Water Jet Sydney

What does a water jet machine do?

A water jet cuts materials like metal, stone, and glass using high-pressure water. Depending on the type of material you are cutting or slicing, you may need to utilise different levels of pressure in order to achieve the desired results in the most efficient and accurate way.

How does a water jet cutter work?

A water jet machine or cutter is a tool that utilises ultra-high water pressure to cut materials including metals and glass. The tool is able to slice into metal and other materials using a pressured jet of water at extremely high velocity or using a mixture of abrasive substances and water. A water jet cutter applies a similar process as that of water erosion you find in nature, only this time, the water pressure is accelerated and concentrated through orders of magnitude.

How many PSI is a water jet cutter?

When using a water jet cutter, there are different pressures applied. Typically, water jet cutters utilise pressures between 30,000 and 90,000 psi that are produced by a pressure pump. Abrasive particles may also be used where they are suspended in the stream.  The amount of pressure is key when it comes to cutting of materials. The motor efficiency may also count in determining how fast the cutting is done. Increasing the pressure, say from 60,000 to 90,000 psi increases the stream velocity thus increasing the speed of cutting by around 50 per cent or even more depending on the material or application.

Also, cutting at a higher speed of 90,000 psi can reduce abrasive consumption because every garnet particle becomes impacted with increased energy. Again, higher working pressure is aimed at reducing delamination when working on composite materials. Essentially, the cut speed is directly proportional to the nozzle horsepower. So the consumption of horsepower is a function of the pressure and the water amount that exits the orifice. A small orifice coupled with low pressure tends to consume little power and does a slow cut. However, a larger orifice coupled with high pressure tends to consume much power and will cut more quickly.

How much does a water jet cutter cost?

Many things affect the cost of operating a water jet. Averagely, it can cost about $100 per hour to $140 per hour or even higher to operate a water jet using a single abrasive cutting head running at 60,000 psi. However, there are other costs involved such as the risk of breakage, the quantity of order, and the maintenance.

How accurate is a water jet cutter?

A water jet cutting process is considered highly accurate. After the cutting begins when the initial through-hole is done, the machine obtains a part tolerated ranging from – 0.001 to +0.001 with consistency. This is good accuracy, and this is why water jet systems are desirable for doing precision parts cutting.

How much water does a water jet use?

The amount of water a water jet utilises varies depending on the applications and settings of the machine. A water jet with dual cutting heads utilising one pump running at 60,000 psi at 100 horsepower can consume about two gallons in a minute. On the other hand, a 100 horsepower pump running at 90,000 psi can consume about 1.4 to 1.5 gallons in a minute.

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