Influence of different piercing methods of abrasive waterjet on delamination of fiber reinforced composite laminate

Abstract Cutting fiber reinforced polymer composite with traditional rotary cutting tools often results in tool wear, high heat, and dust generated during the cutting process. Abrasive waterjet cutting (AWJ) does not have direct contact between the machine and material and it is a cold machining process, so many of the machining challenges can be avoided. However, the impact of waterjet machining may cause delamination of composite laminates. This research addresses the influence of different piercing methods of the waterjet cutting process on delamination of woven prepreg composite laminates. After cutting the sample with AWJ, the delamination zone of the composite laminate will be observed using a computed tomography (CT) scan and X-ray imaging technique. The results showed that delamination can be avoided by allowing the water and abrasive to mix properly before reaching high water pressure.