Industrial cutting methods are used by a wide range of industries. Mining, aerospace, contractors, home renovators, builders, artists and hobbyists all depend upon efficient industrial cutting services to cut highly durable materials with precision.
Industrial cutting has seen large advancements over the years, and more and more industries are turning to water jet cutting for numerous reasons.
Water jet cutting is the process of computer generating designs which are applied by a robotic arm using a jet stream of water shot at high velocity. Depending on the material to be cut, this water stream is often mixed with an abrasive substance, such as garnet or sand.
Water jet cutting can be applied to a more diverse group of materials. For this reason, it is an applicable cutting method for many industries. The materials that can be cut using water jet cutting methods are:
Beyond its ability to cut a wider range of materials, water jet cutting offers several advantages over other industrial cutting methods:
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There is a no heat-affected zone, meaning that the material will not undergo damage from thermal stress
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Can cut a thickness up to 0.12”
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Minimal material is wasted as kerf width allows for tight nesting
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Highly accurate – up to +/- o.oo1. h.
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Material will not warp or distort
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Cutting stream contact force is low
As materials that require water jet cutting are usually rather expensive, industries rely on this cutting method as a means of ensuring less material is wasted.
The fine stream of water enables it to render precise, unique cuts that other cutting techniques cannot. In addition, the majority of other industrial cutting methods rely on intense heat.
Heat contact can warp and burr material. Essentially, certain materials benefit from water jet cutting, such as those that are heat resistant or sensitive, conductive and reflective. Materials such as alloy steel, stainless steel and titanium are all heat sensitive and there is a possibility of distortion if they are cut with industrial cutting methods that rely on heat. Therefore, water jet cutting is the ideal industrial cutting option as it relies on the abrasive substance in the jet stream to make efficient cuts.
As such, the result is smooth and precise cuts and minimal wasted materials. Water jet cutting is used for the following purposes:
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High Precision Cuts
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Shape Cutting
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Screen Cutting
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Tube Cutting
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Net Size Cutting
Another reason that water jet cutting is becoming used more frequently is that it is considered the most ecologically-sound method of industrial cutting. Water that is used in one project can be reused and there are no hazardous wastes to dispose of afterwards. In addition, the abrasive substance used in the water jet stream is non-toxic.
Water jet cutting is a reliable method of industrial cutting and is, therefore, the cornerstone service of many industries.