Machining alumina plates using abrasive jet of silicon carbide

Abstract

Abstract The abrasive jet machining (AJM) is used in many engineering applications including brittle material machining and finishing, surface preparation of the metal for welding and thermal spray coatings, etc. In this process, fine grain abrasive particles are given high speed through carrier gas which is directed to impinge on a target surface to be machined. The high kinetic energy of the abrasive particles is responsible to erode materials from the surface. In this work, three input cutting parameters such as abrasive flow rate, abrasive grain size, and stand-off distance (SOD) are chosen to experiment on 99.7% pure alumina plate of 4 mm thickness, using silicon carbide (SiC) abrasive. Material removal rate (MRR) and nozzle wear rate are the output responses that are to be investigated using response surface methodology, keeping working pressure constant at 6 kgf/cm2 throughout.