Do you believe water can slice fragile material like cake or a sophisticated material like thick steel slabs? Have you ever imaged a bone surgery being conducted using water as a cutting tool? A jet of water, when pressurized up to 50,000 PSI becomes a powerful cutting and slicing tool that can be used in a myriad of applications. Waterjet can also be used for perforating a material or drilling holes. And the best part is, it is considered to be more efficient than other heat-based cutting methods such as lasers and plasma cutting.
Waterjet cutting technology uses a high-pressure flow of water or a mixture of water and abrasives to cut a wide variety of materials.
This particular cutting technology has been in use since the 1970s. Back in those days, it was primarily used for cutting wood-fiber tubes. Soon after its invention, water jet technology became a much-preferred cold-cutting process. Soon, it began to replace conventional cutting and machining methods.
Some of the major advantages of waterjet over conventional cutting are:
It is dustless
It does not release toxic gases in the atmosphere
It can be stopped or slowed in between the process without causing damage to the material
It can be operated on any part or point of the material
It is isothermal
Using waterjet in contemporary industry
Today, many industries incorporate water jet cutting technology in their cutting operations. The aerospace industry, which involves many sophisticated operations, uses water jets for shaping, cutting and reaming tight-tolerance yet intricate aerospace components.
In the mining industry too, powerful jets of water are increasingly being used for cutting and drill and cut rocks in hard-rock mines. In addition to hard-rock mines, jets of water are also used in coal mines. They are cost-efficient and effective at the same time.
It is also used for hygienically cutting meat, vegetables, fruits, and other products such as a bread and cake. Since there is no 'mechanical' contact, the possibility of food contamination is reduced. The jet of water is so fine and it cuts so quickly, that the material being cut doesn't get damp or wet.
With the increasing popularity of waterjet cutting, a number of worldwide institutions and establishments are conducting higher research in the science of cutting with water jets. Thus, this process is bound to become more efficient and useful in the years to come. With the advancement of waterjet as a cutting method, it could soon prove to be a much better alternative to traditionally used cutting methods, especially since it is a non-polluting method.
There are several reputable firms that offer highly competitive prices on cutting services that make use of water jets. These firms can work with a variety of materials such as aluminum, steel, phenolics, brass, plastics, marble, cork, titanium, granite, concrete, and so on.
