Process analysis of abrasive jet micromachining for brittle materials

Abstract

Abrasive jet micromachining (AJM) is a non-traditional machining process based on the erosion of substrates by an abrasive-laden air jet. It is a promising machining technique for the cost effective fabrication of micro-devices from brittle and hard materials. For the machining process to be more efficient and better predictable, mathematical models for the AJM process are necessary. This paper presented an analysis of the AJM process for brittle materials. The analysis is based on a fundamental erosion model of solid particle impact for brittle materials, and a recently developed model for the particle velocity in micro-abrasive jet, to form a mathematical basis for AJM process modelling and optimisation. Experimental study on the flow characteristics and the effects of some important process parameters are also given.

Keywords:

• Abrasive jet micromachining
• modelling
• brittle material
• material processing
• non-traditional machining
• particle velocity

Additional information

Notes on contributors

H Z Li

Dr Huaizhong Li obtained his BE degree from Tsinghua University in 1988, ME degree from Xi’an Jiaotong University in 1991, and PhD degree from the National University of Singapore in 2002, all in Mechanical Engineering. Huaizhong was an engineer and project manager in Xi’an, China, from 1991 to 1998, and a software engineer at GTECH Far East Pte Ltd, Singapore, in 2001. From 2001 to 2008, he worked as a Senior Research Engineer at Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technologies, conducting research on advanced manufacturing technologies, machine dynamics, precision motion control and vibration control. He was an Associate Principal Engineer with Vestas Technology R&D Singapore from 2008 to 2010, where his research focus was on wind turbine generator technologies to improve turbine reliability. He has been a lecturer in the School of Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering, the University of New South Wales, since 2011. His research interests and expertise span the areas of advanced manufacturing technologies, machine dynamics and vibration control, condition monitoring, and advanced signal processing. He has published over 40 peer-reviewed technical papers in international journals and conference proceedings, and filed two patent applications.