Influence of Traverse Velocity and Pump Pressure on the Efficiency of Abrasive Waterjet for Rock Cutting

Abstract

Abstract. This paper presents investigations on the behavior of four types of rocks (syenite, granite, marble and sandstone) subjected to abrasive waterjet cutting. The influence of traverse velocity and pump pressure on the efficiency of cutting is analyzed. Moreover, the influence of the physical-mechanical behavior of the rocks on their removal process is investigated. It was found that, in general, the removed volume of rock and the cutting rate tend to increase with the decrease of traverse velocity and with the increase of pump pressure. Moreover, the opposite trend was observed in the analysis of the specific energy of cutting. Optimum conditions of cutting efficiency were found when cutting the studied rocks with a traverse velocity of 200 mm/min and a pump pressure of 400 MPa. Finally, the marble and the sandstone presented the lowest resistance to abrasive waterjet cutting while the syenite and granite presented the highest resistances.

Research Progress in Abrasive Water Jet Processing Technology

“…Karmiris-Obratański et al [ 61 ] investigated the effect of the number of cuts and transverse speed on achieving greater depth of cut in abrasive water jets and found that multiple cuts resulted in better results compared with a single cut, summarizing that the transverse speed was directly proportional to the removal rate of the material being machined but inversely proportional to the depth of cut, surface roughness, and kerf taper. Arab et al [ 62 ] studied the effect of pump pressure and transverse feed rate on the cutting effect of abrasive water jets for cutting four types of rock and found that the removal volume and cutting rate of rocks increased with the increase in pump pressure and decrease in transverse feed rate, and the best cutting efficiency was obtained when the pump pressure was 400 MPa and the transverse feed rate was 200 mm/min. The best cutting efficiency was obtained at a pump pressure of 400 MPa and a transverse feed rate of 200 mm/min.…”