Study of the Effect of Cutting Parameters with Abrasive Water Jet on the Surface Roughness, Burr Formation and Striation Angle in Aluminum 111H-5754 Parts

Aluminum alloys, due to their high variety and favorable mechanical properties, are widely used in industries. Aluminum alloy 111H-5754 due to its properties such as high strength to weight ratio, ductility, toughness, and corrosion resistance, are applied in the manufacture of automotive body, offshore, and offshore oil equipment. The presence of 3% magnesium in the chemical structure of this alloy makes it susceptible to heat and therefore, it is not possible to perform most of the traditional machining processes on it. Water jet machining with abrasive particles (AWJM), because of the use of water and abrasive particles as cutting tools, can be a good method for machining these materials. In the present study, the effect of water jet and abrasive particle machining process parameters, including water jet pressure, traverse speed and loading coefficient on surface roughness, angle of striation, and burr formation in aluminum alloy 111H-5754 samples is discussed. The results showed that after traverse speed, water jet pressure and loading coefficient have the most effects on the surface quality characteristics, respectively. So, for a loading factor of 45% and a jet pressure of 300MPa, increasing the traverse speed from 200 to 300mm/min, the surface roughness value in the smooth area is about 50%, and the angle of striation of the lines in the rough area, increased by about 25%.