What Materials Can Waterjets Cut?
Waterjets are highly versatile, making them suitable for a wide range of applications, from short-run and prototype production to high - volume manufacturing. This adaptability is largely attributed to the advanced software that controls them. Sophisticated control software can directly generate the cut path for the required part from CAD files, significantly reducing the setup time between cuts.
Operating a waterjet is straightforward. You merely need to hold the material in place gently, input the material type and thickness into the control computer, and then the machine takes care of the rest. This user - friendly software feature makes waterjets an excellent choice for short - run and one - off production parts. On the other hand, nested software is ideal for mass production, minimizing material waste. Moreover, waterjets have the capability to operate unattended. This allows for large-scale production runs to be set up, with the machine running without operator supervision, often overnight or over the weekend. This autonomous operation is known as "lights-out cutting".
What materials can waterjets cut?
For many alternative cutting methods, the material type is a crucial consideration. However, with waterjets, since they can cut almost any material, the choice of material is less of a limiting factor. Although most waterjets can handle a wide variety of materials, certain machines are better optimized for specific ones. For instance, when cutting steel, a more powerful and precise waterjet is typically preferred, enabling faster and more accurate cuts compared to cutting glass. Let's explore the diverse range of materials that waterjets can handle. With a pure water stream, waterjets can quickly and accurately cut soft materials like rubber, foam, cork, and other gasket materials. When dealing with harder materials, abrasives are added to the water stream, allowing the waterjet to cut almost any material across a vast range of thicknesses.
What benefits can I get from my waterjet?
Waterjet cutting offers several distinctive features that set it apart from other cutting processes, making it highly appealing in manufacturing shops. Here are some key features to consider before purchasing a waterjet:
The most remarkable feature of a waterjet cutting machine is its non - thermal cutting process. Throughout the entire cutting operation, no heat is generated. This ensures that materials are free from heat - affected zones, preventing thermal distortion and maintaining their original material properties. As a result, parts often emerge from the waterjet bed as finished products, eliminating the need for additional post-processing due to heat-related issues.
Waterjet cutting has a very narrow kerf and exerts extremely low cutting forces. This gives part designers greater creative freedom, enabling them to produce complex parts that may be unfeasible with other cutting methods.
The high precision of waterjet cutting allows for the easy creation of intricate contours and shapes. This not only reduces the risk of cutting errors but also minimizes material waste. This is a particularly valuable advantage, as it helps to preserve expensive materials, making the cutting process more cost-effective.
Despite the ability of waterjet cutting machines to produce high - precision and complex parts, operating them is relatively simple. Whether programmed through the main control panel or via a remote desktop, most shop employees can easily learn to use the machine, making it accessible and practical for a wide range of manufacturing environments.