Experimental Study of Surface Roughness and Micro-Hardness Obtained by Cutting Carbon Steel with Abrasive WaterJet and Laser Beam Technologies

Mohammad S. Alsoufi^1, , Dhia K. Suker¹, Abdulaziz S. Alsabban¹ and Sufyan Azam¹

¹Mechanical Engineering Department, College of Engineering and Islamic Architecture, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, KSA

Cite this paper:
Mohammad S. Alsoufi, Dhia K. Suker, Abdulaziz S. Alsabban and Sufyan Azam. Experimental Study of Surface Roughness and Micro-Hardness Obtained by Cutting Carbon Steel with Abrasive WaterJet and Laser Beam Technologies. American Journal of Mechanical Engineering. 2016; 4(5):173-181. doi: 10.12691/ajme-4-5-2

Abstract

This paper presents a study conducted to determine the effect of abrasive waterjet (AWJ) and laser beam (LB) cutting technologies on surface roughness, R_a, and micro-hardness, µ-HV of the carbon steel samples. In this article, there is a brief discussion of the different ways of cutting carbon steel, such as AWJ cutting, as well as LB cutting. These techniques and their comparisons are illustrated in tables to highlight the differences between them regarding technical parameters, equipment, tools and economic performance and to select the best technology for cutting carbon steel. The results indicated that the average value of the surface roughness for the carbon steel sample was R_a = 7.54 µm, ±SD = 2.52 µm (for LB) and it was R_a = 6.34 µm, ±SD = 2.67 µm (for AWJ), for which the thickness was 6 mm. The difference was 1.2 µm. Also, the skewness, R_sk, and kurtosis, R_ku, of the carbon steel sample after cutting by laser beam were 0.05 and 2.51, respectively. Whereas, R_sk and R_ku of the carbon steel sample after cutting by abrasive waterjet were -0.04 and 2.69, respectively. Besides, the average value of micro-hardness for a carbon steel sample was HV = 548.82, ±SD = 72.4 (for LB) and it was HV = 525.70, ±SD = 72.5 (for AWJ). Surprisingly, the micro-hardness value for both cutting methods start roughly at the same value around 450 HV and then start to increase until the end of the cutting distance is reached. The difference was 23.12 HV. It also should be noted that, the effective case depth was about ~330 µm at 549 HV (for LB), and was about ~320 µm at 525 HV (for AWJ).

Keywords:
surface roughness micro-hardness abrasive waterjet laser beam

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