Water Jet Cutters

A water jet cutter is a tool often used in machine shops for cutting metals and other materials such as stone, plastic, rubber, wood and carpet. The tool uses a stream of water ejected at a very high speed and pressure to cut and clean the material. Sometimes a mixture of abrasives and water is used for cutting the material. If water is used at high pressures and at great speeds, it can even cut metal. Water jet cutters is widely used for various industrial purposes, especially in mining and manufacturing parts for machinery. A number of industries including the gasket and fabrication industries are using these cutters because of their high efficiency and versatility. Manufacturers are able to speed up their work by using this new technology. In the aerospace industry, these cutters work on exotic alloys that are difficult to fabricate. This tool can easily cut materials like titanium or aluminum which are difficult to cut even by plasma or laser cutters.

The water jet cutter is attached to a high-pressure water pump. The nozzle of the pump ejects a stream of water at a high velocity that cuts the material effortlessly. Abrasives such as aluminum oxide or garnet are also added in the water as they assist in the cutting process. Water jet cutters, approximately use half a gallon to one gallon of water per minute, that can be recycled with the help of closed loop system. Garnet,used as an abrasive, is non toxic and can also be recycled for repeated use. Water jet cutter machines are capable enough to cut materials 18 inches (45 cm) thick.

Benefits of Water Jet Cutters

Why many prefer water jet cutter machines is because it does not interfere with the properties of the material to be cut. For instance, if you cut steel, the tool will not disturb its properties. As a result, the toughness and hardness of the steel is not affected. Most of the materials cut by traditional means such as plasma cutters, lose their inherent properties. This happens because water jet cutters use a cold cutting process due to which the integrity of the material is not at all affected. Precise and accurate cuts is the characteristic feature of water jet cutters. Water jet cutters ensure fast cutting with perfectly even edges. The edges are flawless and intricate cutting is also possible on glass and marble. Certain steps in production, like drilling and milling, can be eliminated if this tool is used.

Another very important advantage of using water jet cutters is that they do not use dangerous gases which means operating this technology is very safe. These tools are considered environment friendly as they do not produce any hazardous waste, thereby decreasing expenses on waste disposal. In other words, they provide a good working environment for the user. The tool is also energy efficient as only a moderate amount of energy is needed to use a water jet cutter. Using this technology, one can experience new levels of accuracy and speed in their manufacturing process.

With so many advantages, using a water jet cutter is the most feasible option. As it is used in a number of applications in various industries, its importance cannot be ignored.