Features and mechanism of abrasive water jet cutting of Q345 steel

Abstract

This paper attempts to disclose the cutting features and mechanism of the pre-mixed abrasive water jet (AWJ) on Q345 steel. For this purpose, several cutting experiments were performed on the pre-mixed AWJ and a Q345 steel plate. Besides, a numerical simulation model was established based on the smoothed-particle hydrodynamics (SPH) and finite-element method (FEM) and adopted to analyse the erosion features of the jet at different angles and pressures. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) There exists a pressure threshold, i.e. the jet pressure under which the abrasive erosion kinetic energy is just enough to induce material deformation. For the 80 mesh corundum abrasive particles, the pressure threshold of Q345 steel is 15~17MPa. (2) The Q345 steel suffers from deformation and failure under the high-frequency and high-speed impinging of abrasive particles. The abrasive velocity is positively correlated with the erosion ability of the abrasive particles to induce material failure. (3) The variation in the jet angle changes the vertical and horizontal jet velocities and affects the erosion process of the jet. (4) For Q345 steel, the optimal jet angle is about 80°. At this angle, the jet deflection trend towards the non-material side is minimized without undermining the jet erosion ability in the vertical direction. The research findings provide new insights into the mechanism of the AWJ cutting.

Analysis of cutting performance and pressure characteristics of mine water jet cutting machine

“…After the control valve is engaged, abrasive particles and high-pressure water are mixed in the mixing chamber to form abrasive slurry, which is then delivered to the nozzle through the highpressure hose and sprayed onto the target surface after a short acceleration with a special nozzle [10]. Because of the erosion damage caused by the high-frequency percussion of high-speed abrasive particles on materials, this technology can be used to process various metal and nonmetal materials [11][12].…”

Effect of initial temperature on cutting speed in liquid nitrogen assisted abrasive suspension jet machining of tungsten steel

“…Diamond grinding wheel precision machining requires the use of artificially synthesized diamond particles, which have rapid wear and high costs [4][5][6]. Abrasive water jet (AWJ) is a machining technique that is noncontact, offers no heat-affected zone, and produces no harmful waste [7][8][9]. Therefore, for machining tungsten steel, it can be considered a more economical, effective, and environmentally friendly approach.…”

Temperature Measurement during Abrasive Water Jet Machining (AWJM)

“…Abrasive water jet machining is known to be a complex high energy process [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]. The large amounts of kinetic energy required for cutting are produced by abrasive particles accelerated by pressurized water hitting the workpiece surface [ 4 , 5 ].…”