WATERJET
CUTTING
MUNTHASIR . T
COANEME038
INTRODUCTION
The water jet process provides many unique capabilities
and advantages that can prove very effective in the cost
reduction. Learning more about the water jet technology
will give us an opportunity to put these cost-cutting
capabilities to work.
Beyond cost cutting, the water jet process is recognized
as the most versatile and fastest growing process in the
world. Waterjets are used in high production applications
across the globe. They compliment other technologies
such as milling, laser, EDM, plasma and routers.
No poisonous gases or liquids are used in waterjet
cutting, and waterjets do not create hazardous materials
or vapors. No heat effected zones or mechanical stresses
are left on a waterjet cut surface. It is truly a versatile,
productive, cold cutting process. The waterjet has shown
that it can do things that other technologies simply
THEORY OF WATERJET CUTTING
Waterjet cutting works by forcing a large volume of water
through a small orifice in the nozzle. The constant volume
of water traveling through a reduced cross sectional area
causes the particles to rapidly accelerate. This
accelerated stream leaving the nozzle impacts the
material to be cut.
The extreme pressure of the accelerated water particles
contacts a small area of the work piece. In this small area
the work piece develops small cracks due to stream
impact. The waterjet washes away the material that
"erodes" from the surface of the work piece.
The crack caused by the waterjet impact is now exposed
to the waterjet. The extreme pressure and impact of
particles in the following stream cause the small crack to
propagate until the material is cut through.
WATERJET MACHINING CENTER
Basic equipment used for waterjet cutting consists of:-
CNC guide machine, PC based programmable
controller or microprocessor based control, structural
steel base, servo drive system, "X/Y" carriage,
cantilever arm, motorized "Z" axis, catch tank, cutting
table, work piece support grid/material, filtration
system, high pressure pumps, pressure intensifiers,
abrasive material disposal/removal system, injector to
draw abrasives into cutting stream, mixing chamber,
cutting nozzle (varying orifice size), abrasive removal
system, chiller (optional).
WATERJET CUTTING PROCESS
Pure waterjet is the original water cutting method.
Waterjet cutting uses only a pressurized stream of
water to cut through material. This type of cutting is
limited to material with naturally occurring small cracks
or softer materials like disposable diapers, tissue
paper, and automotive interiors. In the cases of tissue
paper and disposable diapers the waterjet process
creates less moisture on the material than touching or
breathing on it.
In this process water is increased in
pressure by high-pressure pump to about
40000-60000 PSI and is forced through the
orifice on to the target [Link] high-
pressure water on striking the surface
performs the machining operation. The
potential energy contained in the water is
converted in the process to kinetic energy,
i.e., into jet velocity, thus achieving its
"cutting" effect.
The basic waterjet process involves water flowing from a
pump, through plumbing, and out a cutting head.
In waterjet cutting, the material removal process can be
described as a supersonic erosion process. It is not
pressure, but stream velocity that tears away microscopic
pieces or grains of material. Pressure and velocity are two
distinct forms of energy. The pumps water pressure is
converted to the other form of energy, water velocity by a tiny
jewel.
A jewel is affixed to the end of the plumbing tubing. The jewel
has a tiny hole in it. The pressurized water passes through
this tiny opening changing the pressure to velocity. At
approximately 40,000 psi the resulting stream that passes
out of the orifice is traveling at Mach 2. And at 60,000 psi the
speed is over Mach 3.
APPLICATION OF WATERJET
CUTTING
Flexible waterjet cutting technology is used in practically all
sectors of industry: Aerospace, residential and industrial
construction, mechanical engineering, the glass industry, the
wood, textiles and paper industries, the automotive and its
supplier industries, and the electrical, electronic and foodstuffs
industries.
Unlike traditional thermal cutting methods, waterjet cutting
technology wins friends with its high level of cost-effectiveness
and flexibility.
The most diverse materials, from metal via plastics up to and
including granite, can be quickly and precisely worked using a
high-pressure jet of water. Material thickness of 150 mm or
more present no difficulties to our cutting processes. The
waterjet achieves optimum cut-edge qualities on both simple
and extremely complex contours.
General 2D applications:
Sheet metal: Stainless steel, carbon steel, high-alloy nickel
steels, aluminum, titanium, copper.
Building: Decorative stone, marble, granite, tiles,
plasterboard, glass and mineral wool.
Glass: Laminated glass, safety glass, and bulletproof
glass.
Foodstuffs: Baked goods, deep-frozen products and fish.
Paper: Cardboard, corrugated cardboard, printing papers.
Miscellaneous: Plywood, leather, textiles, composites,
rubber, plastics, sealing materials and foams .
3D and robot applications:
Abrasive: Titanium, aluminum and
stainless steel motor-vehicle components,
turbine blades, decorative stone or marble.
Pure water: Motor-vehicle elements such
as carpets, door-trims, fenders,
dashboards, instrument panels, rear
shelves.
ADVANTAGES
Increased cutting speed
Decreased wear on pumps and nozzles
Decreased abrasive use
Improved surface finish
Decreased taper
Diminished tendency for jet to wet
substrates
DISADVANTAGES
Difficult to cut materials with very high
hardness.
Not possible to cut materials that cannot
be made wet.
Initial cost of the machine is too high.
CONCLUSION
Since its development, waterjet machining has seen
many improvements in its design. Waterjet cutting
technology is one of the fastest growing major
machine tool processes in the world due to its
versatility and ease of operation.
Manufacturers are realizing that there are virtually
no limits to what waterjets are capable of cutting and
machining. Machine shops of all sizes are realizing
greater efficiency and productivity by implementing
waterjets in their operations.
Waterjets are becoming the machine tool of choice
for many shops. Since abrasive waterjet (AWJ)
technology was first invented by Flow in the early
1980s, the technology has rapidly evolved with
continuous research and development.
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