Can a waterjet cut through anything?

A waterjet has the ability to cut through a “sandwich” of various materials with up to four-inch thickness. This dust-free, odourless and relatively heat-free process can also slice through something as thin as five thousandths of an inch. The tiny jet stream allows the first cut to also be the final finished surface.

What is the pressure of a water jet cutter?

between 50,000 and 60,000 PSI
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.

How does a waterjet not cut itself?

These parts have to shoot a jet of fluid which can cut through steel and ceramic; but themselves cannot be easily cut by the passage of that fluid. The pump is one of the larger and more expensive components of the waterjet cutting system and also tends to fail at inconvenient times.

How does water jet cut through steel?

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.

Does a water jet cutter have an emergency stop?

If any part of the waterjet is not functioning as intended, the emergency stop can be pressed. Pressing the E- stop will shut down all power to the machine and allow the operator to find the source of error.

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 maximum thickness A water jet can 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 thick of metal can a waterjet cut?

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.

Can water cutter cut your finger off?

Hazards Specific to Jet Cutting A high-speed jet laden with abrasives is a powerful cutting tool that easily can remove fingers and more (Figure 1). The most common source of cuts in waterjet cutting is not the jet, but the slats that support the material. With use, the slats become jagged with sharp points (Figure 2).

What happens if you touch a water jet?

If the water jet cuts through a shoe or sleeve and punctures the skin, it may only appear as a small bruise. What has actually happened is that contaminated water has been shot inside the body and can cause potentially life-threatening infections. If you suffer a water blasting injury, go to the hospital IMMEDIATELY.

What is a water jet cutting system?

A water jet cutter, also known as a water jet or waterjet, is an industrial tool capable of cutting a wide variety of materials using a very high-pressure jet of water, or a mixture of water and an abrasive substance.

How does a waterjet work?

How Waterjet Works. Waterjet technology is a cold cutting process which cuts by using supersonic water, or water and abrasive, to erode material. Because of this, waterjets are unlimited in what they can cut.

What is jet cutting?

Jet cutting is the process of the cutting of materials using a high-pressure water jet. Two types of jet cutting are employed based on the nature of material to be cut. For softer materials such as rubber, plastic and foam, pure water jet cutting is used, while for harder material such as metal, glass, stone and concrete, abrasive water jet