APPLICATIONS OF ULTRA HIGH-PRESSURE POWDER-ABRASIVE WATERJET

摘要

The paper describes the technique developed for applying garnet powder abrasive ultra-high pressure water jet advanced technology (AWJ) to build accurate models of artistic objects. The objects to be modeled have been selected through a cooperative initiative between the University of Sao Paulo and entities of the private sector. The first application was the reproduction of the artistic floor of marble at the St. Mark's Basilica, Venice, Italy. The other application was the production of official trophies for a technical awards ceremony for a national symposium that took place in Brazil. The trophies were made in stainless steel, whilst the floor reproduction was made in ceramic tiles. The floor was reproduced from high-definition photography of the original floor. The design concept and the blueprints of the trophies were originally conceived by the symposium organizers. Both models have been built using OMAX® CAD/CAM Software, which controls an AWJ unit installed at the University of Sao Paulo, where the procedures for building both models have been developed and executed with high success.