Waterjet – innovative cutting technology - Abrasive Waterjet technology is the most innovative of all currently available cutting technologies. Waterjet machines can cut practically any material, ranging from the very soft such as foams, gels, sponges, through to harder materials such as plastics, composites, rubber, leather, soft metals such as aluminum, brass, copper, carbon steel and stainless steel, and ending with heat-resistant and hardened steels, ceramics and cemented carbides. Waterjet can also cut glass, stone, granite, marble and ceramic tiles which are among the hardest most brittle materials encountered in industry. The thicknesses of the cut materials reach up to 200 mm, which is inaccessible for the majority of other cutting technologies. One of the principle advantages of Waterjet machines is that the width of the cutting gap is very small, less than 1 mm, which allows cutting out of extremely intricate shapes and precision cutting of corners. These machines are used primarily in metal and stone industries. Waterjets are further exploited to cut building components such as stairs, window sills, kitchen or bathroom worktops, elements of tombstones and monuments etc. The five-axis version allows the inclination of the head in such a way as to enable cutting with an inclined wall. Five-axis Waterjets are used in the metal industry, where chamfering is required for welding. The stream of water is combined with abrasive and can pierce through the hardest materials from the inside so that it may cut the object closed without a need to enter into the material from the outside, as is the case of cutting by wire.

• published: 01 Feb 2015
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