Material structure is one of the important factors influencing abrasive waterjet (AWJ) machining efficiency and quality. The force measurements were performed on samples prepared from two very similar steels with different thicknesses and heat treatment. The samples were austenitized at 850 °C, quenched in polymer and tempered at various temperatures between 20 °C and 640 °C. The resulting states of material substantially differed in strength and hardness. Therefore, samples prepared from these material states are ideal for testing of material response to AWJ. The force measurements were chosen to test the possible influence of material structure on the material response to the AWJ impact. The results show that differences in material structure and respective material properties influence the limit traverse speed. The cutting to deformation force ratio seems to be a function of relative traverse speed independently on material structure.
Keywords: abrasive waterjet; cutting force; deformation force; machining; material properties; material structure; traverse speed.