Investigation on standoff distance influence on kerf characteristics in abrasive water jet cutting of composite materials

The paper presents an experimental study on processing composite materials using abrasive water jet cutting (AWJC) process, analysing one of the main process parameter, standoff distance (SOD). Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastics (CFRP) are used in a wide range of industrial applications, like aerospace and automotive. Cutting CFRP using AWJC involves several challenges like high dimensional accuracy and good surface quality. To produce precise parts by using this process must be understand the influence of the process parameters on quality characteristics. On this study was investigated the standoff distance influence on kerf characteristics. The characteristics of the cut surface (kerf geometry, surface roughness and topography) were analyzed