Systems and methods using waterjets for finishing manufactured articles
AssigneeFlow International Corporation
InventorMohamed Hashish
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed herein are components, systems, and methods for performing a finishing operation on an article. Finishing operations include, but are not limited to removal of powder from a surface, improving surface finish, and peening. Embodiments of the disclosed components, systems, and methods include the use of waterjets to impact a surface of the article with an abrasive. Impacting the surface of the article with the abrasive alters a characteristic of the article without cutting through the portion of the article.
Claims43
A system comprising:
- a receptacle containing a fluid media;
- a water jet assembly that outputs a high velocity jet of water into the receptacle thereby agitating the fluid media and forming a level of turbulence within the fluid media sufficient to improve a surface finish of an article submerged in the fluid media.
A system to perform finishing of an article, the system comprising:
- a receptacle containing a fluid;
- a tubular member positioned within the receptacle such that the tubular member is at least partially submerged within the fluid, the tubular member defining an interior space, an entry opening providing access for the fluid into the interior space, and an exit opening providing access from the interior space;
- and
- a waterjet assembly that outputs a high velocity jet of water, the waterjet assembly positioned such that the high velocity jet of water is output along a path that passes through at least a portion of the interior space and then exits through the exit opening,
- wherein the entry opening is positioned relative to the exit opening such that as the high velocity jet of water passes through at least a portion of the interior space and then exits through the exit opening, a portion of the fluid is drawn through the entry opening and into the interior space.
13-16. (canceled)
(canceled)
26-27. (canceled)
31-32. (canceled)
A system to perform finishing of an article, the system comprising:
- a receptacle containing a fluid;
- a waterjet assembly that outputs a high velocity jet of water, the waterjet assembly positioned such that the high velocity jet of water is output along a path that is submerged in the fluid;
- an abrasive that mixes with the high velocity jet of water to form a slurry jet;
- and
- a support structure positioned to support the article within the receptacle such that the article is at least partially submerged in the fluid,
- wherein the support structure changes at least one of:
- 1) a distance from the waterjet assembly to the article, and 2) an orientation of the article relative to the waterjet assembly, such that upon activation of the waterjet assembly, the slurry jet impacts the article and alters a characteristic of the article without cutting through the article.
35-36. (canceled)
A method of finishing an article, the method comprising:
- submerging a portion of the article in a fluid;
- producing a high velocity jet of water that is output along a path that intersects the portion of the article in the fluid;
- and
- impacting the portion of the article with a slurry, the slurry including the high velocity jet of water and an abrasive material, thereby altering a characteristic of the portion of the article without cutting through the portion of the article.
(canceled)
A system to perform finishing of an article, the system comprising:
- a receptacle containing a fluid;
- a first waterjet assembly that outputs a first high velocity jet of water, the first waterjet assembly submerged within the fluid such that the first high velocity jet of water is output along a first path;
- and
- a second waterjet assembly that outputs a second high velocity jet of water, the second waterjet assembly submerged within the fluid such that the second high velocity jet of water is output along a second path that is offset from the first path,
- wherein the first waterjet assembly and the second waterjet assembly are positioned such that, upon activation, the first high velocity jet of water and the second high velocity jet of water form a current in the fluid that rotates about an axis of rotation.
44-45. (canceled)
50-57. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.