Evaluation of wood machining parameters and surface quality in cutting process by water jet without abrasive material

This study aimed at the evaluation of wood machining parameters and surface quality upon using a water jet without abrasive material. Hence, wood species (beech, oak, and poplar), cutting velocity (200, 400 and, 600 m/s), and cutting direction (parallel and perpendicular to the grain) were chosen as variables. After cutting samples with water jet, the samples were scanned from edge and surface using a 1200 dpi scanner. For analyzing the depth of cut and kerf width, Image J software was used. The Surface quality was evaluated using a stylus profilometer, and the surface roughness parameters including Ra and, Rz were measured. The highest and lowest values of depth of cut and kerf width were measured for poplar and beech woods, respectively. According to the results, it can be stated that the cutting direction has a significant effect on the machining parameters so that the maximum depth of cut and the lowest kerf width was observed in the direction parallel to the grain. Also, the results showed that with increasing cutting velocity, the depth of cut increases, and kerf width decreases. The highest and lowest values of surface roughness parameters were observed in poplar (Rz=136/8µ), and beech (Rz=115/62µ) woods, respectively. Based on the results, it can be concluded that high-speed machining in woods with dense texture and parallel to grain can improve the surface quality in water jet cutting.