Water Jet cutting technology – WATER JET CUTTING

Water Jet cold processing of water cutting allows working with materials which could not be processed before, using traditional methods, or had been processed with big difficulties.
This process is based on the principle of water running through narrow regulator of water flow and cutting pipe under extremely high pressure of 380 bars. In contact with the material kinetic energy converts to pressure energy, and thus decompose the material. The speed of the water jet is 1000 m/sec, which is three times faster than the speed of sound. The power and speed of the water jet slash soft materials and with the addition of abrasive sand cutting process is extended to almost all possible materials. The cut thickness is from 0.08 mm to 1.3 mm depending on the material type and thickness, giving to this technology great advantage in saving the materials. Managing system gives possibilities to cut various forms with great precision and cut quality.
Water cutting does not heat the material which is particularly useful for cutting tool steel and other metals in which exposure to high temperatures can change its characteristics. Small width of the cut allows better utilization of raw materials. Cutting is much easier using Water Jet Machines. The dimensions of the parts can be entered into the control unit and the machine will precisely cut programmed shape. Such a way of manufacturing is much faster and cheaper than traditional procedure. The work of water cutting machines is simply making it easier to automate the production. Water cutting does not leave jagged or sharp edges eliminating the need for additional treatment.

Water cutting advantages:
1. The process is cold, no heating during cutting
2. Structure of the material does not change (micro cracking, hardening of the cutting surface, tension of the material, etc.)
3. No dangerous gases or dust during the cutting
4. Protects the life and working environment (natural sand and water only)
5. Provides high cutting speed and cutting the materials which cannot be processed otherwise
6. High level of precision
7. No final treatments of the product or only partially when exceptionally high quality is required
8. The quality grade of the cut is from 1-5 which depends on the production needs
9. Possibility of manufacturing prototype and large series
10.High flexibility of applications in almost all industries

Five cut qualities are achieved:
Q1 – Cut of the high cutting speed – the most coarse dividing of the material
Q2 – Cut that is characterised of more stable system but the speed is still high
Q3 – Cut that gives optimal results regarding further treatment and achieved cut quality
Q4 – Cut characterised with quality of processed surface and precision
Q5 – Cut with high quality surface, high precision, but low cutting speed

The quality of processed surface (roughness of the surface) goes from 3.2µm do 50µm.
Regarding the possibility achieving high quality and high precision, as well as the cold cut feature, the technology is imagined as final processing of materials, and not as the cutting technology. This does not mean it cannot find its application in the preparation of some component production particularly taking into account extremely small additions after this process.