Waterjet cutting machines are a technological upgrade that debuted in the manufacturing world as early as a century ago. Firstly, operators used waterjets on a limited number of materials. The waterjet machine we know today was introduced on the market almost 30 years ago, improving thereafter the world of manufacturing.
Do you think a waterjet is a smart choice for your plant? Let’s learn the advantages of working with it.
This device uses highly pressurised water to cut, shape or drill materials. Just like the other cutting devices, the water comes out of a nozzle and hits the material. The water runs through a high-pressure pump that makes it possible for the water to have its cutting ability.
There are two types of waterjet cutting machines: pure and abrasive waterjet.
The difference is that pure waterjet cutting systems use only water and are able to cut soft materials like paper or foam. Abrasive waterjet combines the water stream with materials such as garnet rock or metals to boost the power of the cutting stream. This method enables enough power to cut almost any given material. Abrasive waterjets are used widely in metalworking manufacturing plants.
Waterjets most crucial feature is that they have no Heat Affected Zone.
HAZ is a term used to describe the influence of high temperature in other cutting techniques that use different elements from water. Because waterjets lack HAZ’s means, they produce no heat, no fumes, smoke, gas. This method is non-toxic because it does not emit any harmful gases, increasing workers’ safety significantly by eliminating the risks of continuous contact with heat.
The cold cutting element brings other benefits in the work process, such as:
The cold-cutting technique enables cuts on any material; composites, plastics, metals, glass, stone or rock, ceramics, etc. Waterjets can also cut different material thickness. There are almost no limitations to the array of projects you can accomplish with it.
Metals get loosely affected from heat, changing their molecular structure in the affected zone. Often this can be particularly detrimental to the performance of steel and alloys.
Since there is no heat in waterjets, they produce quality edges and shapes with little to no distortion at all. It’s cutting accuracy down to 0.005 inches (0.13 mm), makes the waterjet machine a fantastic tool for intricate designs in manufacturing.
Because of this precision, there is almost no need for secondary finishing and additional check-ups. This eliminates unnecessary downtime and increases overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).
No heat means no thermal distortion of machine parts, decreasing maintenance issues. Waterjet cutting machines produce little to no hazardous waste, reducing waste disposal costs. Also, a waterjet cutting machine uses the same cutting tool for all types of products, so there is no need for extra equipment.
Waterjets create no wastage of water.
The machine’s water can be recycled using a closed-looped system and re-used. Wastewater is typically clean enough to filter and has no toxicity. The abrasive material is non-toxic and recyclable for repeated use; otherwise, you can dispose of it in a landfill.
Also, water jet cutting can reduce the amount of slag and dross by allowing uncut parts to nest more closely together than traditional cutting methods.
When analysing the benefits of a waterjet cutting machine, we can find many of them, just like in any other type of cutting machine.
What’s most important is to look through the lens of your plant’s needs and which machine can help in eliminating them. Consider talking to a trusted manufacturer that can lead you to the final choice.
Feel free to schedule a call with our team anytime.
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