Adaptive nozzle system for high-energy abrasive stream cutting

A water jet system for delivering onto a workpiece a high definition abrasive cutting stream comprising:

• (a) a head assembly for generating a pressurized fluidic stream having a particulate abrasive material suspended therein;
• (b) a nozzling unit coupled to said head assembly for nozzling said pressurized fluidic stream to expel a high-energy abrasive cutting stream for cutting along a predefined pattern on the workpiece, said nozzling unit including a nozzle member extending along an angular orientation axis, said nozzle member having a laminar inner wall surface defining a longitudinally extended passage, said passage having distal inlet and outlet portions respectively describing in sectional contour incongruent inlet and outlet shapes, said outlet portion passing the high-energy abrasive cutting stream to generate upon the workpiece an instantaneous kerf of cut having a corresponding sectional contour;
• (c) an adaptive orientation assembly coupled to said nozzling unit for angularly displacing said nozzle member about said angular orientation axis in a manner adaptive to displacement of said nozzling unit and workpiece one relative to the other, said adaptive orientation assembly maintaining the instantaneous kerf of cut within a predefined angular orientation range relative to said predefined pattern;
• and,
• (d) a controller coupled to said adaptive orientation assembly for automatically actuating said adaptive angular displacement of said nozzle member.

A method of delivering onto a workpiece a high-energy abrasive cutting stream comprising the steps of:

• (a) establishing a nozzling unit including a nozzle member extending along an angular orientation axis and having a laminar inner wall surface defining a longitudinally extended passage therethrough, said passage terminating at an outlet portion describing in sectional contour a predetermined shape;
• (b) compressing a fluid and combining therewith an abrasive particulate material to generate a pressurized fluidic stream;
• (c) nozzling said pressurized fluidic stream through said nozzling unit to expel a high-energy abrasive cutting stream for cutting along a predefined pattern on the workpiece, said high-energy abrasive cutting stream generating upon the workpiece an instantaneous kerf of cut having a sectional contour corresponding to said predetermined shape;
• (d) displacing said nozzling unit and workpiece one relative to the other to progressively cut along said predefined pattern on the workpiece;
• and,
• (e) automatically maintaining the instantaneous kerf of cut within a predefined angular orientation range relative to said predefined pattern by angularly displacing said nozzle member about said angular orientation axis in a manner adaptive to the position of said nozzling unit relative to said pattern predefined on the workpiece.