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CNC Water Jet cutting uses a very high pressure jet of water upto 55,000 psi (3930 bar), usually with an added abrasive media. Water Jet cutting provides a huge thickness range capable of accomodated from 200mm down to 0.1mm and with accuracy of up to 0.05mm over 1m (positional and repeatability).
The cold process does not heat the parent material, so there is no heat affected zone, burning or surface hardening.
Unbeatable detail to material thickness ratio means very small and precise holes can be cut into very thick material. Suprisingly, Water Jet Cutting competitive pricing beats lasers and milling machines in many circumstances and keeps on going at thicknesses which lasers could only dream of.
| Maximun Sheet Size |
3000mm x 1500mm |
| Material Thickness |
From lightest gauge up to 200mm (8 inches) |
| Proven Repeatability Tolerance |
< 0.01mm |
| Typical Hole / Contour Accuracy |
+ / - 0.25mm |
| Water Only Width of Cut |
0.1mm to 0.3mm |
| Abrasive Cutting Width of Cut |
0.8mm |
| Multiple Cutting Heads |
Yes (cuts several parts at once) |
| Range of Material That Can Be Cut |
Will cut virtually all materials |
| Heat Affected Zone (HAZ) |
None |
| Miscellaneous |
No lead holes required |
- When materials are non-ferrous.
- When materials are unsuitable for lasers.
- When accuracy is key.
- When materials are thick.
- When a small hole diameter to thickness ratio is required.
- When a heat affected zone is best avoided.
- When a lot of through cutting is required.
- When 0.1 – 0.05mm accuracy is acceptable.
- When cutting the basic profile as a start point for 3D milling would be useful.
Productivity - Waterjet allows stacking of materials, and cuts a variety of thicknesses, adding productivity to the cutting process
Efficiency - The waterjet cutting process yields a high quality finish on most materials, and eliminates most post-process finishing.
Ecological - The waterjet cutting process involves no chemicals, gases or noxious liquids. Abrasive waterjet cutting uses garnet (a high grade sand) as the abrasive. This creates a very clean process, preferable to other methods of cutting in terms of environmental impact, eliminating disposal of by-products and waste water. There is no dust created when cutting stone with waterjet technology, thus providing a safer work environment for those using waterjet to cut stone inlays and countertops.
Typical materials cut by Water Jet
Stainless Steel  Aluminium  Titanium  Tool Steel  Brass  Shim Material Laminates  Kevlar  Polypropylene  Nylon  Rubber  Acrylic  Foam  Gasket Paper  Filter Paper  Carbon Fibre  Granite  Marble  Ceramic  Clay & Porcelain Tiles  Glass  Wood & Wood Composites  Composite Materials |
