Mechanical issues in laser and abrasive water jet cutting

In forging and other metal-working industries, lasers and abrasive water jets are being applied to cut a variety of metal products to improve productivity and reduce costs. As described in the following, both the processes have their unique cutting capabilities and characteristics. Before selecting one, however, users must be aware of how each technique influences the end product as well as its performance (e.g., high-cycle fatigue life). For this article, we examined the mechanics of these two cutting processes by studying their effects on Ti-6Al-4Vand A286 steel.