Investigation of surface roughness Inconel 718 in waterjet turning

Inconel 718, a nickel-based super alloy widely used in aerospace and gas turbine industries, offers exceptional temperature strength, corrosion resistance, and work hardening behaviour. However, machining this material presents challenges due to its high strength, low thermal conductivity and work-hardening characteristics. To address these difficulties, Abrasive Waterjet Turning (AWJT) emerges as a promising alternative to conventional machining methods. This paper focuses on the application of AWJT in turning Inconel 718, exploring its principles and effects. Various factors influencing machining performance, such as spindle speed, feed rate and depth of cut are thoroughly examined and optimized. The surface roughness of the machining surface had a minimum value of 2.09 inm at run 7 while run 8 had a maximum value of Ra of 2.61 inm. Based on the results, the machine quality falls under N7 on the surface roughness chart. The investigation delves into the impact of AWJT on surface roughness while also discussing methods for monitoring the AWJT process. Through this comprehensive analysis, the potential of AWJT for machining Inconel 718 is explored, offering valuable insights for enhancing performance and its broader application in the industrial sector.