A Study on the Cross-Sectional Shape of Kerf Cut with Micro Abrasive Air Jet

Micro abrasive air jet (MAAJ) cutting is a promising technology for the fabrication of three-dimensional microstructures in hard and brittle materials. In this paper, a study on the cross-sectional shape of the kerf cut with MAAJ is presented. It shows that the machining depth and slope of the sidewall increase with an increase in air pressure, abrasive flow rate and jet incidence angle, while decrease with an increase in nozzle traverse speed. Using a dimensional analysis technique, predictive model for cross-sectional profile is developed. The research results may be meaningful to the highly precision three-dimensional micro-structural cutting.