What Is Abrasive Waterjet Cutting?

By Author: Salvatore Andrea
Total Articles: 6261
Comment this article

You may have seen the power and force created by the jet of water that comes from a fireman’s hose. The force is sufficient to knock over a grown man. Now imagine the force behind that same volume of pressurized water being forced through a far smaller hole than the end of a hose – this is the concept behind waterjet cutting technology. In the 1970’s waterjets were of little use as they were only able to cut thin gasket or foam. Waterjet technology advanced as water pressurization capacity increased and the focus was on minimizing the size of the jewel (the hole through which the pressurized water passes). Still, waterjets were of limited use in practice as they were not able to cut harder materials. abrasive waterjet cutting, however, make use of abrasive particles, which are accelerated in the pressurized stream, through the jewel, at such tremendous speeds that they are now able to cut through 200mm of stainless steel, with a square edge, at close to zero tolerance!

Benefits and Applications of Abrasive Waterjet Cutting

Abrasive waterjet cutting can produce ...
... cost savings by eliminating further machining processes. This technology cuts through virtually any type and thickness of material, produces no heat, cuts virtually any shape, removes only a small amount of material and leaves a satin smooth finish. It makes cutting stainless / pre-hardened / mild steel, intricate plastic parts, glass, ceramics, quartz, stone, marble and laminates, amazingly straight forward. It also reduces the amount of wasted material, which becomes a real bonus when cutting precious exotics such as titanium, copper, brass and aluminium.

Precision Abrasive Waterjet Cutting

Precision Waterjet Limited is owned and managed by qualified abrasive waterjet cutting engineers who understand how the demands of precision engineering can be met by the use of waterjets. They own two Omax abrasive waterjet cutting machines as well as stocks of metals and materials. Visit their website at www.precisionwaterjet.co.uk for more information.