Kerf analysis and Material Removal Rate during Abrasive water jet Machining of GFRP Laminates

Abstract: Non-conventional machining technique like Abrasive Water Jet (AWJ) machining is a good replacement for traditional methods to achieve higher tolerances and machining capabilities. With a fine jet of ultra-high-pressure water and abrasive slurry, AWJ uses erosion to cut the target material. This study investigates the material removal rate during abrasive water jet machining of Glass fiber reinforced polymer. Pressure, stand-off distance, and abrasive mass flow rate were the three process parameters considered in this study. Experiment was performed according to Taguchi’s experimental design. The data was analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) to identify the most important process parameters that statistically influence the Material removal rate (MRR). Bottom kerf width and Top kerf width are considered to find the taper angle from the AWJ machining. Kerf analysis is carried out to judge the optimum values of parameters. The experimental studies reveal that the jet pressure is the most influencing variable for MRR.