PROCESS OPTIMIZATION BY APPLYING THE RESPONSE SURFACE METHODOLOGY (RSM) TO THE ABRASIVE SUSPENSION WATER JET CUTTING OF PHENOLIC COMPOSITES

The paper introduces the study on the cutting of the industrial composite phenolic resin, based on the thermoset materials reinforced with cotton cloth by the Abrasive Water Suspension Jet (AWSJ). The size reduction of abrasive grains during the formation of the jet and the erosion phenomenon are shown. The results of the machining process's critical factors as nozzle length, nozzle diameter, and abrasive mass flow rate on the maximal cutting depth, are indicated. To build a model of the process, the method of the response surface (RSM) was applied. The second-degree multinomial equation is selected for creating the cutting model. The research indicates the optimal control factors of the process, to achieve the best cutting depth performance.