This article discusses the functions of the major components of a waterjet machining system. These include hydraulic unit, intensifier, accumulator, filters, water transmission lines, on/off valve, waterjet nozzles, abrasive waterjet nozzle, waterjet catchers, and fluid additives. The article reviews several variables that influence the WJM process, such as pressure, flow and nozzle diameter, stand-off distance, traverse rate, and type and size of abrasive. Advantages and disadvantages of waterjet and abrasive waterjet cutting are also discussed. The article describes the applications of waterjet and abrasive waterjet machining.

Microvalve jetting, with its advantages of low cost, ease of operation, high printing speed, and ability to process living cells with high viability, has been primarily used for fabricating high-throughput drug-screening models, in vitro cellular structures for fundamental cell biology research, and cell-laden structures for regenerating tissues or organs in the human body after disease or trauma. This article provides an overview of microvalve jetting of biomaterials, including operational parameters. The jetting technologies covered are inkjet printing, microvalve jetting, and laser-assisted jetting. The parameters covered include nozzle size (nozzle inner diameter), pneumatic pressure, valve-opening time, and printing speed of microvalve jetting. Subsequently, the article discusses biomaterials for microvalve jetting in terms of biomaterial definition, required properties for a suitable biomaterial, currently used biomaterials, and cells and cellular structures. Additionally, applications of microvalve jetting in biomedical engineering are presented, which include cellular and RNA analysis, high-throughput drug screening, and tissue engineering.

Laser has found its applications in cutting, drilling, and shock-peening operations of manufacturing industry because of its accurate, safe, and rapid cutting property. This article provides an account on the fundamental principles of laser cutting (thermal), drilling, and shock-peening processes of which emphasis is placed on thermal laser cutting. It details the principal set-up parameters, such as the laser beam output, nozzle design, focusing optic position and characteristics, assist gases, surface conditions, and cutting speed. A discussion on the types of gas, supply system, purity level, and flow rates of lasing and assist gases is also provided. The article also describes the metallurgies and other key material considerations that impact laser-cutting performances and includes examples of laser cutting of nonmetal materials.

This article addresses the important variables in erosion, such as particle impact velocity; particle impact angle; particle size, shape, and material; and ambient temperature. It describes four erosion test methods: the gas-blast method, a method using a centrifugal accelerator test rig, the wind-tunnel test, and the whirling arm test. The article also details the various test methods used to measure impact velocity of particle and data analysis and interpretation of these four methods.

The application of three-dimensional printers can be revolutionary as a tool for the customization and personalization of pharmaceutical dosage forms. The areas of 3D printing applicable to pharmaceutical manufacturing can be segregated into three categories: extrusion technologies, powder-bed fusion, and stereolithography. Common extrusion-based technologies are fused deposition modeling and pressure-assisted microsyringe; powder-bed fusion is separated by binder jet and selective laser sintering. The synergies between pharmaceutical, or active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), and polymer printing are discussed in this article, with particular attention to how the incorporation of small-molecule APIs changes the material selection, design considerations, processing parameters, and challenges associated with each technology.

Spray quenching (or jet impingement) is the most common technique employed to improve the uniformity of heat removal and break the vapor layer, allowing for a high cooling rate to be achieved. This article presents the heat transfer characteristics of quenching a hot surface, which can be expressed by the boiling and quench curve. It discusses three major spray parameters that have a substantial role in the quantification of spray cooling performance: droplet size, droplet velocity, and volumetric flux. The article also presents the available models and correlations to predict the cooling rate in spray quenching of hot surfaces during different boiling phases. It then discusses the effect of surface roughness on spray cooling performance.

Additive manufacturing is a collection of manufacturing processes, each of which builds a part additively based on a digital solid model. The solid model-to-additive manufacturing interface and material deposition are entirely computer-controlled. The traditional additive manufacturing applications have been used for low production runs of parts with complex shapes and geometric features. Additive manufacturing is also used for topology optimization and it impacts the process and supply chain. This article discusses processes, including vat photopolymerization, material jetting, powder bed fusion, directed energy deposition, material extrusion, binder jetting, and sheet lamination.

This article discusses the production of aluminum and aluminum alloy powders with emphasis on the gas atomization method and the atomizing nozzle. It illustrates the particle formation mechanism and details the requisites for particle size distribution, control, and morphology. The article presents information on the mean oxide thickness formed on atomized powders. It also describes the mechanical and physical properties of aluminum and aluminum alloy powders, as well as their applications.

This article provides a detailed account of the process development, cutting principle, and components of the abrasive waterjet cutting process. The advantages of abrasive waterjet machining are summarized. The article also discusses the factors affecting the cut quality, and the applications and limitations of abrasive waterjet cutting.

Mechanical cleaning systems are used to remove contaminants of work surface by propelling abrasive materials through any of these three principal methods: airless centrifugal blast blade- or vane-type wheels; compressed air, direct-pressure dry blast nozzle systems; or compressed-air, indirect-suction (induction) wet or dry blast nozzle systems. This article focuses on the abrasive media, equipment, applications, and limitations of dry and wet blast cleaning. It discusses the health and safety precautions to be taken during mechanical cleaning.

Atomization is the dominant method for producing metal and prealloyed powders from aluminum, brass, iron, low-alloy steels, stainless steels, tool steels, superalloys, titanium alloys, and other alloys. The general types of atomization processes encompass a number of industrial and research methods. This article describes the key process variables and production factors for the industrial methods: two-fluid, centrifugal, vacuum or soluble-gas, and ultrasonic atomization. It also reviews the effect of atomization methods and process variables on key powder characteristics such as the average particle size, particle size distribution or screen analysis, particle shape, chemical composition, and microstructure.

Material extrusion systems are the most common types of additive manufacturing systems, also known as three-dimensional (3D) printers. This article focuses on the general 3D printing processes as can be demonstrated and manipulated in desktop printers. The discussion includes details of the components involved in material extrusion as well as the melt extrusion solidification (during cooling) process, the underlying mechanism of road bonding, and the factors affecting good part quality. The discussion also covers support material, postprocessing, and road-quality considerations and the addition of infill in melt extrusion to the hollow spaces inside an object to give it structural strength. Information is also provided on different materials and associated material properties that affect the rate the printer is able to advance and retract material, thereby affecting the quality and rate at which a part is printed. The final section provides information on the mechanism of viscous extrusion 3D printing.