A wide range of industries have started cutting heavy duty materials with water jets, as opposed to using traditional methods such as laser cutting or plasma cutting. Cutting with water offers several benefits to many industries such as the mining, aerospace, renovation and contracting sectors.
It may seem odd that such industries are choosing to cut their expensive materials with water over something that may appear more powerful, such as a laser. However, in water jet cutting, the water is combined with an abrasive substance and compressed air. When shot at an intense velocity of 40,000 to 55000 psi, water jet cutting will produce smooth, accurate lines with no burring.
The water is shot through an orifice, usually made from ruby, diamond or sapphire, after it has left the mixing region of the apparatus, where it is combined with the abrasive substance. This substance is usually non-toxic, such as garnet or sand. Aluminum oxide has been used in water jet cutting, but this is a toxic substance and after it has been used once, it must be disposed of in a landfill.
Therefore, in terms of remaining conscious of the environment, water jet cutting is a superior industrial cutting method, as the non-toxic mixture can be used more than once and does not leave behind hazardous materials that will remain in a landfill.
Water jet cutting can be used on materials that are heat sensitive, as it does not use intense heat as its cutting source. The abrasive substance is what cuts the material. Steel is a good example of a material that will melt or suffer thermal stress when cut using laser cutting methods. The same goes for rubber or plastic.
The following materials can be effectively cut using water jet cutting:
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Steel
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Stainless Steel
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Aluminum
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Brass
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Plastic
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Rubber
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Granite
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Marble
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Stone
Water jet cutting has the ability to cut unique and intricate shapes that other cutting methods are simply not capable of. This is due to the flexibility of the stream and the adjustable width. It is also possible to create three-dimensional designs in certain materials.
The key benefits of using water jet cutting over any other method are as follows:
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Can cut a wide range of thickness, from 0.002” to 0.12”
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Flexible stream
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Less material is wasted, as the kerf width enables tight nesting
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High accuracy points of up to +/-0.001. h.
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No thermal stress to material
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No burring, warping or distortion
There are many applications for water jet cutting and they range across many industrial fields. The home renovation industry relies on water jet cutting for precise cuts to their marble, stone and granite materials that are used in countertops and tables. The construction industry will use water jet cutting for steel alloys. They will also use water jet cutting as a means of cutting thick tubes and piping.
While there have been many developments to industrial cutting methods over the years, water jet cutting is proving to be the most applicable in terms of materials and the industries that rely on it.