Fundamentals of selecting kinematic and technological parameters in the process of erosive surface texturing using abrasive water jet
摘要
The influence of abrasive water jet (AWJ) machining process parameters, including the path shift factor s, on the geometric characteristics of textured surfaces was investigated. The path shift factor s is defined as the path shift b to the diameter of the mixing nozzle d, determining the degree of jet overlap and thus the resulting surface texture. The experimental results showed that path shift factor in the range of s = 1.0–0.8 enabled the formation of textures with a distinct periodic and unidirectional structure, whereas path shift factor of s ≤ 0.4 led to surface smoothing and a reduction in structural features. Path shift factor in the range of s = 0.3–0.5 enabled the creation of a homogeneous surface with minimal irregularities, while maintaining a balance between roughness and functionality. Additionally, groove analysis revealed significant differences in their geometry depending on the path shift factor of the working head with groove width and depth at s = 0.8 reduced by 23% and 31%, respectively, compared to s = 1.0. Overlapping passes improved surface uniformity, which may positively affect wear resistance and load-carrying capacity. Moreover, grinding the upper fragments of surfaces textured with s = 1.0 and s = 0.9 contributed to a favorable reduction in roughness and enhanced load-bearing performance. Results were also presented for a different texturing strategy obtained by modifying parameters typical of cutting to form shallow grooves. The findings emphasize that selecting appropriate abrasive water jet texturing process parameters enables effective control of surface geometry, supporting the design and optimization of scanning-based texturing strategies for industrial applications, particularly in components such as bearings, gears, and sliding surfaces where durability and uniform load transfer are critical.