Water jet cutting is traditionally used to cut thicker materials (typically 10mm-50mm) that would not be suitable for laser cutting. A high pressure water jet (up to 4000 bar) is fed through a nozzle and blasted onto the workpiece, where it cuts the material at the point of contact. The nozzle/cutting head moves around the outline of the desired profile, creating a continuous cutting motion until the required shape is achieved.
The water jet can either be made up of clean water, or water mixed with abrasive agents.These agents assist with the cutting process and can be partially recycled, as the spent water is filtered into a tank under the sheet material. The use of abrasive agents means that almost any material can be cut.
As water jet cutting does not involve heat, the result is that the material properties remain intact and there is no heat-affected zone.
Used to produce
Cut profiles, generally from thicker materials (typically 10mm-50mm) that would not be suitable for laser cutting. Although some laser cutters can work up to 30mm thick, most are capable of profiling material up to 15mm thick - after this point, water jet cutting may be a preferable option.
Materials
With the use of abrasive agents, water jet cutting can be used to profile almost any material, including hard metals such as titanium.
Advantages
Allows thicker materials to be profiled, with less material wastage than machining.
The properties of the material are not affected, as it is a cold-cutting process.
Disadvantages
Generally results in a wider kerf than laser cutting.
The cutting speed is often slower.
