Saturday, August 15, 2009

Green Manufacturing With Cnc Waterjet Cutting

By Jim Pickeringson

If you have spent any time at all in a modern shop, you have surely seen a plethora of tools. Many seem very straight forward, while others are a bit more baffling.

As anyone who works with metal knows, heat is a major factor. Cuts need to be made, but the heat associated with almost all forms of metal work can actually weaken your product, making it less durable than you'd desire. This often leads to the need to purchase a stronger metal than necessary just to make up for that margin of error.

However, cnc waterjet cutting vastly cuts down that cost by allowing you to carefully control all factors of your manufacturing. Because a waterjet does not create heat in the cutting process, you can avoid over spending on materials. Also, each piece can be placed very closely to stop waste in your cutting layout. You will no longer need to throw away half your material cost in scrap.

Another thing that makes the waterjet so applicable to metal work is it's sheer versatility. You can set your machine to cut at all different widths, generally ranging from .02" to .05" or higher. If you remove the abrasive, you can get even more intricate cuts of .007".

If you have ever seen artistic metal work, CNC waterjet cutting is often the tool of choice to accomplish those amazing and intricate results. However, it is also used to create speciality tools, machine parts and much more. Also, unlike most tools, the cutter isn't really hindered by thickness of the material. It can easily handle thicknesses of 18 inches or more! If you cut metal as a part of your work, a waterjet can do the job for you.

However, it's equally as careful with soft materials like foam, which can melt or disentegrate under too much stress. In fact, one of the most amazing things about waterjet cutting is just how versatile it is. While it's true that extremely intricate metal work is absolutely no problem for this tool, it is also used to cut stone, tile, rubber, plastics, paper and even food.

This includes food, paper, wood, plastic, foam, rubber, stone and more. With it's versatility and low environmental impact, the waterjet cutter is the tool of choice for all your cutting needs.

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