Systems and methods for treating aggregated material to separate out components thereof, using jetted water and/or screening appartatus, particularly to recover sand reusable in a fracking operation.

An invention is provided for creating smoothed, heat-treated glass fragments. The invention includes placing a plurality of heat-treated glass fragments into a tumbling or vibrating apparatus. Each heat-treated glass fragment is formed from glass that has been heated to a temperature of at least 1000 Fahrenheit and rapidly cooled to a temperature below 700 Fahrenheit. The plurality of glass fragments are then tumbled or vibrated for a predetermined period of time such that surfaces of the heat-treated glass fragments are smoother than prior to tumbling. The glass fragments are thereafter removed from the tumbling apparatus, resulting in smoothed, heat-treated glass fragments that are suitable for direct handling without hand protection.

An invention is provided for creating smoothed, heat-treated glass fragments. The invention includes placing a plurality of heat-treated glass fragments into a tumbling or vibrating apparatus. Each heat-treated glass fragment is formed from glass that has been heated to a temperature of at least 1000 Fahrenheit and rapidly cooled to a temperature below 700 Fahrenheit. The plurality of glass fragments are then tumbled or vibrated for a predetermined period of time such that surfaces of the heat-treated glass fragments are smoother than prior to tumbling. The glass fragments are thereafter removed from the tumbling apparatus, resulting in smoothed, heat-treated glass fragments that are suitable for direct handling without hand protection.

Systems and methods for finish portions of parts for gas turbine engines are provided. More specifically, systems and methods for finishing flow elements (e.g., stator vanes and turbine blades) or gas turbine engines are provided. The systems and methods may employ grit blasting, fluidic machining, and/or super polishing. Moreover, the flow elements may be inspected and/or evaluated between the one or more processing steps.

Magnetic apparatuses and systems for shaping parts are described. One or more magnets can be used to direct a magnetically responsive fluid having magnetically responsive particles around surfaces of a part. The magnetically responsive fluid can include abrasive particles that follow movement of the magnetically responsive fluid across surfaces of the part and remove material from the part until the part takes on a desired shape. The magnetic apparatuses can be configured to provide a rough cut, similar to machining process, and/or a fine cut, similar to polishing or buffing process, to the part.

An invention is provided for creating smoothed, heat-treated glass fragments. The invention includes placing a plurality of heat-treated glass fragments into a tumbling or vibrating apparatus. Each heat-treated glass fragment is formed from glass that has been heated to a temperature of at least 1000 Fahrenheit and rapidly cooled to a temperature below 700 Fahrenheit. The plurality of glass fragments are then tumbled or vibrated for a predetermined period of time such that surfaces of the heat-treated glass fragments are smoother than prior to tumbling. The glass fragments are thereafter removed from the tumbling apparatus, resulting in smoothed, heat-treated glass fragments that are suitable for direct handling without hand protection.

Disclosed are various embodiments for a system and method of processing a surface using a mixture containing magnetic particles. A mixture is disposed on a workpiece and exposed to a dynamic magnetic field. In response to the dynamic magnetic field, the magnetic particles of the mixture may move along the workpiece. The movement of the magnetic particles creates a pattern of grooves on the surface of the workpiece.

Disclosed herein is a method for inner surface finishing of a workpiece, in which the inner surface of the workpiece defines an opening with axial symmetry around the longitudinal axis of the workpiece. The method may include the following steps. An abrasive medium may be poured inside the opening; urging the abrasive medium to rotate about the longitudinal axis, thereby imposing a centrifugal force on the abrasive medium to accelerate the abrasive medium outwards from the center of rotation towards the inner surface of the opening, where the abrasive medium impacts the inner surface of the opening; and the workpiece may be rotated about the longitudinal axis in a direction opposite the first direction, concurrently.

Disclosed herein is a method for inner surface finishing of a workpiece, in which the inner surface of the workpiece defines an opening with axial symmetry around the longitudinal axis of the workpiece. The method may include the following steps. An abrasive medium may be poured inside the opening; urging the abrasive medium to rotate about the longitudinal axis, thereby imposing a centrifugal force on the abrasive medium to accelerate the abrasive medium outwards from the center of rotation towards the inner surface of the opening, where the abrasive medium impacts the inner surface of the opening; and the workpiece may be rotated about the longitudinal axis in a direction opposite the first direction, concurrently.

A tool for use during the abrasive flow polishing of an airfoil cluster in an abrasive flow machine is described. The tool may comprise a body and prongs extending from the body. Each prong of the tool may be configured to insert between an adjacent pair of airfoils of the airfoil cluster to create at least one channel therebetween. The channel may allow the flow of an abrasive media therethrough.