9315758 Geskin High pressure waterjet machining is extensively used in the cutting of non-metallic materials. While abrasive particles can be added to the jet to machine metallic materials, such modification reduces the life of the nozzle and associated equipment and the beam diameter typically increases. The project is to investigate the feasibility of modifying the high pressure waterjet machining process to transform the water microdroplets into ice. It is expected that such a modification will significantly increase machining rates to a range somewhere between that of conventional waterjets and that of abrasive waterjets. It is also expected that the beam diameter can be significantly smaller than that of conventional abrasive waterjets, increasing the resolution of the operation. Ice jets may allow materials to be cut more quickly and with better accuracy, allowing the high pressure waterjet process to find new industrial applications.
