Abrasive Water Jet Cutting vs. Laser Jet Cutting of Oak Wood Panels

Abstract

Two oak (Quercus Robur) wood panels were cut by abrasive water jet and laser jet respectively, using a pattern composed of circles with various diameters. The processing accuracy and the kerf widths were determined both for the holes and circles cut from the panels using the masks generated by ImageJ software, for which the area is calculated as an output data. The dimensional stability, the size of the kerf and the smoothness of the contour evaluated by microscope investigation, the visual assessment of the panel surfaces after cutting are the objects of the comparison between the abrasive water jet cutting and the laser jet cutting methods. The results show that a better processing accuracy was obtained by using the laser jet cutting method. The dimensional stability in terms of flatness was affected by the wood sensitivity to water, so deformations occurred after abrasive waterjet cutting of panels. They decreased in time, but cracks occurred along the wood grains in some areas.