Principles of Abrasive Waterjet Machining

This text examines the principles of abrasive water jet machining. It looks at areas such as structure and hydrodynamics, material-removal mechanisms, modelling in abrasive water jet cutting processes and geometry, topography and integrity of abrasive water jet machine parts.

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Abrasive water jet machining was introduced to manufacturing ten years ago and has been increasingly used for treating hard-to-machine and multi-layered materials and as an alternative tool for milling, turning, drilling and polishing. This is the first comprehensive review of the technique, dealing with a broad range of issues including mixing and acceleration processes, material removal mechanisms, process optimization and fluid mechanics. Explanations are given as the book follows the development of an abrasive water jet machining process, from tool generation through to machining results, supervision and control. This methodical journey through the field is marked by drawings, graphs and tables, many of which are being published here for the first time. Though the book is written at an academic level, it focuses very much on practical applications, which reflects the authors' extensive involvement with both laboratory research and industrial practices.