SBIR Phase I: Development of Subminiature Abrasive-Waterjet Nozzles toward Micromachining

该小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段旨在开发一种用于加工50至100微米之间特征的微磨料水射流喷嘴。该项目极具挑战性，因为磨料水射流（AWJ）加工涉及超高速三相流，在非常小的尺寸内进行复杂的固体/流体相互作用，这些尺寸变化迅速。该项目旨在最大限度地减少磨料水射流的光束直径，重塑和重新聚焦喷嘴出口的射流，改善细磨料的流动特性，并减轻磨料堵塞。具有单进料口的微磨料水射流喷嘴将通过消除防止磨料堵塞所需的真空辅助和水冲洗要求而成为同类产品中最紧凑的尺寸。微纳、绿色能源和生物医学技术的出现为低成本微制造创造了巨大的机会。微磨料水射流将利用水射流技术的固有优点-多功能性（材料独立性），冷切割（保持材料完整性），成本效益和快速周转-这是大多数现有工具无法比拟的。最终目标是进一步缩小磨料水射流喷嘴的尺寸，以实现微加工，满足低成本微制造的高需求，并进一步提高水射流机床的市场份额。水射流微加工的更广泛/商业影响将是加工很好地适应精益制造的“即时”实践;使用水射流加工，由大多数材料制成的小型和大型零件/批次可以在几个小时内从设计到完成--这是通过外包不可能实现的。该项目对水射流微加工的开发将促进水射流技术在高附加值工作中的应用，并进一步保持其惊人的增长。在制造商竞技场中插入更多的水射流系统不仅可以提高对这项技术的认识，还可以帮助节省海外外包的工作岗位。这可能会产生重要的社会影响，通过种植所需的种子，帮助重建一个可持续的美国制造业，导致扭转三十年来国内制造业劳动力持续萎缩的趋势，并重振一度繁荣的制造业，以恢复美国经济。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I seeks to develop a micro-abrasive-waterjet nozzle for machining features between 50 to 100 micrometers. The project is extremely challenging because abrasive waterjet (AWJ) machining involves an ultrahigh-speed, 3-phase flow engaging in complex solid/fluid interactions within very small dimensions that are changing rapidly. The project is aiming to minimize the beam diameters of abrasive waterjets, reshape and refocus the jet stream exiting the nozzle, improve flow characteristics of fine abrasives, and mitigate abrasive clogging. The micro-abrasive-waterjet nozzle with a single-feed port will become the most compact size of its kind by eliminating the vacuum assist and water flushing requirements needed to prevent abrasive clogging. The recent advent of micro-nano, green energy, and biomedical technologies has created tremendous opportunities for low-cost micromanufacturing. The micro-abrasive-waterjet will take advantage of the inherent merits of waterjet technology -- versatility (material independence), cold cutting (preservation of material integrity), cost effectiveness, and fast turnaround -- that are unmatchable by most established tools. The final goal is to further downsize abrasive waterjet nozzles toward micromachining, meet the high demand for low-cost micromanufacturing and further boost the market share of waterjet machine tools.The broader/commercial impact of waterjet micromachining will be machining fits well within the 'just-in-time' practice of lean manufacturing; using waterjet machining, small and large parts/lots made from most materials can be completed from design to finish in hours -- something that is not possible through outsourcing them abroad. This project's development of waterjet micromachining will promote waterjet technology for high value-added jobs and further sustain its phenomenal growth. Inserting additional waterjet systems into the manufacturer arena would not only raise the awareness of this technology but also help save jobs from being outsourced overseas. This could have an important society impact through planting the seeds needed to help rebuild a sustainable U.S. manufacturing industry, leading to reversing the three-decade long trend of the continued shrinkage of domestic manufacturing workforce, and revitalizing the once prosperous manufacturing business toward a recovery of America's economy.