Experimental analysis of hole making in GFRP composite using abrasive water jet cutting technology

Abstract

Machining of composite materials for the production of bolt holes is essential in the assembly of the structural frames of many industrial applications of GFRP. Abrasive water jet cutting technology has been used in industry for such purposes. This technology has procured many overlapping applications and as the life of the joint in the assemble structure can be critically affected by the quality of the holes, it is thus important for the industry to understand the application of abrasive water jet cutting process on GFRP composite materials. The aim of the present work is to to assess the influence of abrasive water jet machining parameters on hole making process of woven laminated GFRP material. Statistical approach was used to understand the effects of the predicted variables on the response variables. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to isolate the effects of the parameters affecting the hole making in abrasive water jet. The result shows that cutting feed, water jet pressure, standoff distance and abrasive flow rate are influential parameters upon the response variables of the abrasive water jet cutting process of GFRP composite, type 3240. © (2013) Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland.