Abrasive vs. Pure Waterjet Cutting：Which one to Choose?

Waterjet cutting is a cold cutting technique that provides clean, precise cuts on a wide range of material types. Waterjet cutting originated with pure water cutting paper and other very soft materials, but the technology has evolved to include a variety of additives into the water stream to facilitate the cutting of harder materials.

 

is a cold cutting technique that provides clean, precise cuts on a wide range of material types. Waterjet cutting originated with pure water cutting paper and other very soft materials, but the technology has evolved to include a variety of additives into the water stream to facilitate the cutting of harder materials.

 

Pure waterjet cutting simply uses a very concentrated stream of pressurised water to make precise cuts. Abrasive waterjet cutting adds abrasives such as garnet to the water stream, enabling it to cut harder or thicker materials. In this blog post we will discuss the differences between these two techniques to help you determine which is best for your project.

 

Pure waterjet cutting

Pure waterjet cutting uses a different cutting head to abrasive waterjet cutting. The cutting head used for pure waterjet cutting has no mixing chamber and no nozzle. The water passes through the orifice and leaves the cutting head directly, creating a very fine and concentrated stream of water, which produces extremely fine and precise cuts. This makes pure waterjet cutting ideal for soft materials.

 

 Waterjet Cutting Head

Abrasive waterjet cutting vs. pure waterjet cutting

Compared to abrasive waterjet cutting, pure waterjet cutting is a less invasive process. Because the fluid is so fine, almost no pressure is applied to the material being cut. Abrasive water jets are larger and more powerful, making them inclined to push or deform soft materials such as foam or rubber.

 

Compare this with trying to cut thick foam with a hobby knife. The knife can cut through the foam easily, but in doing so, the blade squeezes the foam, making clean and precise cuts impossible. A pure waterjet stream creates a perfect cut without affecting the edges of the part or the surrounding material.

 

This makes pure waterjet cutting ideal for materials such as

      Felt
      Foam
      Food products
      Paper
      Rubber
      Thin plastics

 

Some of the advantages of pure waterjet cutting include

      Suitable for very light, soft or delicate materials
      Very fast cutting
      Does not generate heat
 

Waterjet Accumulator

Abrasive waterjet cutting

In abrasive waterjet processing, water is pressurised to up to 94,000 psi using a special pump. at the cutting head, the pressurised water passes through jewel orifices, exchanging pressure for velocity and creating a supersonic stream of water capable of cutting almost any material.

For abrasive cutting, the abrasive material (usually garnet) is added to the water stream through a mixing chamber inside the cutting head. The addition of abrasive material to the water stream allows the tool to cut significantly harder materials. It is particularly suitable for thick or hard materials, including

      Ceramic products

      Metals (steel, aluminium, copper, etc.)
      Plastics
      Stones

 

Abrasive cutting offers several advantages, such as

      Versatility
      No stresses introduced into the material
      Low waste
      Easy set-up
      No heat generation

 

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Waterjet Switch Repair Kits

Which process is right for you?

Choosing the correct waterjet process is important to the success of your operation. The choice between pure waterjet cutting and abrasive waterjet cutting should be based on material hardness, material thickness and the level of precision required. Both waterjet techniques can cut a wide range of materials.

 

Cutting techniques that require heat may distort the workpiece or harden the edges, making secondary machining more difficult. Mechanical cutting methods often leave burrs on the edges that need to be removed. In short, waterjet cutting provides a cleaner, more accurate cut than most other traditional cutting methods.

 

The ultra-high pressure water jet products produced by Foshan Hairan have obtained more than 20 national patent certificates, which are widely used in planar 3-axis and 5-axis waterjets, automotive interior ABB cutting, cleaning, ultra-high pressure HPP sterilization technology, ships, aviation and other industries.

If you want to get more information about the best water jet products wholesale, welcome to contact us today or request a quote. 

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