This Is How Waterjet Cutting Works – Step-by-Step Guide

Water jet cutting has definitely become one of the favorite material cutting processes nowadays. By sending water at extremely high pressure, water cutting machine able to do an impeccable job when it comes to making cuts in various materials.

Maybe you’re fascinated about these units and want to know more about the way they work. In this case, this article has you covered. You have prepared for you a step-by-step guide for water jet cutting. Let’s get started!

  1. System Set Up

Before it can cut properly, the unit needs a material placed underneath, respectively the material you intend to cut. In other words, the working area needs to be ready before the operation. Usually, waterjets come with a computerized system that you can use to adjust your machine.

As such, you can choose whether you want the nozzle to cut by following a pattern or have the material move for a fixed head facilitation.

  1. Stream Creation

Basically, every waterjet has this orifice where water is being concentrated so it can be sprayed at extremely high pressure. So, once the machine is being turned on, this process starts. First, the pressure-pump or intensifier will send water at 60,000 PSI levels, after which it moves it into the system. Here, the water is filtered before anything else happens, so it can be clean.

Afterward, the water is being sprayed out of the orifice and this is able to cut. Intensifier pumps or direct drive are the ones causing the high-pressure.

  1. Abrasive Material Addition

Some waterjets are able to operate only with water. However, these can only cut through softer materials like rubber, foam, fiberglass and so on. If you want to cut harder materials, then an abrasive compound like garnet is mixed into the stream. This is how the unit will be able to cut through stainless steel or other materials.

  1. Mapping Out

When everything else is settled, the cutting process is being mapped through the CAD software. This way, the water jet will be able to cut on the trajectory needed. All the residual energy will dissipate into the catcher tank after the cut.

Final Thoughts

The waterjet cutting process is interesting, and if you wondered how it is able to make accurate cuts with nothing but water and some abrasive material, now you have the answer. Whether you’ve used waterjets before or not, this will also help you compare it to other procedures.

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