Water jet cut detection sensor system

Abrasive water jet machining is most commonly used as a cutting process to machine flat materials. In this case, the cutting parameters can be obtained from the literature or determined experimentally and then used generalised for a homogeneous material. For a robotic machining of heterogeneous materials with change of composition and material thickness, water jet cutting is much more complex, as it is not possible to generalise the cutting parameters. In order to ensure a complete cut, this paper presents a sensor system that evaluates the cutting process acoustically and can influence the cutting process, to always ensure a complete cut, even in heterogeneous materials.