Prakash C, Selvakumar S, Manikandan D, Ramaswamy Krishnaraj
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Roever Engineering College, Perambalur, Tamil Nadu, India.
Department of Mechanical Engineering, SRM TRP Engineering College, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India.
Sci Rep. 2025 Jul 2;15(1):23613. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-04713-x.
The incorporation of various reinforcements in aluminium composites markedly improves their thermal, mechanical, and wear characteristics when compared to composites with a single reinforcement. Nevertheless, heightened hardness presents challenges in machining, rendering traditional methods less efficient for obtaining high-quality cuts. This study explores the application of Abrasive Water Jet Machining (AWJM) on aluminium alloy LM26 hybrid composites that are reinforced with graphite and fly ash, which were manufactured through stir casting. AWJM is assessed as a viable machining technique to tackle the challenges presented by these advanced composites. The analysis focuses on key process parameters, including transverse speed, stand-off distance, and abrasive flow rate, to evaluate their impact on essential output responses such as surface roughness, material removal rate (MRR), and overcut error. A systematic experimental design utilizing an L27 orthogonal array is implemented to thoroughly examine the influences of various parameters. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) serves as a vital tool for statistical analysis and optimization, facilitating an in-depth exploration of parameter interactions and their influence on machining performance. The results offer important perspectives on enhancing AWJM parameters for hybrid aluminium composites, leading to better machining precision and efficiency. The ideal machining parameters were determined to be an abrasive flow rate of 440 g/min, a traverse speed of 300 mm/min, and a stand-off distance of 1.50 mm, leading to a peak MRR of 1.201 g/sec and a minimum surface roughness (Ra) of 2.018 µm. The investigation highlights AWJM's proficiency in processing high-hardness materials while preserving favorable surface qualities. The findings enhance manufacturing methods for reinforced aluminium composites, facilitating their wider use in aerospace, automotive, and other high-performance sectors.
与单一增强相的复合材料相比，在铝基复合材料中加入各种增强相可显著改善其热性能、机械性能和耐磨性能。然而，硬度的提高给加工带来了挑战，使得传统方法在获得高质量切削方面效率较低。本研究探讨了磨料水射流加工（AWJM）在通过搅拌铸造制造的、以石墨和粉煤灰为增强相的铝合金LM26混杂复合材料上的应用。AWJM被评估为一种可行的加工技术，以应对这些先进复合材料带来的挑战。分析聚焦于关键工艺参数，包括横向速度、靶距和磨料流量，以评估它们对诸如表面粗糙度、材料去除率（MRR）和过切误差等关键输出响应的影响。利用L27正交阵列进行系统的实验设计，以全面研究各种参数的影响。响应面方法（RSM）是统计分析和优化的重要工具，有助于深入探索参数相互作用及其对加工性能的影响。研究结果为优化混杂铝基复合材料的AWJM参数提供了重要视角，从而提高加工精度和效率。确定的理想加工参数为磨料流量440 g/min、横向速度300 mm/min和靶距1.50 mm，此时峰值MRR为1.201 g/sec，最小表面粗糙度（Ra）为2.018 µm。该研究突出了AWJM在加工高硬度材料时保持良好表面质量的能力。研究结果改进了增强铝基复合材料的制造方法，促进了它们在航空航天、汽车和其他高性能领域的更广泛应用。
