WATER JET MACHINING

Introduction
Using a jet of water to cut a sheet of metal may sound impossible, but it is
actually based on a principle we learn early in our lives.
A simple example is when a finger is put over part of a tap, the stream of
water flows with higher pressure so that it washes away mud far more
effectively, giving a jet cleaned item.
In scientific terms, if the jet of water is directed at a target with high
pressure(1500-4000 MN/cm2) high velocity on to the surface to be machined.
The kinetic energy of the water jet after striking the work surface is reduced
to zero.
The bulk of the kinetic energy of the jet is converted into pressure energy.
If the local pressure caused by water jet exceeds the strength of the surface
being machined, the material from the surface gets eroded and a cavity is thus
formed.
In nutshell it can be said that in this process, the cutter is commonly
connected to a high pressure water pump where the water is then ejected
from the nozzle, cutting through the material by spraying it with the jet of
high speed water.

Schematic Diagram of Water Jet Machining

Process Details

The water and polymer (long chain polymers) are mixed properly and the mixture
is sent to the intensifier where its pressure is raised .(the function of polymer is to
check the divergence of the stream coming from the nozzle.)

The hydraulic intensifier increases the intensity of the pressure of water and
supplies it to a hydraulic accumulator (reservoir) since the energy is not required
continuously.

During the idle periods, energy is stored in the accumulator are given out during
cutting.

1. Pump (Intensifier)
2. Reservoir
3. Valve
4. Pressure Transducer
5. Nozzle
6. Target (Workpiece)

The high pressure water coming from the accumulator is controlled by a control
panel from where it goes to the nozzle after passing through the stop-start valve.

The jet stream coming out of nozzle cuts the work piece and is then collected in a
drain system.

Advantages

Water is cheap, non-toxic, readily available and can be easily disposed.

Any contour can be cut. Further operation is possible in horizontal and vertical
planes.

The process gives the clean and sharp cut.

Process Details(Contd)

Unlike conventional machining process this method does not generate heat, so there
is no danger of degrading the material thermally.

Best suited for explosive environment.

Dustless atmosphere this is particularly advantageous for cutting asbestos and class
fibre insulation materials which produce dust.

Noise is minimized as the power units can pumps can be kept away from the
cutting point.

No moving parts are present and therefore less maintenance is required.

Fluids can be reused after filtering out the solids.

Disadvantages of WJM

While it is possible to cut tool steel and other hard materials, cutting rates will drop
dramatically and the time to cut the part may be very long. For this reason, water jet
cutting can be very expensive and valuable than other benefits offer.

To generate tapered surfaces is also a problem.

Jet Cutting Equipment

Pump :
It is required to pressurize a liquid to 1500-4000 MN/cm 2, this range is usually
accomplished by an intensifier.
Tubing :
High pressure tubing used to transport fluid from one system component to another.
It is thick walled, with the ratio of the outside to inside diameter at least 5 and
sometimes as high as 10 times.
The tubing may be made from a solid stainless steel wall.
Valves
Most high pressure valves are of needle type.
Nozzle
These are meant to convert the high pressure liquid to a high velocity jet.
Diamond, tungsten carbide and special steels have also been used for making quality
nozzles.
A nozzle with an exit diameter of 0.05-0.35mm gives a coherent jet length of up to 34 cm.
A method of increasing this length is to add to the cutting water up to 1% of a long
chain polymer, such as polythene oxide.

Practical Applications

Hydraulic mining of coal has been carried out in Russia, China, Poland, Canada
and Germany, while experiments have been conducted in other countries, including
Britain.

In most mining applications water pressures below 3.5 kN/cm2 combined with large
diameter nozzles have been used.

A Canadian mine reported that two men had produced 2250 tonnes of coal in shift
by hydraulic mining.