QA

How Thick Can A Waterjet Cut

Truly, a waterjet can cut up to any thickness, but tolerances will change the thicker the material being cut. Tight accuracies can be kept when cutting materials under 4 inches thick, a near net shape is achieved when cutting thicker materials.

How thick can a waterjet cut steel?

Practically speaking 2″ (5 cm) to 3″ (7.5 cm) thick steel is about the upper thickness limit for an abrasive waterjet. If you want to cut steel that is thicker than 3″ (7.5 cm), the time to cut goes up significantly and it becomes less and less cost-effective to use a waterjet.

How thick can a waterjet cut stone?

How thick can a waterjet cut? It varies with the softness or hardness of the material being cut. This can range anywhere from a 1/4 inch up to 30 inches thick. Hard materials are normally cut within a 1/4 to 2.5 inch-range.

How thick can you waterjet cut aluminum?

Alro can waterjet cut up to 8″ thick pieces in a single pass, depending on material. With a very narrow kerf line, waterjet cutting allows for tighter nesting than other methods. With a 120″ x 240″ maximum plate capacity, Alro can handle almost any waterjet cut job.

What material can a waterjet not cut?

Among the very few materials that waterjets cannot cut are diamonds and tempered glass. Diamonds are too hard to cut (and there may be a few other very hard materials that can’t be cut).

What PSI does a water jet cut at?

Typical waterjet cutting pressure is between 50,000 and 60,000 PSI. Many newer systems are pressurized up to 90,000 PSI. The water at this pressure is then released through a small orifice machined into a diamond or saphire, usually in the range of 5 to 15 thousandths of an inch diameter.

Is water jet cutting expensive?

Waterjet cutting machines are expensive to purchase, operate, and maintain. When you request to use a waterjet you are going to have to pay for more than just time occupying and utilizing the machine.

Can you waterjet marble?

With water jet cutting, the hardest materials such as marble, granite, travertine, slate, limestone and any other natural stone can be cut, even in thin layers, to be used on floors, countertops, wall cladding or other special constructions.

How thick can a plasma cutter cut?

Plasma cutters are used to perform cutting and gouging operations, with the average hand-held system capable of cutting a maximum metal thickness of about 1 inch. Plasma typically requires a source for compressed air and a substantial amount of electrical power.

Can a waterjet cut stainless steel?

Stainless steel can be cut easily on the OMAX abrasive waterjet, even those such as 304 that are difficult to machine with other processes without heat or distortion.

Can a waterjet cut skin?

Water blasting injuries can be horrific but can also appear insignificant if only a small puncture happens. However, a small puncture can become severe if medical care is not received. If the water jet cuts through a shoe or sleeve and punctures the skin, it may only appear as a small bruise.

How does water jet loom work?

A water jet loom is similar to an air jet loom but uses water instead of air to transport the yarn around the shed. Water jet looms can weave very quickly whilst the yarn is not damaged as water is less abrasive than solid matter moving the yarn around (like it is with rapier weaving looms).

Can you waterjet foam?

For things like foam gaskets or prototype concepts with an outer edge that needs to remain uncut, waterjet foam cutting is a smart choice. Waterjet cutters run on computer programming, which eliminates the need for molds and plates that other cutting techniques require.

Can you cut tempered glass on a waterjet?

Note: As a safety feature, tempered glass is designed to shatter into many small pieces when punctured, and therefore is not suitable to be cut on a waterjet.

How can a water jet cut through anything?

Waterjets are able to cut because the spray is channeled through a very narrow jeweled nozzle at a very high pressure to keep the spray coherent. Unlike metal cutters, a waterjet never gets dull and it cannot overheat.

How is a waterjet so powerful?

High-pressure pumps supply the water to the waterjet nozzle. The reason the water stream is powerful is that as it flows out of the waterjet nozzle at very high velocity, the aerodynamic drag acts as a boundary for the stream. This slows down the water and causes it to spread.

How strong can a water jet be?

Most water jets produce around 500 to 700 pounds per square inch (PSI) of pressure, but some of the more advanced water jets are capable of producing up to 1,600 PSI of pressure. With water blasting out the nozzle at 1,600 PSI, it’s able to slice through even the hardest surfaces.

Can a waterjet cut diamond?

Since diamond is the hardest material in the world, only the waterjet machine can cut it.” The OMAX 2626 is a high-precision waterjet machine often found in research labs, tech prototyping, and even aerospace facilities.

Is waterjet cutting cheaper than laser cutting?

Plasma operating cost would again be the lowest, and is typically estimated at approximately $15/hour. The cost of laser would be slightly higher, typically estimated at around $20/hour. Waterjet is usually considered to be the most expensive, typically estimated at about $30/hour.

How much is a water jet table?

Traditional waterjets cost upwards of $100,000 and are too large and messy to fit in most workshops. WAZER costs $7,500.

How much does it cost to have something waterjet cut?

While there are several factors that can affect the hourly cost of running a waterjet, on average, it can cost anywhere between $20/hr – $40/hr to run a waterjet with a single abrasive cutting head at 60,000 psi (does not include labor or capital repayment).

Can you waterjet granite?

International Waterjet Machine High pressure water jet, combined with a CNC cutting table, is specially useful for cutting stones such as marble and granite. Other materials that waterjet cutter can cut includes glass, ceramic tile, and concrete bricks, etc.

Why is marble cut with water?

In marble, granite and stone working, either in quarries or workshops or stone processing factories, water has multiple applications. From cutting to polishing, water is necessary to avoid the over-heating of tools and reduce dust produced in various processes.

Can you waterjet ceramic?

Ceramics vary widely in terms of their suitability for waterjet cutting. Some will cut and pierce very easily and quickly. Some will not pierce easily and may crack. Others may cut extremely slowly.