Recognized as one of the most versatile and fastest growing cutting processes used in manufacturing around world, waterjet continues to augment and replace other cutting
technologies.
Its principle is to use ultra-high pressure water stream to cut the material, often combine the abrasive material. Waterjet cutting is a cold-cutting process, it can reduce the risk of thermal to materials, such as distortion, warping, or hardening. This makes it suitable for materials that are sensitive to heat, reducing the need for secondary processing. The ability of waterjet for all materials greatly enhances machine utilization and your return on investment.
With a waterjet system, you can handle any project that comes into your shop including cutting whisper thin details in stone, glass, and metals, rapid hole drilling and cutting of thick titanium, and foam. Not only can a waterjet handle your basic materials. It is ideal for hard to cut materials including nickel alloys, copper, carbon fiber composite, fiberglass, tile, industrial ceramics, as well as soft materials like gasket, foam, and plastic.
No matter of cutting material size. Flow waterjet cutting machines are available in various sizes and configurations. The small work envelope is 1.3m x 1.3m, while others can be custom-made with massive table sizes like 4m x 24m and even run multiple heads. This variety allows waterjet cutting to be adapted to different production scales and application scenarios.
All waterjets exhibit stream lag and taper when cutting through material. To cut to +/- 0.005” (+/- 0.13mm) tolerance with a conventional head, the machine cut speed must be reduced to approximately 15% of maximum cut speed. This slow speed is needed to minimize corner washout caused by stream lag, and part taper caused by the V-shaped kerf created by the jet at high speed. Slower cutting reduces stream lag, but takes longer and more cost.
Dynamic Waterjet is patented technology that automatically tilts the cutting head impingement angle to compensate for stream lag and taper in a behind the scenes operation based on cutting speed and type of material being cut. The result is 2 to 4
times faster cutting and finished part precision of +/-1 to 3 thousandths of an inch (+/- 0.03 to 0.08mm). The technology allows the machine to move very fast, create a taper and stream lag, and then compensate for it automatically by tilting the head by up to 10 degrees.
Whether it’s 2D or 3D sample, just input the drawing and let the machine do the rest. FlowXpert software is a steward of your production process. It automatically create the cut path of the drawing you import or create, placing the jet start stop at the right points, setting the proper cutter compensation, and highlighting or solving pattern errors before the operator begins the cut. It will determine the shortest, smartest path possible for your part, minimizing extra movement and saving overall cutting time and material.
Another aspect of its flexibility lies in the ease of changing the cutting stream. Operators can easily adjust parameters like the speed and angle of the waterjet according to different cutting requirements. With the help of computerized control systems, the waterjet nozzle can be positioned with high precision, and the cutting speed can be changed even during the cutting process. This enables the cutting of complex shapes and the achievement of multiple edge qualities. Faster, more efficient cutting also decreases the use of consumables, further reducing the overall cost of your machine. That efficiency reduces your cost per part and makes you more competitive in your market.
The smooth, clean-cut edge, and cold cutting process allows you to reduce secondary processing and allows cutting of hard and soft materials on the same system.
Moreover, waterjet cutting is relatively safe for operators and the environment. It only uses water or a water-abrasive mixture and does not produce dangerous fumes or vapors. Any ejected dust particles are trapped in the water and safely filtered out.
The flexibility and security of waterjet cutting makes it widely used in various industries. In aerospace industry, waterjet cutting is extensively used to manufacture components from titanium, aluminum, and composites to make the parts meet stringent safety and performance standards. The automotive industry benefits from waterjet cutting in producing parts such as gears, brackets, and interior parts. The flexibility of waterjet cutting allows for the customization of parts to meet specific design requirements, enhancing the aesthetic and functional aspects of vehicles. It also used in Energy, Medical, Electronics, Architecture, Marie, Food, and Art processing etc.
Article by: MEGATech & Siam Anankit Ltd., Part.<< Click Here