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Q What is a water jet cutter?
A A water jet cutter is an industrial CNC machine that cuts materials using a hyper-pressurized (up to 90,000 PSI) water stream mixed with abrasive garnet. Unlike thermal methods, it operates as a cold-cutting process, eliminating heat-induced distortions.
Key components include:
-abrasive cutting head
- CNC controller
- Ultra-high-pressure intensifier pump
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Q How does a waterjet cutter work?
A The process involves three stages:
1. Pressurization: Water is compressed to 60,000–90,000 PSI.
2. Abrasive injection: Garnet enters the stream in a mixing tube, transforming water into a micro-erosion tool.
3. Cutting: The abrasive jet travels at Mach 3 (2,500 km/h), eroding material particle-by-particle.
Pure water mode (no abrasives) cuts soft materials like food or foam.
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Q What sets modern waterjets apart?
A Hybrid machining:
Integrates drilling, milling, and polishing in one platform.
Smart features:
IoT-enabled predictive maintenance + automated abrasive dosing.
Safety:
Non-toxic process (no fumes/dust) and Class 1 safety certification.
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Q Which materials can waterjet cut?
A Waterjet handles virtually any material, including:
- Metals: Steel, titanium, aluminum (up to 300mm thick), etc.
- Composites: Carbon fiber (no delamination), Kevlar, etc.
- Sensitive materials: Food (sanitary cutting), explosives, foam, etc.
- Other: Glass, rubber, ceramics, stone(crystal, marble, granite), tungsten carbide, etc.
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Q Can waterjet cut bevels or 3D shapes?
A Yes. 5-axis cutting heads can perform
bevel cutting.
Dynamic 5 axis - bevel cutting: Dynamic 5 axis cutting head X, Y, Z axis for transmission, A,B axis for compensation 0°-±10°. The Dynamic 5 axis water jet cutting machine is specially used to cut marble and granite, it can compensate ±10° cutting angle. It is one kind of bevel cutting machine.
Max5 axis - 3D cutting: Angled bevels (0–45°) for weld-ready edges. 3D contouring for prototypes, molds, and artistic sculptures. Stack cutting: Processes multiple layers simultaneously (e.g., 100 fabric sheets). -
Q Is waterjet cutting eco-friendly?
A Yes, water jet cutting is extremely environmentally friendly and has the following advantages:
Abrasive recycling: 90% garnet recovery rate.
Water reuse: Closed-loop filtration systems reduce consumption by 80%.
Energy efficiency: 4kW average power draw (vs. 20kW+ for plasma).
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Q Why use water jet cutting over other methods?
A Waterjet dominates in scenarios where precision and material integrity are critical:
✅ Zero Heat-Affected Zone (HAZ): Preserves material properties (e.g., aerospace titanium, tempered glass).
✅ Omni-material capability: Seamlessly switches between rubber, composites, metals, and foods on the same setup.
✅ No tool changes: Cuts 300mm-thick steel and 0.5mm paper with identical equipment.
✅ Sustainable: Garnet abrasives are 90% recyclable; water consumption is 1/3 of laser cooling systems.
