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In the battle to reduce costs, engineering and manufacturing departments are constantly on the lookout for an edge. The Waterjet process provides many unique capabilities and advantages that can prove very effective in the cost battle. Learning more about waterjet technology will give you an opportunity to put these cost cutting capabilities to work.

Beyond cost cutting, the waterjet process is recognized as the most versatile and fastest growing process in the world. (per Frost & Sullivan and the Markey Intelligence Research Corporation). Waterjets are used in high production applications across the globe. They compliment other technologies such as milling, laser, EDM, plasma and routers. No noxious gases or liquids are used in waterjet cutting, and waterjets do not create hazardous materials or vapours. 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 cannot. From cutting whisper thin details in stone, glass and metals, to rapid hole drilling of titanium, to cutting of food, plastics, leather and other soft products, the waterjet has proven itself unique.

Waterjets remove material without heat; in this cold cutting process the supersonic waterjet stream performs a supersonic erosion process to grind away small grains of material. After this waterjet stream has been created, abrasive can be added to the stream to increase the power of the process many times.

The basic technology is at once both simply and extremely complex. When water is pressurized up to 60,000 pound (or More) per square inch (PSI) and forced though a tiny opening, it can cut a variety of soft material including food, paper and baby diapers, rubber and foam. When small amounts of abrasive particles such as garnet are mixed into the jet stream the results are “abrasive waterjet” this can cut virtually any hard material such as metal, composites, stone and glass.