Objective Profiled parts in metals, ceramics, polymers and composite materials are used in the building of a wide range of machinery and in aircraft, vehicles, consumer products, etc. Abrasive waterjets are the only power beam technology that can accurately profile all of these materials, but profiling costs for some metals can be high in comparison with those of plasma arc and lasers. If abrasive waterjet profiling speeds were improved, in relation to those of plasma arc and lasers, they could become the cheapest method of meeting industrial needs for just in time production of small batches of profiled parts in a wide variety of materials. The objective for the project is to use direct injection of abrasive technology to produce finebeam abrasive jets that improve profiling performance by over 300 percent, compared to existing abrasive waterjets. At the same time, cut widths will be reduced by up to 400 percent, which will enable fine beam abrasive waterjets to compete with CO2 lasers for fine detail profiling. Prototype equipment will be developed to produce fine beam abrasive waterjets down to 0.2 mm in diameter, along with the conerol systems to integrate the fine beam equipment with CNC profiling systems. Low cutting head weights and jet reaction forces will allow X Y and Z manipulation systems to be assembled from widely available modular linear motion components. Within the project, techniques will be developed to use fine beam abrasive waterjets in profiling, cutting, drilling and slotting of metals, ceramics, polymers and composite materials. New production processes will be developed that exploit the precision of fine beam jets and their potential to drill small diameter holes ( < 0.5 mm) and produce narrow slots (< 0.2 mm) in materials up to 10 mm thick. The Consortium comprises: two manufacturers of abrasive waterjet equipment; a manufacturer of high powered, integrated electrical actuators that will be used to drive ultra high pressure pumps; an aerospace end user company; a contract abrasive waterjet profiling company; a consultancy and sub contractor to the toolmaking industry who will demonstrate the advantages of the technology in comparison with wire EDM; a University department that is internationally recognised for its R&D on abrasive waterjets. Fields of science engineering and technologymaterials engineeringcompositesengineering and technologymechanical engineeringvehicle engineeringaerospace engineeringaircraftengineering and technologymechanical engineeringmanufacturing engineeringsubtractive manufacturingengineering and technologymaterials engineeringceramicsnatural sciencesphysical sciencesopticslaser physics Programme(s) FP4-BRITE/EURAM 3 - Specific research and technological development programme in the field of industrial and materials technologies, 1994-1998 Topic(s) 0101 - Incorporation of new technologies into production systems Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme CSC - Cost-sharing contracts Coordinator Diajet Ltd EU contribution No data Address MK43 0AJ Cranfield United Kingdom See on map Total cost No data Participants (6) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all BOEHLER HOCHDRUCKTECHNIK GMBH Austria EU contribution No data Address Werk-VI-Strasse Werk Deuchendorf 8605 KAPFENBERG See on map Total cost No data Credco Ltd. Ireland EU contribution No data Address 110 Ballinode - Sligo See on map Total cost No data Masijet Ltd. Finland EU contribution No data Address 34,Kiveliönkatu 94101 Kemi See on map Total cost No data PHASE MOTION CONTROL SRL Italy EU contribution No data Address Lungo biasagno Istria 14/27 BR 16141 Genova See on map Total cost No data Short Brothers Plc United Kingdom EU contribution No data Address Airport Road BT3 9DZ Belfast See on map Total cost No data UNIVERSITAET HANNOVER Germany EU contribution No data Address Appelstrasse 11A 30167 HANNOVER See on map Total cost No data
