Optimisation of abrasive water jet cutting process parameters for AA5083-H32 aluminium alloy using fuzzy TOPSIS method

Abstract

This paper reports the identification of abrasive water jet process parameters for the cutting of AA5083-H32 aluminium alloy using the fuzzy TOPSIS method. Such identification requires a precise work in abrasive water jet (AWJ) cutting, considering that it determines the quality and performance of the process. In the present work, optimisation studies were carried out through using the fuzzy TOPSIS method for the determination of better optimal process parameters. The Taguchi full factorial method was used for the experimental design and the weighting of each output response was determined by a triangular fuzzy number method. The selection of optimal input parameters such as water jet pressure of 150 MPa, abrasive mesh size of #80 and jet impingement angle of 80° have been suggested for the precise work conducted in AWJ. A scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used for examining the AWJ cut surfaces at the optimal level of process parameter settings. An energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy was employed to confirm the number of silicon particles embedded in the cut surfaces. The experimental result indicates the improvement in the quality of AWJ cutting by the fuzzy TOPSIS method through the identification of better optimal input process parameters.