High performance cutting with abrasive waterjets beyond 400 MPa

Abrasive waterjet (AWJ) cutting has been widely accepted by the industry after the successful introduction of 400 MPa cutting systems. This paper describes the cutting with AWJ beyond the current industrial pressure limit. Firstly, the factors that limit the water pressure are discussed. Secondly, the jet formation is considered by addressing the effects of the geometry of the upstream tube and the orifice. Finally, the AWJ cutting process is described in terms of energy transfer efficiency. There is an optimum abrasive load ratio over which the cutting ability of the jet decreases due to the less efficient power transfer from waterjet to the abrasives.