A study of kerf characteristics in abrasive waterjet machining of graphite/epoxy composite

Journal Article · Mon Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1996 · Journal of Engineering Materials and Technology

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1115/1.2804897· OSTI ID:237796

Arola, D; Ramulu, M ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering

Kerf geometry, kerf wall features, and cutting front characteristics of an Abrasive Waterjet (AWJ) machined Graphite/Epoxy (Gr/Ep) laminate were studied. A macroscopic analyses suggests that geometrical features associated with AWJ machining of Gr/Ep laminates are influenced by three macro regions along the cutting depth. The presence of these regions, including initial damage at jet entry, smooth cutting, and rough cutting near the jet exit, depends on the operating conditions. Design of experiments and analysis of variance were used to determine the effect of cutting parameters on kerf characteristics and to develop empirical models for kerf profile and features of the three distinct macroscopic regions. Cutting front analysis revealed that the mechanisms of material removal in AWJ machining of Gr/Ep do not change over the jet penetration depth. In general, high quality uniform cuts may be obtained by minimizing initial damage at the jet entry and by extending the smooth cutting region beyond the laminate thickness through the appropriate choice of cutting parameters.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• OSTI ID: 237796
• Journal Information: Journal of Engineering Materials and Technology, Journal Name: Journal of Engineering Materials and Technology Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 118; ISSN 0094-4289; ISSN JEMTA8
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
CARBON FIBERS
COMPOSITE MATERIALS
DAMAGE
EPOXIDES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
MACHINING
NOZZLES
OPTICAL MICROSCOPY
PARAMETRIC ANALYSIS
PARTICULATES
REGRESSION ANALYSIS
ROUGHNESS
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
SHAPE
SURFACES
TOPOGRAPHY