Study on the effects of abrasive particle shape on the cutting performance of Ti-6Al-4V materials based on the SPH method

A numerical model for simulating the process of cutting a titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V, TC4) with a waterjet containing abrasive particles is developed using smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH). In our SPH cutting model, the water carrying the abrasive particles is modeled as a weakly compressible viscous fluid, and the abrasive particles are modeled as rigid bodies with specific shapes. The metallic target, i.e., the titanium alloy, is modeled as an elastic-plastic material. The interactions among the fluid, abrasive particles, and metallic target are modeled using particles governed by the Navier-Stokes (NS) equations. A rigorous study is then conducted to investigate the effects of abrasive particles with different shapes on cutting performance. Our findings suggest the following: the simulated results are consistent with the experimental data, the abrasive particle shape is one of the most important factors affecting cutting efficiency, and particle shape also affects cutting trajectory. Our SPH cutting model can be used to further our understanding of the mechanisms underlying abrasive waterjet cutting. The cutting model also provides a computational tool for optimizing cutting efficiency.