JET SHAPE AT ABRASIVE JET MACHINING

The abrasive jet machining could be considered as a machining method based on the effects generated at the contact of the abrasive particles transported by a jet of compressed air with the workpiece material. One of the factors able to affect the shape of the abrasive jet is the distance between the nozzle and the workpiece surface. Due to the decrease of the pressure from the jet initial axis to the external zone, the abrasive jet has a conical shape. In the paper, there are some considerations and experimental results referring to the study of the width of the line generated by the abrasive jet on a carbon steel test piece, for various distances between the nozzle and the test piece surface. An empirical model offering an image about the change of the abrasive jet shape with the standoff distance was established.