Modelling the Kerf Angle, Roughness and Waviness of the Surface of Inconel 718 in an Abrasive Water Jet Cutting Process

An experimental study of the abrasive water jet cutting process of Inconel 718 alloy samples with varying values of cutting speed, abrasive flow rate and cutting material height was carried out. Surface roughness and waviness were measured at different cutting depths, and the variation of the kerf angle was studied. It was shown that the depth of cut has the greatest effect on roughness and waviness. The height of the sample has no impact on the roughness and waviness at a particular depth of cut. As the depth of cut increases, in most cases, roughness and waviness increase as well. It has been proven that the cutting speed has a negligible effect on surface roughness, but it has a significant effect on surface waviness. The waviness, on the other hand, depends only slightly on the abrasive flow. It has been proven that the kerf angle does not depend on the abrasive flow. The kerf angle depends mainly on the height of the sample. The models were developed for the parameters of roughness Ra and Rz, waviness Wa and Wz and kerf angle. All models were calculated without separating the surface into smooth and rough cutting regions.