AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY AND PARAMETRIC OPTIMIZATION OF AWJC ON ALUMINIUM 7075 ALLOY

Abrasive waterjet cutting is a non-traditional cutting processes capable of cutting wide range materials. This report assesses the influence of process parameters on surface roughness which is an important cutting performance measure in abrasive waterjet drilling of Aluminium alloy. The process variables considered here include abrasive flow rate, standoff distance, feed rate and water pressure. Experiments were conducted in varying these parameters for drilling of Aluminium alloy using abrasive waterjet cutting process. For selecting the cutting parameters, an empirical model for the prediction of surface roughness in abrasive water jet drilling of Aluminium alloy is developed using regression analysis. This developed model has been verified with the experimental results that reveal a high applicability of the model within the experimental range used. The better machining capabilities of abrasive waterjet cutting (AWJC) characterized by the absence of thermal distortion make it highly competitive with other cutting processes employing plasma and lasers. The present report was oriented towards examining the effect of AWJC parameters like abrasive flow rate, feed rate, standoff distance and water pressure on the surface roughness produced with Aluminium alloys. Box-behnken design used for conducting the trials, and a combined technique of BBD-based response surface methodology was disclosed for obtaining the optimal level of AWJC parameters. The BBD was supplemented with analysis of variance to identify the vital parameters affecting the quality characteristics. The optimal parameter setting was validated by conducting a confirmation test. The drilled hole surfaces were also examined using field emission scanning electron microscope images