Waterjet cutting

As the name suggests, pure waterjet cutting works exclusively with water to cut the material under very high pressure. The water is pressed through a very small nozzle to create a concentrated water jet. Pure waterjet cutting operates at a pressure of up to 60,000 PSI, which is about 4,137 bar. Pure waterjet cutting is ideal for soft materials that could be damaged by abrasive waterjet cutting. These include rubber, foam, textiles, paper and thin plastics. Pure waterjet cutting is particularly used in industries that require a very fine and precise cutting edge without subjecting the material to thermal or mechanical stress.

Abrasive waterjet cutting adds an abrasive material such as garnet sand. This allows abrasive waterjet cutting to cut harder materials such as metals, stone, ceramics, thicker plastics or glass. The abrasive material is added to the water jet in the cutting head and accelerated through the nozzle together. This technique significantly expands the versatility of waterjet cutting. Abrasive waterjet cutting has overall similar properties to pure waterjet cutting and allows very fine and precise cutting edges without subjecting the workpiece to mechanical or thermal stresses.