Effect of Abrasive Water Jet Parameters on the Drilling of Aluminum Foam Sandwiched with Glass Fiber Polymer Composites

Abstract

To attain good geometric shape and size, machining of high-strength metal Fiber laminate becomes inevitable in the field of automotive industries. In this research, aluminum foam sandwiched with glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) composites fabricated using a hand layup process. The glass Fiber composite was fabricated using aluminum foam with a thickness of 1 mm. The effect of abrasive water jet parameters such as pressure (P), stand-off distance (L), and nozzle diameter (D) on material removal rate (MRR) and Kerf angle (Ka) and Surface roughness were investigated. The results were compared without aluminum foam composites. Glass fiber composites with aluminum foam reduced the kerf angle by 44.18 %, and surface roughness (Ra) by 41.77 % as compared with glass fiber composites without aluminum foam. From the investigation, it was noticed that maximum pressure (220 Bar) and minimum stand-off distance (1mm) were optimum parameters for reducing the kerf angle and surface roughness. Also, Optical images of the hole were analyzed for surface quality.