Study of Influential Process Parameters in Abrasive Water Jet Machining of Aluminium 6061-T6 Alloys

In this investigation, Abrasive water jet machining (AWJM) has been employed to machine the AA6061-T6 alloy and attempts have been made to evaluate the effect of various process parameters like water jet pressure, abrasive flow rate, stand-off-distance and traverse speed, which are responsible for the cut quality, surface finish and efficiency of machining. The Taguchi design of experiments (DoE) technique has been applied to investigate the material removal rate, surface roughness and hardness as response characteristics. Multi-parametric optimisation using the response surface methodology is established to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the AWJM.