Grant: Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)

Abrasive waterjet systems use a high pressure pump to accelerate a jet of water and abrasive particles to extremely high speeds, in order to very rapidly cut a wide variety of materials. Most previous research has focused on improving cutting speed, quality, and efficiency for large-scale material separation applications. Micro-scale machining using abrasive water jets has received increased attention only in the past few years with the development of miniaturized nozzles, specialized abrasives, and novel abrasive feed systems. The requested equipment would enable a research program aimed at developing abrasive waterjet micro-machining into a valuable new microfabrication technology for Canadian companies. Compared to other microfabrication technologies, it has a number of advantages: (i) it is a direct-writing maskless technology that can rapidly machine virtually any material, (ii) unlike laser micro-machining, it does not result in a damaging heat-affected zone, (iii) it is adaptable and scalable and can be readily reconfigured for different products and materials, (iv) it does not utilize hazardous etching chemicals, and (v) it can perform gradient, multi-depth, and 3D directional etching. AWJM thus has the potential to enable the rapid prototyping of a wider range of components used in micro-fuel cell, MEMS, opto-electronic, lab-on-chip, and biosensor devices, than is currently possible. These are all important and growing high-tech sectors in Canada. When fitted with more traditional larger scale nozzles, it will also enable a number of faculty to conduct research on diverse fields such as friction stir welding, polishing of aerospace composites, and machining of CANDU reactor fuel rod endplates.