ABSTRACT

Abrasive jet machining (AJM) removes material through the action of a focused stream of abrasive-laden gas. Material removal occurs through a chipping action, which is especially effective on hard, brittle materials such as galss silicon, tungsten, and ceramics. A dust collection system is incorporated into AJM systems, when found necessary, to maintain the operator's exposure to dusts within permissable limits. Major AJM process variables that affect the removal rate are nozzle tip distance (NTD), abrasive flow rate, gas pressure, and abrasive type. Various NTDs are used depending upon the application. An example of deburring plastic parts with AJM is cited by N. LaCourte in an application involving the manufacture of small biomedical analysis packages. A variety of other diverse jobs have been successfully performed by AJM. These include cutting threads into glass rods, defiashing small castings, die and mold touch up, cutting titanium foil, and drilling glass wafers.