How Water Jet Works

Abrasive Waterjet Nozzle The mixture of water and abrasive particles passes through a special ceramic mixing tube and the resulting abrasive/water slurry exits the nozzle as a coherent cutting stream of abrasive particles traveling at very high speed.

How does a high pressure water jet work?

Ultra-high pressure water is fired through a ruby or diamond orifice into a “mixing chamber” which creates a vacuum and draws garnet sand into the water stream. This means waterjet is an extremely powerful and versatile cutting tool, which is used globally for a wide range of waterjet cutting applications.

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.

What is the principle of water jet machine?

Water jet machining works on the principle of erosion of the area on which the high-velocity water jet strikes. In the process, first, the pressure of water is increased to a few thousand bars and then the pressure energy is converted into kinetic energy of the water jet.

Can a water jet cut skin?

Make no mistake though, this injury is extremely severe. Water blasting injuries are similar to gunshot wounds but have the added danger of introducing contaminated water into the wound. If the water jet cuts through a shoe or sleeve and punctures the skin, it may only appear as a small bruise.

Can a water jet 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.

What materials can water jets cut?

Waterjet machines cut all types of metals: hardened tool steel, aluminum, titanium, and a host of exotic metals that prove difficult to cut with other tools or processes. Cutting with a waterjet produces a smooth edge with no burn marks, cracking or excess burrs.

How many PSI is a water jet?

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.

What can a waterjet not cut?

Among the very few materials that waterjets cannot cut are diamonds and tempered glass. Some composite materials (layers of different materials sandwiched together) can’t be cut because the water can seep between the layers and “delaminate” the material. Many composite materials cut just fine.

How fast is a water jet cutter?

This beam of water is ejected from the nozzle, cutting through the material by spraying it with the jet of speed on the order of Mach 3, around 2,500 ft/s (760 m/s). The process is the same for abrasive waterjets until the water reaches the nozzle.

What are the applications and limitations of water jet machining?

Disadvantages /Limitations A dust collection system must be provided to avoid air pollution and health hazards. This can be eliminated by using abrasive water jet machining. The abrasive powder cannot be reused because its cutting ability decrease and it may clog on orifice of the nozzle.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of AWJM?

Advantages and Disadvantages: It does not change mechanical properties of work piece. It is environment friendly because it does not form any dust particle and used water as cutting fluid. Good surface finish. No physical tool is require. It can cut both soft and hard material.

Can water pierce metal?

A waterjet is a tool used in machine shops to cut metal parts with a (very) high-pressure stream of water. As amazing as it sounds, if you get water flowing fast enough it can actually cut metal. The key to cutting metal with water is to keep the spray coherent.

How much does it cost to water jet?

Hourly Cost To Run An Abrasive Waterjet Waterjet Costs 30HP Pump .010″ Orifice 50HP Pump .014″ Orifice Water Cost $0.29 $0.58 Abrasive Cost (at $0.25/lb) $10.50 $19.50 Power Cost $2.59 $4.29 Parts Cost $2.98 $3.46.

Can water be sharp?

Well, if fired at a high enough speed, water can cut just like a knife. The water jet cutter uses a high pressure water jet to force water through a diamond-shaped nozzle that is a mere 0.004 inches in diameter.

Is water the sharpest weapon in the world?

Don’t underestimate the water, press it to more than 100 MPa, and then spray it through a 0.05 mm nozzle, it becomes the sharpest knife in the world. In fact, water jet is also called water cutting, or high-pressure water jet cutting technology.

Who invented water jet cutting?

1965. Dr. Norman Franz, attempting to develop a new cutting method for the lumber industry, invents the first waterjet cutting machine – financed and manufactured by McCartney Manufacturing Co.

Can you cut a diamond in half?

Each of these forms is valuable, either as gems or as grinding and cutting grit. Using these imperfect stones as cutting grit belies the main theory: only a diamond can truly cut another diamond. Diamonds are cut with specialized tools that make use of diamond tipped phosphor bronze or diamond dusted steel blades.

How thick can you water jet?

How thick can an abrasive waterjet cut? The high-level answer is that abrasive waterjets can cut through 12 inches of most materials. Many of our customers report cutting material even thicker than that. Most abrasive waterjet cutting, however, is done in material that is 3 inches thick or less.

How thin can a waterjet cut?

We can cut material from . 005 up through 6.0 inches thick and if tolerance permits, thinner materials can be stacked to provide additional savings. We cut customer supplied materials or we can provide the material for your job.

Can water jet cut ceramic?

Ceramics can also be cut using a water jet, as long is their hardness is less than an 8.5 on the Mohs scale. Softer materials such as rubber and wood can even be cut with a waterjet, using the water-only nozzle without the abrasive.