Waterjet cutting
In this process, water is compressed by up to 4000 bar using a high-pressure transfer pump. It is then fed into a cutting head and concentrated in its mixing chamber by vacuum with an abrasive agent. The resulting water pressure flows through the water nozzle in the cutting head and strips away material particles in a fraction of a second. This cold cutting process has major advantages over other cutting processes.
We employ this technology where non-cutting, machining and thermal cutting techniques produce unsatisfactory results for either mechanical or physical reasons, or are not applicable from the outset.
Without thermal deformation or hardness increase and with minimal mechanical stress and optimal material use, both small quantities and medium series can be manufactured efficiently and at high production quality.
Areas of application
Mechanical engineering
- High quality steels
- All stainless steels
- Nickel base alloys, zirconium
- Non-ferrous metals
Aerospace industry
- Titanium and aluminum alloys
- Composites
Automotive and supplier industry
- Plastic and composite materials
- Rubber, elastomers
- Foam and hard foam
Glass industry
- Glass and plexiglass
- Ceramic materials
Residential and industrial construction
- Hard stone blocks, mosaics, slabs, tiles
- Concrete, insulation materials, mineral fibers
These are only a few potential applications. If your area is not listed here, please contact us – everything is possible.
Quality
Dimensional accuracy and surface texture during waterjet cutting primarily depend on pressure, feed and the abrasive used.
Cutting qualities are usually given in 3 stages:
Q1 = Rough cut and separation cut
Q2 = Normal or center cut
Q3 = Quality or fine cut
For applications in general machine and plant construction, the normal cut Q2 is primarily used:
- Accuracy +/- 0.2 mm at the upper edge in accordance with DIN ISO 2768m
- Surface roughness approx. Ra 10 - 30 µm
- Angle deviation of max. 1°
Greater demands on angularity and surface quality can be met with the quality cut Q3:
- Accuracy +/- 0.1 mm
- Surface roughness approx. Ra 10 - 30 µm
- Angle deviation of max. 0.6°
Rough cut Q1 is useful for workpieces that have to be precut for further processing or when cutting surface quality doesn't play a role (e.g. for natural stone cutting). We know from experience that the upper edges of waterjet-cut parts already have good quality with Q1 cuts.
Waterjets produce a hole diameter of at least 1 mm and an internal radius of at least 0,5 mm. The cutting width is at least 0,8 mm and at most 1,2 mm. We can cut sheet thickness of 0,2 mm to 400 mm with waterjet cutting.