What are the applications of a
waterjet cutting machine?
Water jet cutting
machines are straightaway one of the most versatile industrial equipment out
there. When we question the applications of these cutting machines, the
possibilities are endless. The cutting action of these cutters is achieved
through high-speed water created by a high-pressure pump.
While pure waterjet
cutters are quite powerful on their own, waterjet cutting commonly utilizes the
addition of abrasive materials in the water. These abrasives increase the
cutting force of the resultant stream manifold, and the process is called
abrasive waterjet cutting. Here is the list of materials that can be cut by a
water jet cutting process, along with the maximum thickness of material that
can be cut: https://youtu.be/FXk76rWYdEs
1. Stones & Tiles Cutting
With the addition of
abrasives, water jet cutting machines can make precise cuts in granite, marble,
porcelain, Dekton, Caesarstone, neolith, ceramics, stone, and tiles.
For cutting ceramic
tiles, the maximum thickness supported by waterjet cutters is 2 inches. For
marble and granite, waterjet can cut a thickness of up to 6 inches.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/9NtgBHJFNbY?feature=share
2. Glass Cutting
Glass is delicate and
can crack easily during the conventional cutting processes. This is why water
jet cutting is one of the most commonly used cutting technologies for glass.
The 5-axis waterjet cutters allow even intricate cut designs to be placed on a
glass workpiece. It is utilized for making cut-outs, frameless showers, holes
in splashbacks, and glass architectural applications. For cutting glass with a
water jet cutter, there are also a lot of compatible handling devices available
at Techniwaterjet that allow for smoother loading and unloading of the product.
For cutting glass, a water jet cutter supports a maximum
thickness of 7 inches.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/39kkLt2CDLk?feature=share
3. Metal Cutting
Water jet cutting can
be used to cut any metal like Aluminium, hardened tool steel, titanium, copper,
brass, or any other exotic metals. Since water jet cutting does not cause any
temperature rise, the structural and chemical integrity of the workpiece
remains intact.
The maximum cutting
thickness of water jet cutting varies based on the metal. For aluminum, it is
18 inches; for steel 12 inches, and 10 inches for brass and copper.https://youtu.be/AWoBKAUw8hQ
4. Ceramics
Ceramics are
hard-to-machine due to their toughness and often require expensive saw blades.
This is why water jet cutting turns out to be a cheaper cutting technique for
ceramics.It can cut ceramics up to a thickness of 8 inches.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/m2OigptEbuk?feature=share
5. Plastics
When plastics are
subjected to high-temperature tools, it leads to the production of toxic fumes.
Therefore, water jet cutting is the safest option for cutting plastics as no
temperature rise takes place. It can cut up to a thickness of 4 inches for the
hardest acrylics.
https://youtu.be/3yV-uJHla58
6. Foam and Rubber
Similar to plastic,
rubber also releases toxic fumes at high temperatures. Manufacturers around the
world use waterjet cutting for processing rubber due to its safety benefits.This
method supports a maximum cutting thickness of 10 inches for rubber and 30
inches for foam.
7. Textiles
Textiles are very flammable and can catch fire easily with any
temperature rise. Water jet cutting is commonly used in textile processing
plants as it is a cold cutting method. It can cut textiles up to 2 inches.
8. Composites
Composites, such as
fiberglass and carbon fiber, are common nowadays in a wide array of
applications. These composites are soft materials for common cutting methods
and can strain or crack when improper force is applied. Waterjet cutting turns
out to be one of the best cutting technologies for composites since the force
is limited to the point of impact only.
For composites, it can
cut a maximum thickness of 6 inches.
9. Food
Food processing
industries require a cutting method that involves high cleanliness and no heat
changes. Waterjet cutting fits the bill perfectly since it is a cold cutting
method with no physical impact of the tool with the cutting surface.
10. Paper and Cardboard
On first impression,
it might seem that water jet cutting will be inappropriate for paper as the
paper will get wet and ruined. However, the process has been used in the
industry for decades now.
For paper cutting, the
stream of the water jet is modified and the process is called slitting. It uses
a very narrow stream of water that is thinner than even human hair, coupled
with high pressure pumps.
11. Insulation Materials
Water jet cutting is
also used to make precise cuts on insulation materials such as HVAC liners and
PU rubber. For hard insulation materials, the process can cut a thickness up to
4 inches.
12. Cement Boards
Cement boards are hard
to cut with conventional methods. However, with a waterjet cutter, you can make
accurate angular cuts on these boards.
For cement boards, the
waterjet cutters can support a maximum thickness of 4 inches.
Utilizing one of the
most versatile cutting methods it is clear that waterjet machines
can cut a variety of materials. Some of the main benefits are highly
accurate cutting and low material wastage.
What industries use waterjet
cutters?
As waterjet cutters support a wide range of materials, they are
used by a lot of different industries. The main factor that leads to the
popularity of this method is that water jet offers
countless benefits over other alternatives such as laser
cutting. Here is a brief description of the various applications of this
method:
Food Cutting & Food Processing Equipment
Waterjet cutting is
the preferable method in the food processing industry. This is because this cutting
method involves high sanitation, and preserves the integrity of the food
without contaminating it.
This method is heavily
used for meat processing, vegetable slicing, and manufacturing snacks and cake
products.
Since waterjet cutting
eliminates the need for manual tools such as knives, it significantly increases
the safety of the workers in the food processing facility.
Aerospace industry
The aerospace industry
involves working with toughened substances that require precise cuts. Waterjet cutting
is used in the aerospace industry for all these requirements,
especially when making turbine blades, parts of a jet engine, or cutting
composite materials for aircraft.
Automotive industry
·
Waterjet cutters are installed in the production line of
the automotive
industry. These cutters make the required incisions for fine engine
components of automotive and other gear parts.
Defence and Military
·
The complex components used in defense and
military sectors are created by waterjet cutters. Usually, 5-axis or
6-axis cutters are employed for the purpose. Extra hard materials like kevlar
composites are also cut through this method.
Rubber & Composites Cutting
·
Waterjet cutting is used to cut rubber and composite materials
for boat shells, panel insulations, home insulations, personal watercraft
bodies, etc.
·
The benefit that this method offers is that cutting can be
achieved without melting the workpiece, and without releasing any toxic fumes.
Medical & Surgical Equipment
·
The wide versatility and high cutting precision of waterjet cutting
make it the perfect fit for cutting materials for medical and surgical
equipment. These materials constantly evolve with engineering
advancements, so the cuts can be made and modified as per requirements.
·
Due to the possibility of angular cuts, it is used to make
complex equipment for liposuction applicators, liver resection, bone divisions,
etc.
Architectural & Art Work
·
Waterjet cutting is commonly used for cutting fiberglass,
metals, cement boards, and other materials used in architectural
and construction work.
·
Complex architectural artwork in false ceilings and other
installations is also created by waterjet cutters.
·
Since waterjet cutting does not cause any jagged edges, it is
also used for the cutting of wallpapers.
Electronics
·
Electronic and microelectronic components are highly sensitive
to heat. Their electrical properties can change if heat-affected zones are
created. This is why a highly precise cold cutting process like abrasive waterjet cutting
technology is perfect for the electronics industry.
·
Job Shops
·
Job shops often handle a lot of different materials and a lot of
different cutting requirements. Therefore, abrasive waterjet cutters are used
in job shops because they offer the most versatility among any professional
cutting process.
Metal Service Centres
·
Metal service centers require a cutting method that can work on
a large area of material with a high cutting speed. This is why waterjet
cutting is used in the industry extensively.
·
Another benefit of waterjet cutting is that it can perfectly
work on metals that are poor conductors of electricity. For arc-based cutting
technologies, that is not the case.
Education & Research
·
Waterjet cutting is also used for making prototypes and models
of products in the research phase. With angular cuts and high precision, the
prototypes created with waterjet cutting can be made to look as intended by the
imagination.
Experimental & Laboratory Environments
·
Abrasive waterjet cutting works quite well for common lab
equipment such as stainless steel and alloys. It can handle all the materials
used to make experimental equipment.
·
The structural integrity of the component is preserved and the
tolerances are known beforehand. Therefore, this cutting method can also be
used to make graded equipment such as calipers and rulers.
Oil & Gas
·
Abrasive waterjet cutting is utilized to cut materials like
Inconel, Hastelloy, and stainless steel for oil and gas subsea equipment.
·
One of the major benefits is that since there are no heat-affect
zones, the abrasive waterjet cut equipment is more reliable than other heat
cutting alternatives.
Mining
·
Abrasive waterjet cutting is extensively used for mining coal
and other natural substances. In fact, specialized
waterjet cutters for mining can cut stone up to a thickness of
100 feet!
Waterjet cutting applications –
things to remember
·
When we are discussing waterjet cutting applications, there are
certain things you should remember:
·
When cutting a pre-required shape out of a material with
waterjet cutting, different layers of the material are stacked on top of each
other. It increases the efficiency of the actual cutting process significantly
and is known as Stacking.
·
The whole process of waterjet technology is completely
recyclable. The waterjet cutters follow a closed-loop system, and all the water
used in the process is recycled to be used over and over. This makes it
suitable even in areas that face water shortages.
·
Almost every other cutting method creates a high-temperature
area adjacent to the cut, known as Heat-affected zones. In waterjet cutting,
there is no physical contact of the cutting head with the workpiece. Therefore,
there is no formation of heat-affected zones.
·
Heat-affected zones can alter the chemical composition and the
physical structure of the material. Therefore, waterjet technology is the
perfect technology for any application that aims to maintain the integrity of
the material.
Waterjet cutters can be loaded with CAD designs to create any
required cuts automatically. For common cutting applications, the CAD designs
are readily available online.
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