Selection of key waterjet process parameters for high material removal rates and low surface roughness for plain waterjet machining of an aluminium alloy

摘要

Selection of parameters for plain waterjet machining often focuses on achieving maximum MRR. However, the quality of the machined surface is of critical importance for many applications, and this attribute may limit the application of the technology. This paper presents a study of the relationship of these responses to the waterjet operation parameters for the case of machining aluminium alloy Al-7475. It was found that standoff distances between 80 and 200 mm are the key to erode the maximum amount of material from the workpiece and to keep low values of SR during the process.