Influence of Variable Radius of Cutting Head Trajectory on Quality of Cutting Kerf in the Abrasive Water Jet Process for Soda–Lime Glass

Abstract

The main innovation of this article is the determination of the impact of curvature of a shape cut out in a brittle material using an abrasive water jet (AWJ) process as an important factor of the machined surfaces. The curvature of a shape, resulting from the size of the radius of the cutting head trajectory, is one of the key requirements necessary for ensuring the required surface quality of materials shaped by the abrasive water jet process, but very few studies have been carried out in this regard. An important goal of the experimental studies carried out here and presented in this work was to determine its influence on the quality of the inner and outer surfaces of the cutting kerf. This goal was accomplished by cutting the shape of a spiral in soda–lime glass. For such a shape, the effect of radius of the trajectory of the cutting head on selected parameters of the surface texture of the inner surface of the cutting kerf (IS) and the outer surface of the cutting kerf (OS) was studied. The obtained results of the experimental studies confirmed that the effect of the curvature of the cut shape is important from the point of view of the efficiency of the glass-based brittle material-cutting process using AWJ. Analyses of the surface textures of the areas located in the upper part of the inner and outer surfaces separated by the use of AWJ machining showed that the OS surfaces are characterized by worse technological quality compared with IS surfaces. Differences in the total height of surface irregularities (given by St amplitude parameter), determined on the basis of the obtained results of the measurements of both surfaces of the cutting kerf, were as follows: ΔStr = 50 = 0.6 μm; ΔStr = 35 = 1 μm; ΔStr = 15 = 1.3 μm. The analysis of values measured in areas located in the more sensitive zone of influence of the AWJ outflow proved that the total height of irregularities (St) of the OS was higher. Differences in the total heights of irregularities for inner and outer surfaces of the cutting kerf were as follows: ΔStr = 50 = 2.1 μm; ΔStr = 35 = 3 μm; ΔStr = 15 = 14.1 μm, respectively. The maximum difference in the total heights of irregularities (St), existing between the surfaces considered in a special case (radius 15 mm), was almost 20%, which should be a sufficient condition for planning cutting operations, so as to ensure the workpiece is shaped mainly by internal surfaces.

Research on the Mechanism of Micro-Water Jet-Guided Laser Precision Drilling in Metal Sheet

“…Water jet-guided laser processing technology is a composite processing technology, and this modern processing method has been increasingly valued by the precision processing industry [ 11 , 12 ]. This technology combines the nanosecond laser technology with the water jet cooling technology, and makes use of the difference of optical characteristics when light propagates in water and air, so as to achieve the guidance and broken line transmission of laser beam in the water jet.…”

Abrasive Water Jet Cutting of Hardox Steels—Quality Investigation

“…The studied problem is close to the tailback and the taper investigations performed in the past by Hashish [16] or Ma and Deam [28]. Precise experiments studying surface quality on the selected process parameters of the Hardox steel plates cutting were revealing the traverse speed as the most important parameter influencing the accuracy of AWJ cutting were performed previously [11][12][13].…”

“…Evaluation of cutting quantity and quality was continuously studied by various groups [7][8][9][10]. Sutowska et al [11] studied the influence of cutting parameters on the kerf quality in detail. Some of the recent experiments were performed on Hardox TM 400, 450, and 500 steel plates by Filip, Vasiloni, and Mihail [12,13].…”

The Role of Observation–Measurement Methods in the Surface Characterization of X39Cr13 Stainless-Steel Cutting Blades Used in the Fish Processing Industry

“…In the carried out experimental studies, such an analysis was realized on all planar cutting blades obtained from the automatic skinning machine Steen ST600 after the technological process. Measurement data for analysis were obtained using a multisensory optical profilometer Talysurf CLI2000 (Taylor-Hobson, Leicester, Great Britain) equipped with a laser triangulation sensor LK-031 (Keyence Corp., Osaka, Japan) [ 34 , 35 ].…”