Machining Thin-walled 2 1/2 D Structure in a Novel Aluminium Carbon Fiber Composite Material by the Micro-Abrasive Waterjets–an experimental investigation

Among the metal matrix composite (MMC) materials, aluminum carbon fiber reinforced (Al-CF) composites are suitable for thermal management applications in fields, such as space, automobiles, etc. However, the application of Al-CF composite material is limited due to manufacturing difficulties, such as brittleness, non-uniform dispersion of fibers, and failure under low loads being a soft material. Challenges further increase in the case of producing thin-walled structures and features with a high aspect ratio (e.g. 2D structures).In this study, an experimental investigation is carried out on the machinability of Al-CF composite material. The material response to AWJs is assessed by studying the kerf characteristics in through-cutting and analyzing the machined surface micrographs. From the results, it is observed that the kerf width and the erosion depth increase with the waterjet pressure (P) and abrasive mass flow rate (mf), and decreased with the jet traverse rate (vf). A minimum taper is obtained at low mf  and low vf  at an optimum P. The material removal rate is maximum at high P and mf  at an optimum vf. Based on this understanding, fabrication of a thin-wall (2D) structure with small features in Al-CF composite material is demonstrated by micro-AWJs.