Experimental Study on the Surface Roughness of 1060 Aluminum Alloy Cut by Abrasive Water Jet

Abstract

Through the experiment of cutting 1060 Aluminum Alloy by Abrasive Water Jet (AWJ), the surface roughness of material which is cut by AWJ is controlled by the cutting work pressure, cutting stand-off distance, cutting traverse speed and the abrasive diameter which used in AWJ. Measuring the cutting surface roughness of 1060 Aluminum Alloy by stereomicroscope and surfagauge, among the factor which can affect the surface roughness, the cutting traverse speed play a dominant role to control the surface roughness in the process of cutting. As the result of the surface roughness of 1060 Aluminum Alloy at different cutting depth is different, which can be separated in two different zones (Smooth area and Rough zone). As the result of experiment, the abrasive diameter has little effect to change the surface roughness between two different zones. The surface quality of rough zone can be improved when change the diameter of abrasive: with the diameter of abrasive increase, the surface quality of rough zone become better. A higher cutting pressure can improve the surface quality of the cutting surface of 1060 Aluminum Alloy. While increase the cutting traverse speed in the process of cutting can decrease the surface quality of 1060 Aluminum Alloy cutting surface. In a certain range, increase the cutting stand-off distance of AWJ can decrease the surface roughness of the cutting surface, and the roughness of cutting surface will change little when the stand-off distance increases to a certain extent.