CNC Waterjet Cutting Service: What are they, how they work, and their benefits.
Waterjet cutting is a sheet metal production technique that can cut soft and hard materials. High-pressure water jets are delivered in this procedure by pressurizing pumps, which can cut various materials.
You can slice almost any material with a water jet cutting service machine since it can send water at a speed that is three times the speed of sound. Water jet cutting technology is also a great way to cut thicker or thermally sensitive materials.
This article will help you understand the water jet cutting process, how it works, and what to consider before choosing a service provider. Also, we would highlight the benefits of the service.
What is a CNC water jet cutting service?
The CNC water jet cutting process is an erosive procedure that removes material from various substrates to produce 2D shapes. With high-pressure water jet cutting services, numerous materials can be cut or shaped using the specialized manufacturing technique known as CNC water jet cutting services. It is a subsidiary of the CNC machining and waterjet cut practices.
It helps create foam and rubber gaskets and cut things like meals, fabrics, and other items. When combined with an abrasive, waterjet cutting is used to cut hard materials such as steel, aluminum, laminated glass, stone, ceramic, etc.
The pressurizing pump that uses a tiny precision nozzle supplies electricity to the CNC waterjet cutting services machine. A supersonic spray of water traveling nearly three times the speed of sound emerges from the nozzle.
The tools provide an alternative to more conventional procedures like milling and punching as well as erosive processes like EDM, plasma, and laser cutting.
Most waterjet cutting systems move the waterjet nozzle over the workpiece following CNC instructions using a computer-controlled X-Y traversing mechanism.
For bevel cuts, the head is attached by an articulating arm. Fixed heads can also be employed for slitting processes where the workpiece moves. The workpiece is occasionally submerged in a water pool to minimize noise and mess.
Waterjet cutting services have the ability to generate precise cuts with inch tolerances as close to a thousandth as possible. The ability to deliver pressures of 60000 psi by high-pressure pumps, such as motor-driven triplex pumps or hydraulic intensifiers, is essential for water jet cutting.
How Does CNC WaterJet Cutting Service Work?
Technically speaking, waterjet cutting is a specific kind of computer numerical control (CNC) machining process. To boost the effectiveness of pressurized water, you can use clean water or combine it with other abrasives.
A CNC (machining)waterjet cutting services device is frequently described as a device that hastens “erosion.” The explanation is straightforward since cutting the materials is more akin to a bandsaw than a thermal-mechanical sawing technique. The nozzle propels a thin stream of high-pressure water and shapes or cuts the selected material.
The nozzle often attaches to a high-pressure water pump, which provides the machine with the necessary pressure. Using a tiny jeweled orifice, a supersonic spray of water is guided to create a highly effective and potent cutting instrument. The nozzle can also be integrated into machinery with several axes of motion, such as a five-axis waterjet.
Here, the cutting head is frequently attached to a robotic arm that can cut curves and bezels by adjusting the cut’s angle. Although the conventional method of angle grinding is still an option, a CNC waterjet cutting machine is significantly quieter and more precise.
CNC Water Jet Cutting Materials
A wide variety of materials are compatible with the water jet-cutting procedure. This section will examine the many materials that can be successfully sliced using a stream of waterjet cutting precision. We’ll discuss
- Carbon Fiber
- G10
- Foam
- Metal
Carbon Fiber
Industrial Fiber-cutting for equipment frequently uses waterjet cut technology. Carbon Fiber is stiff, rigid, and challenging to machine. They cannot tolerate the extreme pressure that other mechanical cutting techniques put a workpiece to.
Except for at the cutting point, the workpiece is not subjected to extreme pressure during waterjet cutting. It is, therefore, perfect for cutting ceramics. The cutter has the ability to drill its initial hole and precisely cut intricate forms.
G10
A variety of glass can be accurately cut using waterjet technology. The most fragile glass can be sliced with no cracks or craters. You could carve stained glass with it on the opposite end of the spectrum. Hence, get the waterjet cutting quote and your cut materials ready for a clean G10 cut.
Foam
Foam of various thicknesses is also increasingly being sliced using waterjet cutting technology. In contrast to die-cutting, a waterjet cut machine has the important benefit of not producing concave edges.
Additionally, the method is not constrained by the foam’s thickness. Foams of different hardness and thicknesses can be cut using the abrasive waterjet cut machine to achieve the appropriate end quality. Materials like foam prefer waterjet cut to the laser cutting procedure.
Metals
Waterjet systems can easily cut thin and thick metals due to their high velocity and pressure. This method can cut ordinary sheet metal like aluminum and mild stainless steel and very hard ones like titanium and Inconel. Thus, once the waterjet cutting quote comes out, you’d have to look for cost effective options.
Why You Need CNC WaterJet Cutting?
Whether you’ve used waterjet cutting technology before or not, you should be aware of its advantages.
Even though there are numerous techniques for cutting, shaping, and molding, all of them have heat as a major drawback. With waterjet cutting, the object being worked on is kept cool and is cut precisely and according to specifications without any Heat-Affected Zones (HAZ).
When there is no heat stress, and the component’s molecular structure remains unchanged, this is referred to as a cold process. The principal benefits of using a CNC waterjet cutting machine are listed below.
Waterjet cutting services are better than laser cutting procedures.
- There are no mechanical strains or fiber pull-out during waterjet cut services.
- Easy to use and low operating costs
- Incredibly fine-grained geometry
- Versatility in cutting materials of any thickness
- Low soft materials loss when stack cutting
- No haziness
- Dynamic waterjet cutting ability automatically corrects for taper and jet lag in cut pieces.
Conclusion
When compared to other techniques, waterjet cutting has several benefits. It is a commonly utilized approach in various industries. This is because of its adaptability to handle almost any material while still being safe, sustainable, and precise. When faster cutting speeds are necessary, producers generally favor laser cutting.
The general manufacturing, aerospace, automotive, textile, medical, and mining industries are just a few of the industries where waterjet cutting technology is used. Waterjet cutting is anticipated to become more widely used and less expensive as technology develops.
Worthy Hardware is a CNC manufacturing and sheet metal fabrication company,including CNC machining services,CNC milling services, CNC turning services, laser cutting services and stamping services.Call us +86-76989919645 or email us [email protected] for more discounts for your projects.