On the Effect of Multiple Passes on Kerf Characteristics and Efficiency of Abrasive Waterjet Cutting

Panagiotis Karmiris-Obratański,Nikolaos E Karkalos,Angelos P Markopoulos,Emmanouil L Papazoglou,Rafał Kudelski

doi:10.3390/met11010074

Panagiotis Karmiris-Obratański, Nikolaos E Karkalos + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/met11010074

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Abstract

Abrasive waterjet cutting is a well-established non-conventional technique for the processing of difficult-to-cut material and rendering of various complex geometries with high accuracy. However, as in every machining process, it is also required that high efficiency and productivity are achieved. For that reason, in the present study, the effect of performing the machining process by multiple passes is investigated, and the evaluation of this approach is performed in terms of total depth of penetration, kerf width, kerf taper angle, mean material removal rate, and cutting efficiency. In the case of multiple passes, the passes are performed in the same direction with the traverse speed adjusted accordingly in order to maintain the total machining time constant in each case. From the experimental results, it was found that the effect of multiple passes on the kerf characteristics, mean material removal rate, and cutting efficiency depends on the process conditions, especially regarding the depth of penetration, and it is possible to achieve significantly higher efficiency by the multi-pass cutting technique when the appropriate process conditions are selected.

Highlights

The machining of hard-to-cut materials has always been considered a challenge, as the achievement of contradicting goals such as high efficiency and productivity on the one side and low cost and power consumption on the other side requires carefully selected process conditions based both on experience and thorough understanding of the physics of the processes involved
The results revealed that when the traverse feed rate is higher, the smoothest cut can be produced but, as it is decreased, the Material Removal Rate (MRR)
Multi-pass Abrasive Waterjet (AWJ) milling experiments are conducted under varying process conditions with a view to determine whether the use of multiple passes can affect the kerf characteristics considerably and whether it is more advantageous in terms of process efficiency or not

Summary

Introduction

The machining of hard-to-cut materials has always been considered a challenge, as the achievement of contradicting goals such as high efficiency and productivity on the one side and low cost and power consumption on the other side requires carefully selected process conditions based both on experience and thorough understanding of the physics of the processes involved. The accuracy of the parts made by this technology depends mainly on the selection of cutting parameters shaping the cutting ability of a high-pressure abrasive stream. This machining method is used to cut through materials; the researchers are trying to establish the conditions to control the depth of cut by controlling four main parameters, namely the jet pressure (P), abrasive mass flow rate (ma), traverse speed (vt), and the stand-off distance (h) [1,3,4]

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