Optimization of Abrasive Water Jet Machining of SiC Reinforced Aluminum Alloy Based Metal Matrix Composites Using Taguchi-DEAR Technique

Muthuramalingam Thangaraj; Mahmoud Ahmadein; Naser A Alsaleh; Ammar H Elsheikh

doi:10.3390/ma14216250

Optimization of Abrasive Water Jet Machining of SiC Reinforced Aluminum Alloy Based Metal Matrix Composites Using Taguchi-DEAR Technique

Materials (Basel). 2021 Oct 20;14(21):6250. doi: 10.3390/ma14216250.

Authors

Muthuramalingam Thangaraj¹, Mahmoud Ahmadein^{2

3}, Naser A Alsaleh², Ammar H Elsheikh³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Mechatronics Engineering, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, SRM Nagar, Kattankulathur, Chennai 603203, India.
² Mechanical Engineering Department, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh 11564, Saudi Arabia.
³ Department of Production Engineering and Mechanical Design, Faculty of Engineering, Tanta University, Tanta 31527, Egypt.

Abstract

Since the importance of introducing new engineering materials is increasing, the need for machining such higher strength materials has also considerably increased. In the present research, an endeavor was made to introduce a Taguchi-DEAR methodology for the abrasive water-jet machining process, while machining a SiC-reinforced aluminum composite. Material removal rate, taper angle, and surface roughness were considered as the quality measures. The optimal arrangement of input process factors in the AWJM process was found to be 2800 bar (WP), 400 mg/min (AF), 1000 mm/min (FR), and 4 mm (SOD), among the chosen factors, with an error accuracy of 0.8%. The gas pressure had the most significance for formulating the performance measures, owing to its ability to modify the impact energy and crater size of the machined specimen.

Keywords: AWJM; DEAR; SiC; aluminum alloy; optimization.