The actual machining process takes place using a high-pressure waterjet and a sharp-edged abrasive. That is mainly garnet, but it can also be copper slag, synthetic materials, corundum,or normal, fine-grain sand. The waterjet and the abrasive are forced through a hard metal nozzle with a diameter of 0.5 to 3.0 mm at a pressure of up to 4,000 bar. The potential energy of the pressure is converted in the nozzle into velocities of more than several hundred meters per second. The abrasive particles combined with the water are accelerated, producing a clean cut whatever the material, even through composite layers and materials that are difficult to cut by conventional methods.
Not dependant upon the cutting material: steel, concrete, glass, metals, composite sandwich-structures and many others
The advantages are:
- Minimum cutting kerf smaller than 1 mm possible
- Minimum abrasives consumption
- Cold cutting process without burning or edge cracking
- Dust and gas-free cutting
- Low reaction forces
- Perforation of material - without start holes.
- Net shape or near net shape parts(eliminates secondary processing for most applications).
- Environmentally friendly