Recent Progress Trend on Abrasive Waterjet Cutting of Metallic Materials: A Review

Abstract

Abrasive water jet machining has been extensively used for cutting various materials. In particular, it has been applied for difficult-to-cut materials, mostly metals, which are used in various manufacturing processes in the fabrication industry. Due to its vast applications, in-depth comprehension of the systems behind its cutting process is required to determine its effective usage. This paper presents a review of the progress in the recent trends regarding abrasive waterjet cutting application to extend the understanding of the significance of cutting process parameters. This review aims to append a substantial understanding of the recent improvement of abrasive waterjet machine process applications, and its future research and development regarding precise cutting operations in metal fabrication sectors. To date, abrasive waterjet fundamental mechanisms, process parameter improvements and optimization reports have all been highlighted. This review can be a relevant reference for future researchers in investigating the precise machining of metallic materials or characteristic developments in the identification of the significant process parameters for achieving better results in abrasive waterjet cutting operations.