Analysis of Alloy 718 surfaces milled by abrasive waterjet and post-processed by plain waterjet technology

This work analyzes the surfaces obtained in Alloy 718 when they are milled by Abrasive Waterjet (AWJ) at different conditions. This analysis revealed that all surfaces have a homogeneous roughness in the transversal and the longitudinal directions, present embedded abrasive particles and have hardened about 50% with respect to the untreated bulk Alloy 718. On the other hand, Plain Waterjet (PWJ) technology was used for removing the abrasive particles embedded in surfaces of Alloy 718 milled previously by AWJ technology. The effect of this process on the surface characteristics is also analyzed. For all tested conditions, this technology removed all the particles embedded in the surface. In addition, the PWJ technology process in general smoothened the surfaces produced by AWJ milling and it also released near-surface stresses.