Several series of experiments were conducted to compare the performance of selected sets of subtr... more Several series of experiments were conducted to compare the performance of selected sets of subtractive and additive machine tools for meso-micro machining. Under the MicroCutting Project, meso-micro machining of a reference part was conducted to compare the performance of several machine tools. A prototype flexure of the microspline of an asteroid gripper under development at NASA/JPL was selected as the reference part for the project. Several academic, research institutes, and industrial firms were among the collaborators participating in the project. Both subtractive and additive machine tools were used, including abrasive waterjets, CNC milling, lasers, 3D printing, and laser powder bed fusion. Materials included aluminum, stainless steel, and nonmetal resins. Each collaborator produced the reference part in its facility using materials most suitable for their tools. The finished parts were inspected qualitatively and quantitatively at OMAX Corporation. The performance of the pa...
Abrasivewaterjet (AWJ) technology possesses inherent characteristics unmatched by most machine to... more Abrasivewaterjet (AWJ) technology possesses inherent characteristics unmatched by most machine tools. The initial commercialization of AWJ in the mid-1980s took advantage of its superior cutting power for the raw cutting of thick, difficult-to-machine materials. Subsequently, considerable R&D effort was devoted to take full advantage of the above characteristics while refining machining processes toward precision machining and automation. This two-part paper presents the accomplishments that have advanced AWJ technology in terms of improving its cutting accuracy and efficiency, broadening applications for machining delicate materials from macro to micro scales, and enabling 3D capability for multimode machining. In Part 1, six topical areas are presented to demonstrate some of the important achievements in advancing AWJ technology, including control software, meso micro and stack machining, macro to micro machining, cold cutting, hole drilling, and gear making. Seven more topical ar...
Abrasive Technology - Characteristics and Applications, Oct 24, 2018
Abrasive waterjet (AWJ) possesses inherent technological and manufacturing advantages unmatched b... more Abrasive waterjet (AWJ) possesses inherent technological and manufacturing advantages unmatched by most machine tools. Recent advancements in AWJ processes have enhanced those merits. Multidisciplinary advancements include process automation, position accuracy, cutting models, range of part dimensions, ergonomics, user and environmental friendliness, feature recognition, and others. Among the technological merits, AWJ is material independent and a cold cutting tool, capable of preserving the structural and chemical integrity of parent materials. For heat sensitive materials, AWJ often cuts over 10 times faster than thermal cutting tools such as lasers and electrode discharge machining. Unlike photochemical etching, AWJ is environmentally friendly, producing no toxic byproducts. Additionally, AWJ requires only a single tool assisted with accessories to qualify for multimode machining; it is cost effective with fast turnaround for small and large lots alike. Recent advancements together with relevant R&D, engineering, and industrial applications will be presented for precision multimode machining from macro to micro scales.
Under the support of an SBIR Phase II/IIB grant from the National Science Foundation, OMAX has de... more Under the support of an SBIR Phase II/IIB grant from the National Science Foundation, OMAX has developed and commercialized micro abrasive (µAWJ), culminating A MicroMAX ® JetMachining ® Center technology for meso-micro machining. AWJ inherently possesses technological and manufacturing merits unmatched by most machine tools. With the commercialization of µAWJ technology, waterjet is now fully capable of multi-mode machining most materials from macro to micro scales (the 7M advantage). Novel accessories and software facilitate machining precision 2D and 3D parts with a wide range of part size and thickness. The versatile waterjet is particularly advantageous for machining difficult and delicate materials, such as alloys, hardened steel, composites, and laminates. One unique capability is machining composites and nanomaterials comprised of metals (reflective and conductive), non-metals (non-conductive), and anything in between. The 7M advantage of waterjet has been taking advantage by machining sample parts made of a variety of advanced materials that are difficult, or even impossible, to machine otherwise.
Several series of experiments were conducted to compare the performance of selected sets of subtr... more Several series of experiments were conducted to compare the performance of selected sets of subtractive and additive machine tools for meso-micro machining. Under the MicroCutting Project, meso-micro machining of a reference part was conducted to compare the performance of several machine tools. A prototype flexure of the microspline of an asteroid gripper under development at NASA/JPL was selected as the reference part for the project. Several academic, research institutes, and industrial firms were among the collaborators participating in the project. Both subtractive and additive machine tools were used, including abrasive waterjets, CNC milling, lasers, 3D printing, and laser powder bed fusion. Materials included aluminum, stainless steel, and nonmetal resins. Each collaborator produced the reference part in its facility using materials most suitable for their tools. The finished parts were inspected qualitatively and quantitatively at OMAX Corporation. The performance of the pa...
Abrasivewaterjet (AWJ) technology possesses inherent characteristics unmatched by most machine to... more Abrasivewaterjet (AWJ) technology possesses inherent characteristics unmatched by most machine tools. The initial commercialization of AWJ in the mid-1980s took advantage of its superior cutting power for the raw cutting of thick, difficult-to-machine materials. Subsequently, considerable R&D effort was devoted to take full advantage of the above characteristics while refining machining processes toward precision machining and automation. This two-part paper presents the accomplishments that have advanced AWJ technology in terms of improving its cutting accuracy and efficiency, broadening applications for machining delicate materials from macro to micro scales, and enabling 3D capability for multimode machining. In Part 1, six topical areas are presented to demonstrate some of the important achievements in advancing AWJ technology, including control software, meso micro and stack machining, macro to micro machining, cold cutting, hole drilling, and gear making. Seven more topical ar...
Abrasive Technology - Characteristics and Applications, Oct 24, 2018
Abrasive waterjet (AWJ) possesses inherent technological and manufacturing advantages unmatched b... more Abrasive waterjet (AWJ) possesses inherent technological and manufacturing advantages unmatched by most machine tools. Recent advancements in AWJ processes have enhanced those merits. Multidisciplinary advancements include process automation, position accuracy, cutting models, range of part dimensions, ergonomics, user and environmental friendliness, feature recognition, and others. Among the technological merits, AWJ is material independent and a cold cutting tool, capable of preserving the structural and chemical integrity of parent materials. For heat sensitive materials, AWJ often cuts over 10 times faster than thermal cutting tools such as lasers and electrode discharge machining. Unlike photochemical etching, AWJ is environmentally friendly, producing no toxic byproducts. Additionally, AWJ requires only a single tool assisted with accessories to qualify for multimode machining; it is cost effective with fast turnaround for small and large lots alike. Recent advancements together with relevant R&D, engineering, and industrial applications will be presented for precision multimode machining from macro to micro scales.
Under the support of an SBIR Phase II/IIB grant from the National Science Foundation, OMAX has de... more Under the support of an SBIR Phase II/IIB grant from the National Science Foundation, OMAX has developed and commercialized micro abrasive (µAWJ), culminating A MicroMAX ® JetMachining ® Center technology for meso-micro machining. AWJ inherently possesses technological and manufacturing merits unmatched by most machine tools. With the commercialization of µAWJ technology, waterjet is now fully capable of multi-mode machining most materials from macro to micro scales (the 7M advantage). Novel accessories and software facilitate machining precision 2D and 3D parts with a wide range of part size and thickness. The versatile waterjet is particularly advantageous for machining difficult and delicate materials, such as alloys, hardened steel, composites, and laminates. One unique capability is machining composites and nanomaterials comprised of metals (reflective and conductive), non-metals (non-conductive), and anything in between. The 7M advantage of waterjet has been taking advantage by machining sample parts made of a variety of advanced materials that are difficult, or even impossible, to machine otherwise.
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