Analytical modelling and experimental study of machining of smart materials using submerged abrasive waterjet micromachining process

Abstract

Smart materials are new generation materials which possess great properties to mend themselves with a change in environment. Manufacturing of these materials is a huge challenge, particularly at micron scale due to their superior mechanical properties such as high hardness, high compressive strength and chemical inertness. This research investigates submerged abrasive waterjet micromachining (SAWJMM) process for machining smart ceramic materials. The research also involves experimental study on micromachining of smart materials using an in-house fabricated SAWJMM setup. The study found that SAWJMM process is capable of successfully machining smart materials including shape memory alloys and piezoelectric materials at the micron scale. An analytical predictive model is developed to estimate the MRR during SAWJMM process and the model is found to be capable of accurately predicting the machining results within 10% error. [Submitted 14 January 2018; Accepted 26 May 2018]