The process is applicable to both water-only and abrasive jets. In abrasive cutting applications, abrasive garnet is fed into the water in the nozzle to produce a stream many times more powerful than a water-only waterjet system.
Speed and accuracy depend on the texture and thickness of the material and the desired cut quality. In the case of rubber and gasket cutting, there are waterjet machines whose motion capabilities would allow traversing at 0.05 to 24 linear metre per minute.
Cutting speed is determined by several variable factors, including the type of edge quality desired. Variables such as amount of abrasive used, cutting pressure, size of orifice and focusing tube, pump horsepower, etc, can be adjusted to produce the desired results, whether your priority is speed or the finest cut.
Here are a few examples of advantages waterjets provide:
- Due to water's cold nature, the material cut has no thermal distortion or hardening of the material
- Environmentally friendly, in that debris is removed by water, thereby reducing noxious fumes
- Cuts fragile materials like glass and stone with ease
- Has the ability to perforate most materials without starting holes
- Saves raw materials due to small cutting kerf width
- Cuts composite materials without any special treatment
- And many more
Waterjet cutting allows tremendous flexibility and versatility in manufacturing and provides more cutting possibilities.
A waterjet can cut both hard & soft materials including (but not limited to) titanium, stainless steel, aluminium, munitions, exotic alloys, composites, stone, marble, floor tile, glass, automotive headliners & door panels, gasket, foam, rubber, insulation, textile, food and many more.
Soft materials are cut with water only, while harder materials may require a stream of water mixed with fine grains of abrasive garnet.
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