Abrasive water jet (AWJ) machining is the current non-traditional manufacturing processes. It can be used to manufacture satellite structure such as aluminum alloys 1.
In addition, abrasive waterjet shows more benefits due to the minimum level of mechanical and thermal impact throughout machining when compared to other machining processes 2. Abrasive Water Jet Machining (AWJM) removes material from the surface by erosion of fine-grained abrasive particles striking the surface at a high velocity 3. To study about the characteristics of AWJM process has been performed on epoxy composite laminates Ra and kerf taper ratio are taken into consideration as performance parameters 4. Wang and Wong determined that the surface roughness initially decreases with increasing of water pressure. Further increase in pressure, the surface roughness value increases significantly 5. Ramulu et al. establish that the erosion of the surface during cutting increases while applying low water pressure with high traverse speed 6. Thirumalai Kumaran et al.
7 offered that lower traverse speed and standoff distance come together with increased pressure revealed a better surface on the carbon fiber reinforced plastics. Vishal Gupta et al. 8 exposed that due to higher water pressure the kerf angle and top kerf width is influenced by the nozzle transverse speed. Sasikumar et al. 9 recommended that minimum Kerf angle and good surface finish of aluminium composites machined by AWJM can be achieved at higher water jet pressure, low transverse speed and less standoff distance. Kerf width of the composites has been increased with an increase in pressure and standoff distance, whereas kerf width decreases with increase in feed rate 10.
AWJM may cause some defects such as delamination, fibre pullout, and particle embedment because of excessive heat. Increase in delamination due to large SoD and fibre orientation angle 11. The delamination may also happens at low abrasive mass flow rate and high feed rate; whereas fibre pull out at low jet pressure and high standoff distance 12. Most of the researchers concluded the increase in water pressure increases the surface roughness quality
