MACHINING OF LIGHTWEIGHT COMPOSITE MATERIALS WITH ABRASIVE WATERJETS

THERE IS A GROWING NEED TO SIGNIFICANTLY LIGHTEN PRESENT MILITARY WEAPONS SYSTEMS AND MUNITIONS THROUGH USE OF ADVANCED LIGHTWEIGHT COMPOSITE MATERIALS. ONE OBSTACLE TO EXTENDED USE OF THESE MATERIALS IS THE DIFFICULTY OF MACHINING THEM. A METHOD THAT OFFERS GREAT POTENTIAL IS THE ABRASIVE-WATERJET MICROMACHINING PROCESS. THIS PROCESS HAS BEEN USED TO EFFECTIVELY CUT COMPOSITES OF VARIOUS THICKNESS. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROPOSAL IS TO INTEGRATE THE MICROMACHINING CAPABILITIES OF ABRASIVE-WATERJETS WITH A LATHE TO PRODUCE A NEW TOOL FOR TURNING COMPOSITES. THIS TOOL WILL BE UED TO LABORATORY TEST TURNING OF LIGHTWEIGHT COMPOSITE MATERIALS. SEVERAL TYPES OCOMPOSITE MATERIALS WILL BE MACHINED USING THE ABRASIVE-WATERJET LATHE AND THE RESULTS WILL BE EVALUATED WITH RESPECT TO QUALITY OF SURFACE FINISH, RATE OF MATERIAL REMOVAL AND THE GENERAL PROPERTIES OF GEOMETRIES PRODUCED.