An experimental investigation of rectangular pocket milling with abrasive water jet

Rectangular pocket milling is a new area where abrasive water jet machining is being introduced. The main concern in pocket milling by abrasive water jet has been the high variation in the depth of the pocket. In this study, a simple technique of milling has been developed consisting of a longitudinal pass and a transverse pass. The effect of different parameters have been studied on the variation in the depth of the pocket, the material removal rate, the erosion factor and the depth of material removal per machining cycle. Empirical models have been developed using proper design of experiments and regression analysis. It seems that the variation in the depth of the pocket can be controlled to a value of 0.04 mm with an acceptable surface finish. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A.