AWJC (Abrasive Waterjet Cutting)

The abrasive waterjet cutting (AWJC) technology is one of the recently introduced machining methods, used as a machining tool for cutting from soft to hard-to-machine materials. High pressure waterjets were first used to cut soft materials in the early 70’s. Research led to the invention of the abrasive waterjet in 1980, which increased the range of the materials which can be cut.

Pure & Abrasive Waterjet Types

The working principles are both simple and extremely complex. Water simply flows from a pump, through plumbing, to a cutting head. However to generate and control water at pressures of 350 ÷ 600 MPa a sophisticated technology is required. Pump is the heart of the waterjet system. It pressurizes the water and delivers it continuously so that a cutting head can then turn that pressurized water into a supersonic waterjet stream. There are two main types of pumps: direct drive pumps and intensifier based pumps. The direct drive is a triplex pump that gets the movement of the three plungers directly from the electric motor. These pumps are very simple in design although 10-25% weaker than intensifier pump units.
The intensifier pump consists of an electric motor (25 to 200 HP), hydraulic pump, oil reservoir, manifold, and piston biscuit/plunger. The electric motor powers the hydraulic pump, which pulls oil from the reservoir and pressurizes it to 20 MPa. The oil is next send to the manifold where manifold’s valves create the stroking action of the intensifier by sending hydraulic oil to one side of the biscuit/plunger assembly, or the other. The hydraulic oil is then cooled during the return back to the reservoir. The 3,000-psi oil pressure is “intensified” twenty times, yielding 350 ÷ 600 MPa water pressure.

Intensifier Pump Working Principles