Operating a Processing and Manufacturing Facility

Water Way To Cut: The Advantages Of Having Machine Parts Fabricated Using Waterjet Cutting Services

3 May 2017 by Todd West

When one or more components of a piece of industrial equipment fail, buying new parts 'off-the-shelf' is not always the best way to go. Many of these machines (such as hydraulic pumps, mining drills and conveyor belts) are manufactured to exacting standards and degrees of accuracy to ensure safe functioning, and using a replacement part that differs even minutely from the original component can lead to damaging malfunctions and punishing downtime.

Having replacement components fabricated by machining services is one of the best ways to get around this problem, and modern computer-aided machining services can create replacement parts that are practically indistinguishable from the parts they are intended to replace. However, there are a number of methods used to manufacture these precision parts, and choosing the right method can spell the difference between a part that is fit for service and a part that is not.

What is waterjet cutting?

Waterjet cutting is pretty much self-explanatory, and involves the use of extremely highly pressurised jets of water to cut, shape and engrave materials. The sheer kinetic power created when these high-pressure jets meet a material creates extremely fine and precise cuts, so waterjet cutting lends itself extremely well to the fabrication of precision machine parts and components.

What are the advantages of having my new machine parts fabricated with waterjet cutting?

Compared to other part fabrication techniques, such as laser cutting and traditional hand-milling, waterjet cutting boasts a number of attractive advantages?

Precision

The streams of water used by waterjet cutters are extremely thin, and are often laced with abrasive solid materials (such as sand or crushed garnet) to maximise their abrasive and cutting power. These jets can be controlled to such a degree that movements may be invisible to the naked eye, allowing for the creation of extremely precise cuts, edges and engravings. With the advent of computer-guided fabrication to further increase precision levels, you can be assured that any part you have fabricated with waterjet cutting will be exactlywhat you require.

Versatility

Traditional lathes, laser cutters and other pieces of fabrication equipment are generally only capable of working with a limited set of materials -- laser cutters, for example, generally can't be used on certain highly-reflective metals such as brass. Waterjet cutters, on the other hand, can be used to work with an enormous array of materials ranging from malleable thermoplastics to extremely durable titanium alloys. Waterjet cutting can therefore be used to create almost any machine component you could desire, whatever the industry you work in.

Cold cutting

Hand-milling, laser cutting and other fabrication techniques create a large amount of heat, which can cause heat damage and increased brittleness when working with certain metals and materials. By contrast, waterjet cutting does not heat up your chosen material at all while it is being cut to shape, ensuring that your new part does not suffer any longevity-sapping damage before it is even installed.

Economical

Despite the extremely high-tech machinery used by waterjet cutting services, their services can actually come remarkably cheaply. In addition to the relatively low cost of hiring waterjet cutting services, the sheer precision of waterjet cutting minimises wastage of raw materials, while their quick operation allows parts to be fabricated swiftly to minimise your business downtime. 

Share

Search