Abrasive Jet Machine: Introduction, Working principle, working process,parts, Application, Advantage, disadvantage, diagram with suitable name

Introduction:- It is the process of impinging the high speed stream of abrasive particles by high pressure gas or air on the work surface through a nozzle and metal removal occurrs due to erosion caused by high speed abrasive particles.

      In this Machining,the abrasive particle size is 10-40 micros.

     Jet velocity will be 150 to 300 m|sec. And it is used to superalloys.

Parts of Abrasive Jet Machine:-

1. Gas supply

2. Filter

3. Pressure gauge

4. Regulator

5. Mixing chamber

6. Nozzle

Working Principle of Abrasive Jet Machine:-

The figure shown is the above Abrasive jet Machining.

It consists of a mixing chamber, gas filter, pressure gauge, regulator, and the nozzle.

The filtered gas at a pressure of 2 to 8 kgf/cm2 is supplied to the mixing chamber containing the abrasive powder and

vibrating at 50 Hz, where it mixes with abrasive particles and then enters into the connecting hose.

The abrasive and gas mixture comes out from the nozzle at a high velocity ranging from 150 to 300 meters/minute and impinges over the work surface causing abrasion action by repeated impacts and the material is removed by the erosion.

Abrasive power feed rate can be controlled by the amplitude of vibration of the mixing chamber. 

A pressure regulator controls the gas flow and pressure.

To control the size and shape of the cut, either workpiece or nozzle is moved by cams, pantographs, or any other suitable mechanism.

The carrier gas should be cheap and non-toxic and easily available, It is generally air or nitrogen.

Abrasive generally used are Aluminium oxide, Silicon carbide or glass powder.

The nozzle is generally made by harder material such as ceramic or tungsten carbide to reduce abrasion wear.

The material removal rate depends on the diameter of the nozzle, jet pressure, composition of mixtures, Hardness of abrasive particles and workpiece, Particle size, the velocity of jet and distance between work and nozzle.

Applications of Abrasive Jet Machining:-

These are the following applications of Abrasive Jet Machining:

1. Cutting slots and thin sections.

2. Contouring and drilling operation.

3. Producing shallow crevices and deburring.

4. Producing intricates hole shapes in a hard and brittle material.

5. Cleaning and polishing the plastic, nylon and Teflon component.

6. Frosting of the interior surface of glass tubes.

7. Etching of marking of glass cylinders.

Machining super-alloys and refractory material.

Abrasive Jet Machining Advantages:-

The advantages of Abrasive jet machine are:

1. The surface finish can be obtained smooth.

2. The cost of equipment is low.

3. Ability to cut fragile and heat-sensitive material without damage.

4. Ability to cut intricates hole shapes in a hard and brittle material.

5. The main advantages are its flexibility, low heat production.

Abrasive Jet Machining Disadvantages:-

The disadvantages of Abrasive Jet Machining are:

1.The material removal rate is low.

Poor machining accuracy.

2. High nozzle wear rate.

3. The soft material cannot be machined.

4. Additional cleaning of the work surface is required due to the sticking of abrasive grains in softer material.