The manufacturing process of special steels like Hardox is usually difficult. Abrasive waterjet cutting (AWJ) is one of the machining processes which can be used in this case, with good results, as proved in previous research of the authors. This paper presents an experimental study on the influence of the AWJ main process parameters to the dimensional accuracy of holes manufactured in Hardox steels. The experiments were conducted using a L8(24) fractional factorial design matrix considering four parameters: the traverse speed, the part thickness, the hole dimension and the material type. Based on the measurement of the dimensions of the holes, the influence of those parameters was revealed and analyzed. The manufacturing time was also registered, as this parameter directly influences the production cost. Further research aims developing a mathematical model which will be a useful tool in workshop process planning.

Manufacturing parts made of thin steel in small batches is a challenging task in terms of reaching the proper balance between the productivity, the cost, and the dimensional precision. This paper presents the results of experimental research about manufacturing electrical steel thin parts using abrasive waterjet cutting. For a certain increase of productivity and a more efficient process, the parts were cut using multilayer packages of steel strips. The main objective was to analyze the influence of the number of layers on the dimensional precision of parts. Preliminary tests were performed, followed by a full factorial experiment using two independent parameters, the number of layers and the traverse speed. The parts were measured on a noncontact vision measurement machine and mathematical models were determined to predict the parts deviations depending on the independent parameters used. A practical validation of the models was performed. The main conclusion is that the number of layers has a certain influence on the accuracy of dimensions, but this influence can be predicted with a satisfactory level of confidence using mathematical models.

The electrical steel laminations which compose the rotor and stator core for electrical motors have complex 2D shapes. When these parts require small batches of production, they can be efficiently manufactured only by flexible methods. The paper presents the results of using abrasive waterjet machining (AWJ) to obtain such parts within the frame of a research project with EU funding. The main objective of the research was the analysis of geometrical and dimensional accuracy of the parts which will confirm that AWJ is a suitable process in this case. The parts were measured on an optical digital profilometer. The measurement process was not simple because the parts are relatively large and cannot be focused only by one shot by the camera. Also, another important issue were the profile edges inconsistencies due to the burrs. Those problems and the limitations of the measurement technology did not allow the automation of measurement. The results and discussions proved that AWJ can be used successfully for manufacturing such parts and the machining process is traceable.