Waterjet cutting uses high-pressure water to cut through a wide range of materials, including steel up to 12 inches thick. The process is controlled by a computer and is cost-effective compared to traditional cutting methods. However, materials sensitive to moisture cannot be cut.
Waterjet cutting is an innovative and relatively new technology that allows for the precise yet cost-effective cutting of a wide range of materials. The principle behind a jet of water is simple but still amazing. As the name suggests, a jet of water is directed out of an orifice at about three times the speed of sound. The intense pressure of the narrow stream allows the water to cut through virtually any material placed in front of it.
While water jets can cut virtually any material, they are primarily used for flat sheets of plastic, aluminum, steel, tile, and stone. Sometimes an abrasive, such as garnet or sand, is added to the water to improve cutting efficiency. Some water jets can cut steel 12 inches (15 cm) thick!
There are many waterjet cutting systems available, but most include a similar set of components. The heart of the system is a pump that increases the water pressure in a tank up to 4,200 Kg/cm2 (60,000 lbs per square inch). The material to be cut is placed on a large table. A computer controlled robotic arm or XY system controls the flow of water to carve out the desired shapes. The water stream is very narrow, usually 0.03 inch (0.75 mm), which allows the water jets to cut details impossible to achieve with conventional cutting tools.
Waterjet systems are usually controlled by a computer so that digital drawings can be used to generate cutting instructions. Despite the complexity and precision of the cuts, waterjet cutting is often more cost effective than traditional cutting methods. An additional advantage of this type of cutting is that negligible heat is generated during the process, thus protecting materials sensitive to such stress. One obvious drawback, however, is the water itself; wood, paper and some fabrics are excluded as they are sensitive to moisture.
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