Surface quality of marble machined by abrasive water jet

Abstract

This paper presents a study conducted to examine the effect of cutting parameters, namely standoff distance, nozzle traverse speed (TS), abrasive flow rate (AFR), and material type on cutting performance for two types of marble workpieces, Carrara white and Indian green. Statistical analysis was undertaken to assess the influence of the cutting parameters on the process performances in terms of surface roughness, surface waviness, and Kerf taper ratio. The results showed that the TS and material type were the most significant factors that affected surface roughness and Kerf taper ratio. Also, although AFR was found to have significant effect on surface waviness, it had no noticeable influence on surface roughness nor Kerf taper ratio.