Manufacturing Technology 2026, 26(2):164-175 | DOI: 10.21062/mft.2026.023

Process Parameter Effects on Cutting Efficiency and Specific Energy in Abrasive Water Jet Machining

Lianhuan Guo ORCID...1, Teng Ma ORCID...2, Jin Lan ORCID...3
1 Engineering Agency Management Office, Beijing 100032, China
2 Engineering Quality Supervision Station of Unit 93121, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100009, China
3 CNPC Offshore Engineering Company Limited, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100028, China

The cutting performance of abrasive water jet (AWJ) machining is commonly evaluated using cutting depth, cutting efficiency, and specific cutting energy. To systematically investigate the influence of process parameters on AWJ cutting performance, a five-axis CNC cutting platform was developed, allowing precise control of operating conditions. Single-factor experiments were conducted to analyze the effects of pump pressure, traverse speed, cutting angle, abrasive mass flow rate, standoff distance, and nozzle diameter. Both qualitative analysis and quantitative evaluation were employed to identify parameter ranges that maximize cutting efficiency or minimize specific cutting energy. The results indicate that the minimum specific cutting energy is achieved when the pump pressure is approximately three times the threshold pressure, the traverse speed is 110 mm/min, the cutting angle is 90°, and the abrasive mass flow rate approaches its optimal value. The effects of standoff distance and nozzle diameter on specific energy depend on their combined influence on cutting depth and kerf width. In addition, repeated cutting passes were found to increase energy consumption, indicating that complete material penetration in a single pass is more energy-efficient. These findings provide practical guidance and theoretical support for achieving high-efficiency and energy-saving AWJ cutting processes.

Keywords: Abrasive water jet cutting, Specific cutting energy, Cutting efficiency, Process parameter optimization, Energy consumption

Received: December 7, 2025; Revised: April 12, 2026; Accepted: April 15, 2026; Prepublished online: April 20, 2026; Published: April 23, 2026  Show citation

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Guo L, Ma T, Lan J. Process Parameter Effects on Cutting Efficiency and Specific Energy in Abrasive Water Jet Machining. Manufacturing Technology. 2026;26(2):164-175. doi: 10.21062/mft.2026.023.
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