Why WaterJet?
- Fast turnaround No waiting on dies or fixtures,or even programming, since the machine works directly from your cad files.
- High precision Accurate to +/- 0.003" for parts under 1' and +/- 0.005" for parts over 1' long.
- Smooth finish Cutting with waterjet leaves a smooth, sandblasted edge, with virtually no burr, eliminating finsihing steps.
- Material integrity Since no heat is used there is no hardening, no burning, and no property changes.
- Less waste Kerf width of only 0.030" and tight part nesting allows maximum usage of material, especially important for expensive materials, such as titanium.
- Environmentally friendly Uses only water, garnet, and electricity. No cutting fluids, oils, fumes, or burning.
- Low cost No costly dies or fixtures, and fast machining. The waterjet is programmed directly from your cad files, greatly reducing cnc programming costs.
- Single piece minimum The fast setup, easy programming and machine speed allows for economical one-off production...great for prototyping.
- Cuts virtually anything Waterjet can machine virtually any material, any thickness, tool steel to aluminum, glass to titanium.
Compare Waterjet Machining to other machining processes.
WaterJet | Laser | Wire EDM | Plasma | Flame | Punch Press | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cost | ----- | Lower | Higher | Lower | Lower | Higher (short runs) |
Precision | .003”-.005” | Higher on thin mat’l | Higher | Lower | Lower | Similar |
Speed | ----- | Faster on thin mat’l | 75% Slower | Faster | Faster | Slower (short runs) |
Material Limitations | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Thickness Limitations | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes |
Distortion, Hardening | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Edge Finish | Smooth | Smooth | Smooth | Rough | Rough | Burred |
