Water Jet Cutting Service
Water Jet Cutting Service
Water jet cutting, also known as abrasive water jet cutting, is a versatile manufacturing process that uses a high-pressure stream of water mixed with abrasive particles to cut through a wide range of materials.It offers reliability, and repeatability, and produces parts from low to bulk volumes in short time cycles.
Advantage of Water Jet Cutting
CNC grooving, which involves the use of Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machines to create grooves or channels in a workpiece, offers several advantages over manual or traditional grooving methods.
Precision and Accuracy
Water jet cutting can achieve very tight tolerances, typically within ±0.1 mm, making it suitable for intricate and complex cuts.
No Heat-Affected Zone:
Water jet cutting is a cold cutting process, which means it does not generate significant heat during the cutting process.
Increased Safety
Water jet cutting is a relatively safe process, as it does not involve high-speed rotating blades or tools that can pose a risk of injury.
Versatility
Water jet cutting can handle a wide range of materials, including metals, plastics, composites, ceramics, and even stone, glass, and rubber.
Reduced Noise and Vibration
Water jet cutting generates relatively low noise levels compared to other cutting techniques, such as plasma cutting or mechanical saws.
Flexibility and Automation
Water jet cutting can be easily integrated into automated production lines and computer-controlled systems, allowing for efficient and consistent cutting.
Waterjet Cutting Materials
The process is compatible with a wide range of materials. In this section, we shall take a look at the different types of materials that can be cut effectively using a water jet cutter
Metals
The high velocity and pressures in waterjet systems make them capable of cutting thin and thick metals with relative ease. This process is capable of cutting extremely hard materials such as titanium and inconel along with common metals such as aluminium and mild steel.
The process is mainly used to cut thicker workpieces that can’t be cut with laser or plasma. For thinner metals, laser cutting has an edge over waterjet in terms of cutting speed. A waterjet cutter with a 30 HP pump can cut 12 mm titanium at a rate of 180 mm/min.
For metals, waterjet provides the advantage of no HAZ formation which improves the final quality of a part significantly. There is also no need for secondary finishing in most cases as this process provides satin-smooth edges.
Waterjet cut metal parts have high quality and are thus used in the most demanding sectors such as the aerospace industry that have no margin of error.
Wood
A decent waterjet cutting machine can effectively cut wood up to 125 mm in thickness at a rate of up to 15 m/min. It can be used to split wood as well as to carve intricate shapes. Moreover, the stream passes the wood at such a high speed that it causes virtually no surface wetness. This prevents the wood from absorbing the water. The high pressure also causes minimal delamination.
However, the machine may have to be recalibrated if there are knots in the wood. Either we can use a higher pressure that can cut through the knots along with non-knotted areas or use different pressures for different areas. Using either option can affect the final quality of the part.
Rubber
Waterjet technology is also increasingly used to cut rubber with varying thicknesses. A key advantage of a waterjet cutter is that it does not create concave edges, unlike die-cutting.
The technology is also not limited by the thickness of the rubber. The abrasive waterjet machine can cut rubber of varying hardness and thickness to the desired final quality.
In many cases, pure water jet cutting may be enough to meet product specifications for rubber products. Pure water jet cutting can easily cut sponge rubber of up to 50 mm thickness and hard rubber greater than 25 mm thickness up to a bidirectional tolerance of 0.25 mm.
Ceramics
Waterjet technology is commonly used in industrial cutting devices for ceramics. Ceramics are hard and brittle and difficult to machine. They cannot withstand the excessive pressure that a workpiece is subjected to in other mechanical cutting methods.
In waterjet cutting, no excessive pressure is applied to the workpiece except at the cutting point. This makes it ideal for cutting ceramics. The cutter can pierce its own starting hole and precisely cut complex shapes.
CNC (computer numerical control) technology is used in conjunction with abrasive waterjet cutting to ensure repeatable accuracy and good edge quality.
Glass
Waterjet cutting can cut a variety of glass with incredible detail. It can cut the most delicate glass without cracks or craters on it. On the other end of the spectrum, you may use it to cut stained glass.
Cutting with a waterjet does not require etching or breaking. But starting holes are pierced at a lower pressure due to the tendency to crack. A waterjet can cut up to 50 mm of bulletproof glass, this number is even greater for other types of glasses.
Stone and tiles
Stone and tiles are another common application for waterjet cutters. With the right technical settings, we can use a waterjet cutter for cement, ceramic, glass, granite, limestone, mosaic, metal, porcelain, travertine and quarry tiles.
Type of Water Jet Cutting
There are several types of laser cutting machines used in manufacturing, each with its own unique features and applications. The main types of laser cutting machines include
Abrasive waterjet cutting
- high-pressure water inlet; 2. jewel (ruby or diamond); 3. abrasive inlet; 4. mixing tube; 5. guard; 6. cutting water jet; 7. cut material
- When cutting harder materials, abrasive agents are mixed with the water. This occurs in a mixing chamber located in the cutting head just before the abrasive jet exits the system.
- Popular agents for abrasive waterjet cutting are suspended grit, garnet and aluminium oxide. As the material thickness/hardness increases, so should the hardness of the abrasives in use.
- With the right abrasives, various material types can be cut. Common materials cut with abrasives are ceramics, metals, stones and thick plastics. There are, however, certain exceptions such as tempered glass and diamonds that cannot be cut with abrasive water. Tempered glass shatters when cut with a water jet.
Pure waterjet cutting
- Water jet cutters also work without the addition of abrasives, mainly to cut soft materials. A waterjet cutter designed only for this purpose does not have a mixing chamber or a nozzle. A high-pressure pump forces pressurised water out of an orifice to create precise cuts on the workpiece. Although most industrial cutting devices using waterjet technology enable the use of both methods.
- Pure waterjet cutting process is less invasive compared to abrasive waterjet cutting. The jet stream is also exceptionally fine and does not impart any additional pressure on the workpiece.
- Pure waterjet cutting is ideal for softer materials like foam, felt, wood, rubber, food and thin plastics.
Technology Water Jet Cutting
Water jet cutting is a versatile and advanced manufacturing technology that utilizes high-pressure water to cut and shape a wide range of materials. The technology behind water jet cutting has evolved significantly over the years, offering various improvements and advancements. Here are some key aspects of the technology involved in water jet cutting:
High-Pressure Water Pump
- The core of the water jet cutting system is a high-pressure water pump, which can generate pressures ranging from 3,000 to 6,000 bar (43,500 to 87,000 psi).
- These high-pressure pumps are designed to efficiently convert electrical or mechanical energy into the required water pressure for cutting.
Cutting Head and Nozzle
- The cutting head, also known as the cutting gun, houses the nozzle where the high-pressure water is expelled.
- The nozzle is a small orifice, typically made of sapphire or ruby, which helps to focus and accelerate the water jet to supersonic speeds, creating a narrow and precise cutting stream.
Abrasive Injection (Abrasive Water Jet Cutting)
- In addition to pure water jet cutting, there is a variant called abrasive water jet cutting, which adds abrasive particles, such as garnet or crushed glass, to the water stream.
- The abrasive particles significantly increase the cutting power of the water jet, allowing it to cut through harder and thicker materials.
Motion Control System
- Water jet cutting systems are equipped with advanced motion control systems, often using computer numerical control (CNC) technology.
- These control systems precisely guide the cutting head along the desired cutting path, enabling complex and intricate cutting patterns.
Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM)
- Water jet cutting is closely integrated with CAD and CAM software, allowing users to design the desired parts or components and generate the necessary cutting programs.
- This digital design and manufacturing integration streamline the overall process, improving efficiency and reducing errors.
Automation and Robotic Integration
- Water jet cutting systems can be integrated with robotic arms and automated material handling systems to enhance productivity and reduce manual labor.
- This integration enables efficient batch production, unattended operation, and seamless integration into larger manufacturing workflows.
Closed-Loop Control and Monitoring
- Modern water jet cutting systems incorporate advanced sensors and control systems to monitor and adjust various parameters, such as water pressure, abrasive flow, and cutting speed, in real-time.
- This closed-loop control ensures consistent cut quality and maximizes the efficiency of the cutting process.
Application of Laser Cutting
In practical applications, water jet cutting technology has been widely used in many various fields, especially in aerospace, shipbuilding, military industry, and nuclear energy, It has more advantages in the field of commercial technology.It can be easily cut without Inducing steel plates or hard marble, flower meat, etc., for those who are due to other methods are based on cut materials, such as aromatherapy, trial synthesis, etc. combined materials are a very ideal processing method.
Conclusion of CNC Laser Cutting
In general, water jet cutting technology as an efficient and environmentally friendly the cutting method plays an increasingly important role in industrial production and people’s lives.
The more important the role.With the continuous progress of technology and application field With the expansion of the domain, I believe that water jet cutting technology will show more in the future broad application prospects.