SURFACE TEXTURE IN ABRASIVE WATERJET CUTTING

When cutting thick material with an abrasive waterjet, the surface area can be characterized by two texture types. At the top of the cut, the surface texture is smooth. At the bottom, the slurry jet exiting the workpiece forms large striations in the surface. An investigation was conducted to experimentally determine the influence of the abrasive waterjet cutting parameters on surface texture. A mathematical model was developed characterizing the correlation between the surface roughness and the abrasive waterjet cutting variables.