An analytical model for top width of jet footprint in abrasive waterjet milling: A case study on SiC ceramicsg

In two-axis/five-axis macro/micro milling with abrasive waterjets (AWJs), the 'top width of the jet footprint' is one of the critical measures that determine the dimensional accuracy of the part to be manufactured. In two-axis milling, the top width of the jet footprint is influenced by operating parameters such as the diameter of the focusing nozzle, the jet plume divergence in air, the standoff distance, and the jet feed rate, and in complex shape machining using five-axis milling, it is also influenced by the jet impingement angle, i.e. the angle between the jet axis and the horizontal workpiece plane. Hence, in this work, an analytical (i.e. geometrical) model for the top width of the jet footprint was proposed and tested on silicon carbide (SiC) workpeices by considering the diameter of the focusing nozzle, the jet plume divergence in air, the standoff distance, and jet impingement angle. The influence of jet feed rate was included in the model by the use of a parameter defined as the 'effective jet plume divergence'. SiC work-pieces were considered in this study, since they offer a reduction in the 'noise' created by plastic deformations thus creating an appropriate environment for the calibration of the proposed geometrical model. Moreover, with its low machinability and chipping/fracture tendency, a SiC workpiece represents a good case study on niche applications of AWJs for manufacturing high-value-added products made of advanced materials. Assessment of the proposed model was carried out bycomparing the top width of the jet footprint predictedby the proposed model with the experimental values obtained at various jet impingement angles in the range 40-90° at both high and low jet feed rates. From the results, it was observed that the top width of the jet footprint decreases gradually with an increase in jet impingement angle. Although the actual jet plume divergence does not change with the jet feed rate, the effective jet plume divergence, i.e. the divergence that can initiate erosion, decreases at higher jet feed rates. Furthermore, it was found that the prediction error slightly increases at shallower jet impingement angles owing to the instability in the leading portion of the jet structure and this is significant at higher jet feed rates.