The Influence of Silicon Carbide Abrasive on Machining of Ti-6Al-4V by AWJ

Machining hard-to-cut materials is challenging and demands specific process conditions in order to be effective. Apart from conventional machining methods, non-conventional methods are also able to provide high quality and efficiency. In particular, one of the most appropriate non-conventional methods used for cutting those materials is Abrasive WaterJet (AWJ) technology, which is related both to high material removal rates and environmentally friendly conditions. As the properties of the abrasive material can influence the erosion process, surface topography, and the geometrical features of the cut, the performance of alternative abrasive materials should be investigated. Thus, in this research, we decided to analyse how silicon carbide (SiC) used as an abrasive will affect the width and depth of the cut shaped by the water jet. The experiment has been designed using the Taguchi method, which allows for the collection of the necessary data to determine which factors most affect the outcome of the process, rather than testing all passible parameters combinations. Experiments were conducted on Ti–6Al–4V titanium alloy sample using several different process parameters, such as jet pressure, stand-off distance, abrasive mass flow rate and traverse feed rate and obtained grooves were measured using a confocal microscope to determine their dimensions in each case.