Title: Optimum abrasive flow rate modelling for titanium alloy cutting using abrasive water jet

Authors: Shijin Zhang, Xiaohong Li, Yilei Gu

Addresses: College of Resources and Environmental Science, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, P.R. China. ' College of Resources and Environmental Science, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, P.R. China. ' College of Resources and Environmental Science, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, P.R. China

Abstract: Abrasive water jet (AWJ) cutting systems are extensively used in industry, thus optimisation of the process parameters that determine efficiency, economy and quality of the process is becoming more and more important. However, being a complicated cutting system, the performance of AWJ is characterised by a large number of process parameters, which include water pressure, orifice diameter, traverse rate, standoff distance, impact angle, focusing tube diameter, abrasive flow rate (AFR), etc. Therefore, optimising the process parameters involves a number of challenging efforts. This paper concentrates on investigating the optimum AFR at the highest cutting speed under different water pressures, orifice diameters and focusing tube diameters. Based on a theoretical derivation combined with an experimental study, an empirical model for calculating the optimum AFR is created.

Keywords: abrasive water jets; AWJ performance; optimum flow rates; abrasive flow rates; static piercing; dynamic piercing; linear cutting; titanium alloy; modelling; optimisation; process parameters; water pressures; orifice diameters; focusing tube diameters.

DOI: 10.1504/IJAT.2009.029098

International Journal of Abrasive Technology, 2009 Vol.2 No.4, pp.400 - 419

Published online: 03 Nov 2009 *

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