then mixed with the
abrasive. This takes place in the mixing tube, which is usually constructed out of tungsten-
carbide. Wear of the mixing tube, due to the abrasive, is a problem and it needs frequent
replacement. When the tube becomes worn, the jet no longer is cohesive and loses power
and cutting ability rapidly. [4]
9. Catchers: After the cut has been made, the water abrasive material is collected in a catcher.
In a field situation there are still problems catching the waste material. Often catchers need
to be custom designed for a specific job.

5.8 Working Procedure

The water jet machining follows the following procedure:
1. Water from the reservoir is pumped to the intensifier using a hydraulic pump.
2. The intensifier increases the pressure of the water to the required level. Usually, the water is
pressurized to 200 to 400 MPa.
3. Pressurized water is then sent to the accumulator. The accumulator temporarily stores the
pressurized water.
4. Pressurized water then enters the nozzle by passing through the control valve and flow
regulator.
5. Control valve controls the direction of water and limits the pressure of water under
permissible limits.
6. Flow regulator regulates and controls the flow rate of water.
7. Pressurized water finally enters the nozzle. Here, it expands with a tremendous increase in
its kinetic energy. High velocity water jet is produced by the nozzle.
8. When this water jet strikes the work piece, stresses are induced. These stresses are used to
remove material from the work piece.

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 9. The water used in water jet machining may or may not be used with stabilizers. Stabilizers
are substances that improve the quality of water jet by preventing its fragmentation. [5]

5.9 Applications of Water Jet Machining

1. Printed Circuit Boards

For circuit boards, waterjet cutting is mostly used to cut out smaller boards from a large
piece of stock. This is a desired method, since it has a very small kerf, or cutting width,
and does not waste a lot of material. Because the stream is so concentrated, it can also
cut very close to the given tolerances for parts mounted on the circuit board without
damaging them.
2. Food Preparation
The cutting of certain foods such as bread can also be easily done with waterjet cutting.
Since the waterjet exerts such a small force on the food, it does not crush it, and with a
small kerf width, very little is wasted.
3. Wood Cutting
Woodworking is another application that abrasive water jet machining can be used for.
Since wood is a softer material compared to steel, almost all wood can be cut, and the
abrasive particles sand surface, leaving a smooth finish that doesn’t require sanding.
4. Rivet Removal
Water jet cutting was found to be a feasible method for removing rivets with thicknesses
less than 2 inches. At greater thickness the quality of the cut became unacceptable, and a
tool that could be inserted into the cut would be needed to perform the job.
5. Paint Removal
In the United States the removal of lead-based paint from bridges is causing big
problems. Traditionally, sand blasting was carried out in the open with no concern for the
surrounding environment. Today many states require the complete containment of the
removed produce as well as the waste generated from blasting. Water jet technology has
been used successfully for coating removal. [6]
6. Wire Stripping
Wire stripping is another application that can be used effectively in waterjet cutting. If no
abrasives are used, the stream is powerful enough to remove any insulation from wires,
without damaging the wires themselves. It is also much faster and efficient than using
human power to strip wires.

5.10 Advantages and Disadvantages of Water Jet Cutting

1. Superior Edge Quality

Edge quality is one of the most important significant reasons why designers specify
waterjet. Waterjet produces a smooth uniform burr-free edge. 

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 2. Efficient & Cost Effective
If you are looking for a process which can deliver exceptional edge quality requiring little or no
additional edge treatment, and the flexibility to cut almost any type and thickness of product,
then waterjet is your best option. 

3. Precise Internal Cutouts

With cutting accuracy of ±0.038 to ±0.2mm (accuracy varies between machines), waterjet is an
extremely versatile cutting tool which is why it is used globally in many industries for intricate
designs and jobs which require high tolerances. 

4. Cuts Virtually Any Shape or Thickness

High pressure water mixed with abrasive creates a needle-sharp cutting stream which can cut
almost any shape and thickness. This includes bonded laminated materials such as Aluminium
composite panel and rubber-lined wear plates. 

5. No Heat Affected Zones

Waterjet is a cold cutting process which eliminates problems caused by heat distortion
and hardened edges. This is particularly advantageous for intricate metal fabrication and
products which require additional machining after cutting. 

6. No Tool Changes Required

Improve your operating efficiency and profitability by cutting all your materials on one machine.
Waterjet uses the same tool for cutting all types of product - no need to change cutting tools
when switching to another product. Simply adjust the feed rate to the appropriate speed to match
the type and thickness of material.

7. Increased Cutting Flexibility

In simple terms, if your product can't be cut by waterjet, it probably can't be cut at
all! The flexibility to be able to efficiently cut almost any job that your clients require is
one of the key reasons waterjet is such an attractive option. [7]
8. Water jet machining is a relatively fast process.
9. It prevents the formation of heat affected zones on the work piece.
10. It automatically cleans the surface of the work piece.
11. WJM has excellent precision. Tolerances of the order of ±0.005″ can be obtained.
12. It does not produce any hazardous gas.
13. It is eco-friendly.

As like the advantages the WJM has following disadvantages which are:

1. Only soft materials can be machined.

2. Very thick materials cannot be easily machined.
3. Initial investment is high

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5.11 Limitations of Water Jet Cutting

1. Cutting Time – While the waterjet cutter can cut most of the same materials, very often
the cutting takes longer than a traditional cutter. More time cutting means less output.

2. Orifice Failure – Low quality waterjet orifices have a tendency to break down and

disrupt cutting, resulting in lost time and productivity.

3. Greater Thickness, Less Accuracy – The thicker a material the further the stream is
away from the nozzle at its point of impact. A less consistent impact from waterjet
changes the cutting accuracy from top to bottom. Often, the jet can spread and make
more of a diagonal cut than a straight up and down cut.

4. Starting Costs – In the beginning, finding and implementing the additional abrasive
materials, like granite, to increase the efficacy of the cutter can by very expensive
compared to a simple plasma cutter. [8]

5.12 Conclusions
It appeared after studying the advantages and disadvantages of the waterjet, that this is a tool that
the construction industry should find very useful. Unfortunately, this does not seem to be the
case. Many of the regional companies do not seem to have any significant knowledge of the
waterjet, thus remaining unwilling to employ this technology.

The responses that we have received have left us with the inability to comment on the cost
effectiveness of the water jet in the construction industry. The majority of companies that we
contacted do not employ the water jet in their companies, nor do most of them have any
knowledge of the abrasive water jet. These companies seem to be conservative to new
technology and unwilling to take risks. This may also be due to the fact that many companies are
unwilling to invest in a new technology that is not widely used.

The contractors that do employ the abrasive water jet technology did not provide us with the
percentage of cost benefit to their company. [9]

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5.13 Research Article for Water Jet Cutting Process

5.13.1 Title
An Experimental Investigation and Parametric Study of Abrasive Water Jet Cutting Process
5.13.2 Published by
1. Dhruv Soni (PG Student)
2. Pritesh R. Patel (Asst. Prof. Department of Mechanical Engineering)
Babaria Institute of Technology, Vadodara
5.13.3 Purpose
The objective of this thesis is to develop an experimental investigation of the process that can be
used for a better understanding of the process. The factors affecting water jet and abrasive water
jet performance are found from review & the effect of same is to be experimentally investigated.
5.13.4 Index Terms
Abrasive water jet cutting, low carbon steel, top kerf width, stand-off distance, MRR, AWJM
5.13.5 Introduction
The basic technology is both simple and extremely complex. At its most basic, water flows from
a pump, through plumbing and out a cutting head. It is simple to explain, operate and maintain.
The process, however, incorporates extremely complex materials technology and design. To
generate and control water at pressures of 60,000 psi requires science and technology not taught
in universities. At these pressures a slight leak can cause permanent erosion damage to
components if not properly designed. The user need only be knowledgeable in the basic water jet
operation.
Essentially, there are two types of water jets;
(1) Pure Water jet and (2) Abrasive Water jet.

Figure 4 Schematic Diagram of AWJM

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5.13.6 Literature review
Various researchers are working on laser cutting process to cut various materials. They are
working on various parameters.
1. M.A. Azmir et al. reported on abrasive water jet machining process on glass/epoxy
composite laminate.
2. MahabaleshPalleda studied the effect of using different chemicals on material removal
rate, with varied stand-off distances and chemical concentration in abrasive water jet
machining.
3. Divyansh Patel et al. studied by thermally enhanced abrasive water jet machining
(TEAWJM) process to improve the machining capabilities of conventional abrasive water
jet machine by heating the work by an external heat source.
4. DerzijaBegic-Hajdarevic et al. investigated on surface roughness through effects of
material thickness, traverse speed and abrasive mass flow rate during abrasive water jet
cutting of aluminium.
5. AzlanMohd Zain et al. presented optimization of process parameters in the abrasive water
jet machining using integrated Simulated Annealing (SA) and Genetic Algorithm (GA).
6. LeeladharNagdeve et al. conducted experiment on aluminium for investigated Material
removal rate and surface Roughness (Ra).
5.13.7 Design of Experiment
The three-level design is written as a 3k factorial design. It means that k factors are considered,
each at 3 levels. These are referred to as low, intermediate and high levels. These levels are
numerically expressed as 0, 1, and 2. One could have considered the digits -1, 0, and +1, but this
may be confusing with respect to the 2-level designs since 0 is reserved for centre points.
Therefore, we will use the 0, 1, 2 scheme. Thus standard order (in terms of 0, 1 and 2 for coded
test condition of -1, 0 and 1 respectively) 000 and 222 indicates all process parameters are at
their low levels and higher levels respectively. Figure shows the geometric representation of the
design of experimentations. The set of 27 tests have been performed randomly however some
experimental limitation has been considered in randomization. Table shows all possible
combination of 33 full factorial design of experiment.

Figure 5 Full Factorial 33 Geometric Representation

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5.13.8 Result and Discussion

Figure 6 Effect graph for Surface Roughness

Figure 7 Main effect plot for GRG

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5.13.9 Conclusions
The AISI1018 has been cut by abrasive water jet cutting machine. The conclusions relevant to
this investigation are outlined below:
a. The surface roughness increase with increase traverse speed from 100 to 300 mm/min, when
the other two parameters are kept constant as well as surface roughness decrease with
increase abrasive mass flow rate and water pressure 150 to 350 gm/min and 250 to 350 MPa.
b. While studying the effect of the cutting parameters on the top kerf width, it was observed that
both the traverse speed and abrasive mass flow rate play equally important roles in the effect
on the top kerf width. The role of the water pressure given is not crucial to the same extent.
The optimum condition for machining to reduce kerf width would be A3 B1 C3. The traverse
speed kept at 160 mm/min, the laser power kept at 750 watts and the gas pressure kept at 3
bar.
c. From These study, it has been seen that the kerf width plays very important role in qualities
of water jet cutting object.
d. The optimum condition for machining to reduce surface roughness would be A1 B3 C3. The
cutting speed kept at 300 mm/min, the abrasive mass flow rate kept at 150 gm/min and the
water pressure 450 MPa.
e. While studying the effect of the cutting parameters on the surface roughness, it was observed
that both the traverse speed and abrasive mass flow rate play equally important roles in the
effect on the surface roughness. The role of the water pressure given is less crucial to the
same extent.
f. The optimal parameter values are at traverse speed 100 mm/min, abrasive mass flow rate 350
gm/min and 250 MPa water pressure. At these parameters the values of top and bottom kerf,
surface roughness and MRR are 1.28 mm, 0.754 mm, 2.44 μm and 5.03 mm3/min
respectively.

5.14 References
1. Steinhauser, John, "Abrasive Waterjets: on the ‘Cutting Edge’ of Technology", Flow
Systems, Inc.
2. Azmir, M. A., & Ahsan, A. K. (2009). “A study of abrasive water jet machining process
on glass/epoxy composite laminate.” Journal of Materials Processing Technology,
209(20), 6168–6173.
3. Vundavilli, P. R., Parappagoudar, M. B., Kodali, S. P., &Benguluri, S. (2012). “Fuzzy
logic-based expert system for prediction of depth of cut in abrasive water jet machining
process.” Knowledge-Based Systems, 27, 456–464.
4. Palleda, M. (2007). “A study of taper angles and material removal rates of drilled holes in
the abrasive water jet machining process.” Journal of Materials Processing Technology,
189(1-3), 292–295.
5. Patel, D., &Tandon, P. (2015). “Experimental investigations of thermally enhanced
abrasive water jet machining of hard-tomachine metals.” CIRP Journal of Manufacturing
Science and Technology, 10(MAY), 92–101.
6. Begic-Hajdarevic, D., Cekic, A., Mehmedovic, M., &Djelmic, A. (2015). “Experimental
Study on Surface Roughness in Abrasive Water Jet Cutting.” Procedia Engineering, 100,
394–399.

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7. Zain, A. M., Haron, H., & Sharif, S. (2011). “Optimization of process parameters in the
abrasive waterjet machining using integrated SA–GA.” Applied Soft Computing, 11(8),
5350–5359.
8. Nagdeve, L., Chaturvedi, V., &Vimal, J. (2012). “Implementation of Taguchi Approach
for Ptimization of Abrasive Water Jet Machining Process Parameters”, 9–13.
9. Selvan, C. P., &Raju, M. S. (2012). “Analysis of Surface Roughness in Abrasive
Waterjet Cutting of Cast Iron”, 1(3), 174– 182.
10. A., Jurkovic, Z., Perinic, M., Maricic, S., Sekulic, M., & Sad, N. (2012). Journal of
Trends in the Development of Machinery “Application Of Modelling And Optimization
Methods In Abrasive Water Jet Machining” ZoranJurkovic , MladenPerinic , Sven
Maricic Faculty of Technical Sciences , University VesnaMandic Faculty of Engineeri,
16(1), 59–62. [10] Pal, V. K., & Choudhury, S. K. (2014). “Surface Characterization and
Machining of Blind Pockets on Ti6Al4V by Abrasive Water Jet Machining.” Procedia
Materials Science, 5(December), 1584–1592.

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