RT journal article
T1 Comparative Analysis of AWJM Performance in FFF-Printed PLA and PLA–CF: Influence of Process Parameters and Cutting Regions
A1 De la Rosa Silva, Sergio
A1 Batista, Moisés
A1 Mayuet Ares, Pedro Francisco
A1 Rodríguez Parada, María Lucía
A2 Ingeniería Mecánica y Diseño Industrial
K1 abrasive water jet machining
K1 fused filament fabrication
K1 polylactic acid
K1 surface integrity
K1 process parameters
AB Additive manufacturing by Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) enables the fabrication of complex polymer components, although limitations in surface quality and dimensional accuracy often require post-processing. Abrasive water jet machining (AWJM) is a non-thermal technique suitable for improving surface integrity in polymers and composites without inducing thermal damage. This study investigates the AWJM performance on FFF-printed polylactic acid (PLA) and carbon-fiber-reinforced PLA (PLA–CF), focusing on the influence of water pressure (WP), traverse feed rate (TFR), and abrasive mass flow rate (AMFR). A full factorial design was implemented, and surface integrity was evaluated through surface roughness (Ra) and kerf taper (T), considering their variation across characteristic cutting regions: initial damage region (IDR), smooth cutting region (SCR), and rough cutting region (RCR). Results show that WP and TFR are the dominant parameters, while AMFR has a limited effect within the studied range. The SCR exhibits the lowest roughness, whereas the RCR shows significant degradation due to energy loss. Both materials present similar behavior, with only minor improvements in PLA–CF. ANOVA confirms that process parameters have a stronger influence than material type, providing useful criteria for AWJM optimization in FFF polymers.
PB MDPI
SN 2073-4360
YR 2026
FD 2026
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10498/39972
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10498/39972
LA eng
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Cádiz
RD 06-nov-2026