Cutting of materials is something that is essentially a part of any manufacturing process. Different types of materials are used in manufacturing that need to be cut into different shapes. What used to be cutting using heat is now being replaced with another kind of cutting technology which is gaining more popularity in industries today. This is waterjet cutting method. What is great about waterjet cutting is that it can cut just about any type of material used in manufacturing. Both soft and hard materials can be cut using waterjet cutting method including plastics, paper, metal, ceramics, rock and stone, and many other materials. The waterjet methods should now be used by manufacturers because of the reasons given below.
The ability of the waterjet cutting method to cut materials of up to 200 mm shows that it is a very versatile cutting method. There are two kinds of waterjet cutting including the pure waterjet cutting and the abrasive waterjet cutting. You use pure waterjet cutting for soft materials like plastic and paper. In pure waterjet methods, only the water stream is used to cut through the materials. However, if you are cutting through metal and ceramic, hard materials, then you should use the abrasive waterjet method. In the abrasive waterjet cutting method, abrasives are mixed with the water stream to make the cutting more powerful. This is the reason why hard materials can easily be cut.
Since no heat is involved in waterjet cutting, we say that it is a cold cutting method. You don’t use heat when you cut in this method. And when there is no heat applied then the cut comes out very clean. And, the operator of the waterjet machine will not be at risk of having burns because he is doing cold cutting.
Waterjet cutting gives you a precise and clean cut. Distortion of materials do not happen with this method. Distortion happens when heat is applied when cutting. Other results when applying heat while cutting materials include warping, emiting of hazardous fumes and gases, burning, melting, or cracking of the materials that are being cut. When waterjet cutting is used, then there are no undesirable results that are seen since there is no undergoing of thermal stress. The finish then is smooth and burr-free.
You attain a smooth finish which is precise when using waterjet cutting. In waterjet cutting, you don’t need to do more finishing processes to the product. Time savings and overall efficiency are the benefits of using waterjet cutting since the process is very fast.
With waterjet cutting no hazardous waste is produced and thus it is an environmentally friendly process. With manufacturers looking for environmentally friendly processes, waterjet cutting is becoming very popular. There are no fumes or gases produced while cutting.
In waterjet cutting, you can cut many different complex shapes. Other things it can cut are corner, bevels, pierce holes, and make shapes with a small radius.