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78 Sample Chapter
78 Sample Chapter
2.0 INTRODUCTION
In abrasive jet machining, a focused stream of abrasive particles, carried by high
pressure air or gas is made to impinge on the work surface through a nozzle and work
material is removed by erosion by high-velocity abrasive particles. The AJM differs from
sandblasting. In AJM the abrasive is much finer and the process parameters and cutting
action are carefully controlled.
Sand Blasting Abrasive Jet Machining
Sand blasting is an act of propelling very fine In AJM, a focused steam of abrasive particles
bits of material at high velocity to clean or etch a carried by high pressure gas is used.
surface.
Uniform particles of sand, steel grit, copper slag, Silicon carbide, aluminium oxide, glass beads,
walnut shells, and powdered abrasives are used. dolomite, sodium bicarbonate are used as
abrasives.
In sand blasting abrasives are sprayed all over AJM is not only used for cleaning but also for
usually for cleaning surfaces from corrosion, cutting, deburring, deflashing, etc. AJM is a well
paints, glues and other contaminants. controlled process compared to sand blasting.
AJM is mainly used to cut intricate shapes in hard and brittle materials which are
sensitive to heat and chip easily. The process is also used for deburring and cleaning
operations. AJM is inherently free from chatter and vibration problems. The cutting
action is cool because the carrier gas serves as a coolant.
2.1 PROCESS
Schematic diagram of abrasive jet machining is shown in Figure 2.0 In abrasive jet
machining abrasive particles are made to impinge on the work material at high velocity.
Jet of abrasive particles is carried by carrier gas or air. The high velocity stream of abrasives
is generated by converting pressure energy of the carrier gas or air to its kinetic energy
and hence high-velocity jet. Nozzles direct the abrasive jet in a controlled manner onto
the work material. The high-velocity abrasive particles remove the material by micro-
cutting action as well as brittle fracture of the work material.
AJM is a process of removal of material by impact erosion through the action of
concentrated high-velocity stream of grit abrasives entrained in high velocity gas stream.
AJM is different from shot or sand blasting, as in AJM, finer abrasive grits are used and
parameters can be controlled more effectively providing better control over product
quality.
2.4 Unconventional Machining Processes
nozzle is made of either circular or rectangular cross section and head can be straight,
or at a right angle. It is so designed that loss of pressure due to the bends, friction, etc.,
is minimum possible. With increase in wear of a nozzle, the divergence of jet stream
increases resulting in more stray cutting and high inaccuracy.
Nozzles
Exit
let
Out
t
(a) Right angled, round Inle (b) Straight edge rectangular
shaped nozzle shaped nozzle
8. Used for drilling, cutting, deburring etching and polishing of hard and brittle
materials.
9. Most suitable for machining brittle and heat-sensitive materials like glass, quartz,
sapphire, mica, ceramics, germanium, silicon and gallium.
10. It is also good for deburring small holes like in hypodermic needles and for small
milled slots in hard metallic components.
11. It can be used for micromachining of brittle materials.
12. It is used in fine drilling and aperture drilling for electronic microscope.
13. Used for cleaning metallic moulds and cavities.
14. Cleaning surfaces from corrosion, paints, glues and other contaminants, especially
those that are inaccessible.
15. Deburring of surgical needles and hydraulic valves, nylon, teflon and derlin.
16. Engraving on glass using rubber or metallic masks.
50
Workpiece: Plate glass
Abrasive: Aluminium oxide
40
Pressure: 50 kg/cm2
Material removal rate
30 Grai
n siz
e 50
micr
ons
20 Grain siz
mg/mm
e 27 micro
ns
10
0
Grain size 10 microns
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
Abrasive flow rate, gm/min
Figure 2.2 Effect of abrasive flow rate and grain size on MRR.
Abrasive Jet Machining 2.9
is owing to the fact that mass flow rate of gas decreases with increase of abrasive flow rate
and hence mixing ratio increases causing a decrease in material removal rate because of
decreasing energy available for erosion.
2. Effect of exit gas velocity and abrasive particle density (Figure 2.3)
The velocity of carrier gas conveying the abrasive particles changes considerably with the
change of abrasive particle density as indicated in figure.
Figure 2.3 Effect of exit gas velocity and abrasive particle density.
The exit velocity of gas can be increased to critical velocity when the internal gas
pressure is nearly twice the pressure at exit of nozzle for the abrasive particle density
is zero. If the density of abrasive particles is gradually increased exit velocity will go on
decreasing for the same pressure condition. It is due to the fact that kinetic energy of gas
is utilized for transporting the abrasive particles.
3. Effect of mixing ratio on MRR
Increased mass flow rate of abrasive will result in a decreased velocity of fluid and will
thereby decreases the available energy for erosion and ultimately the MRR. It is convenient
to explain this fact by term mixing ratio. Which is defined as
Volume flow rate of abrasives per unit time
Mixing ratio =
Volume flow rate of carrier gas per unit time
The effect of mixing ratio on the material removal rate is shown in Figure 2.4.
The material removal rate can be improved by increasing the abrasive flow rate
provided the mixing ratio is kept constant. The mixing ratio is unchanged only by
simultaneous increase of both gas and abrasive flow rate (Figure 2.5).
An optimum value of mixing ratio that gives maximum MRR is predicted by trial
and error. In place of mixing ratio, the mass ratio a may be easier to determine. Which is
defined as
Volume flow rate of abrasives ma
a= =
Volume flow rate of carrier gas ma + mg
2.10 Unconventional Machining Processes
0.25
0.2
Cutting ability
0.15
0.1
0.05
0
0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0
Mixing ratio, R
Mixing ratio
constant
10 mm
2 2
2a = 7°
15 mm
a 1.5 mm
3 3
2.0 mm
4 4
32 8
–6
1 mm
b
24 6 1 mm
3
a
16 4
8 2
0 0
0 4 8 12 16 20 24
Stand-off distance, mm
Figure 2.9 Effect of stand-off distance on material removal rate and penetration rate.
Abrasive grit
Equivalent grit
2r 2r
Indentation (d)
Material removal
C
B d
D
2r
Figure 2.10
2
dg Ê dg ˆ
-Á - d˜ = r 2
2 Ë 2 ¯
2
r 2 = d + dg d
Neglecting d 2 term, we can write
r 2 = dg d
r= dg d
Let us assume that grits also move with velocity (V ) then we can write
1 2
Kinetic energy = KE = MV
2
M = mass of a single abrasive grit = volume of grit × density of grit
2.14 Unconventional Machining Processes
3
Ê dg ˆ
4p Á ˜
( )
3
4 p rg3 Ë 2¯ p dg
Volume of single grit = = =
3 3 6
Therefore, we can write kinetic energy of the single grit
Ê
( ) ˆ
3
1 1 Á p dg
KE = MV 2
= rg ˜ V 2 (2)
2 2Á 6 ˜
Ë ¯
On impact, work material would be subjected to maximum force F, which would lead
to indentation of d.
Work done during such indentation is
Fd
WD by the grit = (3)
2
F
Also we know the flow strength of material = s w =
pr2
F = sw × p r 2
F = sw × p dg d (4)
Using equation (4) in (3), we get
F d s w × p dg d × d
WD by the grit = =
2 2
It is assumed that kinetic energy of the abrasives is fully used for material removal.
Kinetic energy of the particle = WD by the particle
Ê
( ) ˆ
3
1 Á p dg ˜
s w × p dg d × d
rg V 2 =
2Á 6 ˜ 2
Ë ¯
Simplifying, we get
rg
d = V dg (5)
6 sw
MRR in AJM material can be expressed as
= {Volume of material removed per grit per cycle}
× Number of impacts made by abrasives per second
È Mass flow rate of abrasives ˘
MRR = G B × Í ˙
Î Mass of the abrasive grit ˚
2.16 Unconventional Machining Processes
grams 3 × 10 - 3 kg kg
Abrasive grain density = rg = 3 = -6 3
= 3 × 10 3 3
cc 10 m m
2.5 grams 2.5 × 10 - 3
Mass flow rate of abrasives = Ma = = kg/sec
min 60
Velocity = 205 m/sec
Solution: Since the material is brittle. We need to use the MRR formula corresponding to
the brittle material.
È 3 ˘
Í M a (V ) 2 ˙
MRR = Í 1 ˙
( )
3
Í (s ) 4 r 4 ˙
Î w g ˚
È 3 ˘
Í 2.5 × 10 / 60 × ( 205) 2 ˙
-3
MRR = Í 3 1 ˙
(
Í 3 × 109 4 3 × 10 3 4 ˙
Î ˚ ) ( )
-9 m3 mm 3
MRR = 1.289 × 10 = 77.35
sec min
Problem 2.2 Material removal rate in AJM is 0.5 mm3/sec. Calculate MRR/impact if the
mass flow rate of abrasive is 3 gm/min, density is 3 gm/cc and grit size is 60 microns .
Also calculate the indentation radius.
Data Given:
Material removal rate = 0.5 mm3/sec.
Abrasive grain size = 50 microns = 50 × 10 – 3 mm
grams 3 × 10 - 3 kg kg
Abrasive grain density rg = 3 = -6 3
= 3 × 10 3 3
cc 10 m m
Mass flow rate of abrasives M a = 3 gm/min = 3 × 10 – 3/60 kg/sec
Solution:
3
Ê dg ˆ
4p Á ˜
( )
3
4 p rg3 Ë 2¯ p dg
Volume of single grit = = =
3 3 6
3
Ê 3 × 10 - 3 ˆ
( )
p d g r g3 (
p 50 × 10 -3
) ÁË 60 ˜¯
Mass of single grit = =
6 6
MRR in AJM material can be expressed as
MRR = {Volume of material removed per grit per cycle}
× Number of impacts made by abrasives per second
Abrasive Jet Machining 2.17
Indentation volume = Á
2 Ë 3 ¯ 2 ÍÍ
˜=
3 ˙ = 12 = 1960
˙
Í ˙
Î ˚
Solving, we get
dg = 19.56 microns
Problem 2.3 During AJM, mixing ratio used is 0.2. Calculate mass ratio, if the ratio of
density of abrasives and density of carrier gas is equal to 20.
Solution:
Volume flow rate of abrasive particles Vg
Mixing ratio = = = 0.2
Volume flow rate of carrier gas Va
Abrasive mass flow rate
Mass ratio (a) =
Combined mass flow rate of abrasive and carrier gas
Ma ra Va
Mass ratio (a) = =
M a + M g ra Va + r g Vg
We can rewrite the expression for mass ratio as
1 M a + M g ra Va + r g Vg È r g ˘ È Vg ˘ È 1 ˘È 1 ˘
= = = 1+ Í ˙ Í ˙ = 1+ Í ˙ Í ˙
a Ma raVa r
Î a˚Î a˚ V Î 20 ˚ Î 0.2 ˚
Solving, we get a = 0.80
2.20 Unconventional Machining Processes
14. Venkatesh, V.C. (1984). Parametric studies on Abrasive jet machining, Annals of
the CIRP, Vol. 33, No. 1, pp. 109.
15. Verma, A.P. and Lal, G.K. (1985). Basic mechanics of abrasive jet machining,
International Journal of Engrs., Prod. Engg. Vol. 66, pp. 74-81.
16. Verma, A.P. and Lal, G.K. (1984). An experimental study of abrasives jet
machining, Int. J. Mach., Tools Des. Res. Vol. 24, No. 1, pp. 19-29.
17. Bitter, J.G.A. (1962). A study of erosion phenomenon, Wear, Part 1 and II, Vol. 5-6,
p. 6, pp. 169-190.