Modelling the erosion rate in micro abrasive air jet machining of glasses

Micro abrasive jet machining (MAJM) is an economical and efficient technology for micro-machining of brittle material like glasses. The erosion of brittle materials by solid micro-particles is a complex process in which material is removed from the target surface by brittle fractures. The rate of material removal is one of the most important quantities for a machining process. Predictive mathematical models for the erosion rates in micro-hole drilling and micro-channel cutting on glasses with an abrasive air jet are developed. A dimensional analysis technique is used to formulate the models as functions of the particle impact parameters, target material properties and the major process parameters that are known to affect the erosion process of brittle materials. The predictive capability of the models is assessed and verified by an experimental investigation covering a range of the common process parameters such as air pressure, abrasive mass flow rate, stand-off distance and machining time (for hole machining) or traverse speed (for channel machining). It shows that model predictions are in good agreement with the experimental results. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.