WHAT IS WATERJET CUTTING?

(What follows is an overview of waterjet cutting and its many advantages. For answers to the most frequently asked questions, including what can be cut using the waterjet system, please also click on our frequently asked questions page.)

A waterjet cutter is a tool capable of slicing into metal or other materials using a jet of water at high velocity and pressure, or a mixture of water and an abrasive substance.

The process is essentially the same as water erosion found in nature but greatly accelerated and concentrated.

The cutter is commonly connected to a high-pressure water pump where the water is then ejected from the nozzle, cutting through the material by spraying it with the jet of high-speed water. Additives in the form of suspended grit or other abrasives, such as garnet and aluminum oxide, can assist in this process.

There are many advantages to waterjet cutting:

1) Wide range of materials. A waterjet cutting machine can work with a wide variety of materials, ranging from metals to ceramics, composites, glass, quartz, marble and granite.

2) Quality finish. The finish provided by high-quality waterjet cutting is a smooth, sandblasted finish. No rough edges, burrs or jagged ends.

3) No heat affected zone. Because the procedure uses water and abrasive, the material is not heated up significantly during the cutting process. This makes the process ideal for materials that are affected or deformed by heat, such as titanium and aluminum.

4) Environmentally friendly. The OMAX 55100 uses water and garnet to cut. Garnet is an inert gemstone, which can be disposed of in the municipal waste stream. No toxic fumes are produced during machining.

5) No tool changing. One nozzle is used to machine all the different types of materials and shapes, saving time and the expense of multiple cutting tools – savings that are passed down to our clients.

6) Minimal burr. Using an abrasive waterjet, there is little or no burr in most materials.

7) Quick to program. The OMAX 55100 that we use in our facility comes complete with a comprehensive CAD program called Layout. We can draw parts from scratch in Layout, or import standard DXF files created in other programs. We can even trace over a photograph or bitmap image.

8) Minimal waste; Material waste is minimized since the kerf produced is very thin (~.035 inches).

9) Reduced setup times. Little or no side force on the material being machined reduces the need to complex fixtures and greatly speeds setup times.

For a look at the more technical details of waterjet cutting, visit our process page.

To speak with one of our technicians or submit for a project quote, please visit our contact page.