High pressure pump systems with reduced pressure ripple for use with waterjet systems and other systems are described herein. A pump system configured in accordance with a particular embodiment includes four reciprocating members operably coupled to a crankshaft at 90 degree phase angles. The reciprocating members can include plungers operably disposed in corresponding cylinders and configured to compress fluid (e.g., water) in the cylinders to pressures suitable for waterjet processing, such as pressures exceeding 30,000 psi.

A polishing method includes: a step of preparing a polishing device including a processing member and a suction mechanism configured to generate suction force; a step of setting a workpiece in the processing member; and a step of accelerating abrasive grains fed toward the workpiece to a predetermined speed with an air flow generated by operation of the suction mechanism, and polishing the workpiece by causing the abrasive grains to contact with or collide with the workpiece.

A method of treatment of a cutting piece (2) is provided. This method includes a first step in which a cutting surface (5) of this cutting piece (2) is subjected to shots thrown by an ultrasonic shot peening apparatus (10) to become a cutting surface (5) with shot impacts, and a second step in which the cutting surface (5) with shot impacts is grinded over a chosen thickness to become a treated cutting surface (5).

A method for vibroblasting surfaces using a vibroblasting machine, said vibroblasting machine being equipped with at least one toroidal shaped process vat (50) which is set in a rotary motion and is suitable for containing workpieces whose surfaces are subjected to a vibroblasting processing, said method including a phase of inputting fine particles belonging to a sandblasting media into said process vat (50) to proceed with a sandblasting action of the surfaces of the workpieces being processed, and a phase of evacuation of said fine particles, characterized in that the phase of inputting fine particles belonging to the sandblasting media into said process vat (50) occurs from top to bottom or tangentially to the circumference of said process vat (50) and to the surface of the vibrating mass (75) of the workpieces and of the media.

A method of smoothing an inner surface of a tubular wall of a workpiece is disclosed, including immersing the workpiece in a mixture of a liquid and an abrasive and inserting a cavitation peening nozzle into a cavity of the workpiece. The method further includes injecting a cavitating jet from the cavitation peening nozzle into the cavity.

A method for cleaning an object includes steps of delivering a cleaning medium to a surface of the object, delivering ultrasonic waves to the object to atomize the cleaning medium, and applying a vacuum airflow to collect atomized cleaning medium.

A method for separating a first mechanical part from a second mechanical part is described, wherein the second mechanical part is bonded to the first mechanical part by an adhesive film along a connecting area, the first mechanical part having a first specific thermal conductivity and the second mechanical part having a second thermal conductivity that is higher than the first thermal conductivity. The method includes at least one cooling step during which the second mechanical part is cooled to a negative temperature and at least one stressing step during which the second mechanical part is subjected to mechanical stress in order to cause the adhesive film to break.

A method for separating a first mechanical part from a second mechanical part is described, wherein the second mechanical part is bonded to the first mechanical part by an adhesive film along a connecting area, the first mechanical part having a first specific thermal conductivity and the second mechanical part having a second thermal conductivity that is higher than the first thermal conductivity. The method includes at least one cooling step during which the second mechanical part is cooled to a negative temperature and at least one stressing step during which the second mechanical part is subjected to mechanical stress in order to cause the adhesive film to break.

In an embodiment, a method of hardening a surface of a substrate comprises directing a waterjet having a transition flow region, the waterjet comprising water and particles, at a surface of a substrate such that the waterjet impacts the surface within the transition flow region to provide a layer of embedded particles underneath the surface of the substrate, thereby forming a hardened substrate. The hardened substrates are also provided.

A method and apparatus for finishing a surface of a metal component made by additive manufacturing are provided. The method comprises: containing the component 41 in a fluid 43 that comprises abrasive particles 48; and generating pressure fluctuations that produce acoustic cavitation in the fluid by applying ultrasonic vibration into the fluid by an ultrasonic horn 45, thereby removing material from the surface of the component by a combination of cavitation bubble collapse on the surface and the striking of the surface by abrasive particles 48 accelerated by cavitation bubble collapse.