Patent ID: 7419418

Claim:
A method for using an abrasive fluid-jet to mill a desired pocket in a workpiece by abrading material from the workpiece, the method comprising: defining a path of the abrasive fluid-jet configured to mill a desired pocket in the workpiece, the path defined by a number of parameters, the parameters including a translation velocity, a fluid pressure, and an abrasive fluid-jet position and orientation relative to a surface of the workpiece; and generating a command set configured to drive a computer numerical control manipulator system according to the defined path, wherein defining the path includes abrading the workpiece using the abrasive fluid-jet according to a selected set of parameters in order to produce an abrasive fluid-jet milling pattern, the parameters including: a fluid pressure, an abrasive flow rate, a mixing tube length, a mixing tube diameter, a mixing tube alignment with the abrasive fluid-jet, and an orientation of the abrasive fluid-jet relative to the workpiece, wherein defining the path additionally includes compiling a catalog including at least one abrasive fluid-jet milling pattern, the abrasive fluid-jet milling pattern being stored in association with the selected set of parameters, and wherein defining the path further includes defining the desired pocket as a set of adjacent volume cells, the volume cells determined according to the abrasive fluid-jet milling pattern and a volume cell origin point corresponding to each volume cell.