Hole-drilling using abrasive water jet in titanium

Titanium alloys are increasingly used due to their relative lightness, ductility, and good fatigue and corrosion-resistance properties. However, machining these alloys is a challenge, which prevents them from being used more extensively. As a new technology, the abrasive water jet (AWJ) process has gained immense popularity owing to numerous advantages such as absence of heat-affected zone and no residual stress. This paper systematically investigated titanium hole drilling processes using AWJ, which includes static piercing, dynamic piercing, and a hole-cutting process. Experimental results showed that, by using proper parameters, optimal performance can be achieved which not only lowers the machining cost, but also achieves vertical criterion on hole wall sides.