Metal Cutting Services by Karolin Machine Tool Private Limited (kmt Waterjet)

Cutting metals with waterjet

For the cutting of metals, the waterjet cutting method is in direct competition with a number of established cutting methods such as laser and plasma cutting.
Waterjet cutting can however be used to cut thicker materials than can be processed with laser. On the other hand, it offers greater precision than plasma cutting. Waterjet cutting is a cold cutting process and therefore of particular interest for applications where the material may not be affected by heat. This is often a requirement in the aerospace and automotive industry.

The key advantages of cutting metals with waterjet cutting are:

• No material deformation caused by heat
• No hardening of the material along the cut edge
• No changes to the metal structure
• No heat affected zones
• No hazardous fumes and vapors
• No or only minimal need for reworking

Assuming that warping and changes to the metal structure are not an issue, what is the thickness from which waterjet cutting becomes the most cost-effective option?
Depending on the material, waterjet cutting should be considered as the most viable option from thicknesses of 5 to 8 mm.

How fast can the material be cut?
The cutting speed is determined by the following factors: pump pressure, efficiency of high pressure generation and cutting head configuration, material thickness and properties, desired cutting edge quality, orifice diameter, abrasive quantity and abrasive quality.

What is the maximum material thickness that can be cut with water jets?
For metals, the maximum thickness is normally 150 mm. Waterjet cutting is however also used in special applications where materials of up to 400 mm thickness are cut.

What about angle faults along the cut edge?
Depending on the requirements as regards cutting edge quality, excellent angle accuracy can be achieved by adjusting the pump pressure, the abrasive flow rate and the cutting speed accordingly. There are also software-based guiding systems on the market that help optimise angular accuracy, by adjusting the angle of the cutting head.