Characterization of abrasive waterjet processed surfaces

This paper describes the effect of different abrasive waterjet (AWJ) process parameters on the aesthetical results, such as roughness, waviness, main texture direction, and enhancement of material defects of marble samples. Surfaces have been digitalized by optical profilometry. About one hundred samples of White Carrara and Perlato of Coreno have been characterized using standard surface parameters extracted from the digital surface profiles. Statistical analyses have shown the correlation with the main process parameters, particularly with the waterjet head angle. An interpretation of the aesthetical meaning of the surface parameters is also given in the paper. This work was co-sponsored by the Italian Ministry of University and Research as a National Importance Research Project (PRIN) 2004, title “Inspecting the Surfaces of Natural Stone Products”, protocol n. 2004093934. Tha...