top of page

Follow On Social:

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Youtube

Canada • USA

Water Jet Spray Cutting

Writer's picture: Colby MullisColby Mullis

This article was graciously submitted to NuWave Industries by the writers at the IQS Directory. The IQS Directory is a reliable space for industrial information with an extensive list of 101 guides written by engineers on a variety of topics.


Waterjet cutting can be utilized in mining applications, this is a photo of a large trunnion being cut with a waterjet
NuWave waterjet cutting in a mining application

A water jet, also known as a water jet cutter, is an industrial tool used to cut various

materials. The evolution of water cutting techniques has made it possible to cut and bend

metals economically and efficiently without any heat distortion. Water jet cutting provides a

superior edge quality to the materials and diminishes the need for secondary finishing, saving time and effort.


Sometimes, the water is also mixed with an abrasive substance. The basic principle involved

here is the erosion of the contact material. The abrasive particles expelled at a high velocity

of jet water hit the surface, causing the abrasion and erosion of the target metal. However,

pure water jets are used for soft materials.


How Does a Waterjet Cut?

For a water jet to cut precisely through a material, the tool contains two main parts;

1. A high-pressure pump that generates a pressurized water stream of approximately 400

bars and

2. A small diameter abrasive jet nozzle from which water passes to form a precise jet.


The rest of the components help accumulate the water and control its release through a valve to generate high pressure.



This is how a waterjet cutter works, it moves from the fluid supply tank, into the mix and filter. It then moves into the pump which moves to an accumulator, the controls determine whether or not the valve releases the pressurized water jet which streams through a sapphire nozzle to cut the material.
This diagram represents how a water jet spray works.

The waterjet cutting process involves:

  • placing a material close to the waterjet.

  • then a mixture of water and abrasive substance is passed through the nozzle at a very high pressure to cut the desired metal.

  • the pressure of the water is between 20,000 to 55,000 per square inch, and the force of water passes through a 0.010 to 0.015 diameter orifice.

  • an X-Y motion system allows the nozzle to move accurately in a specific path for the desired shape.

  • after the cutting process, a catcher tank dissipates the excess energy of the abrasive substance after being cut.


The power of a water jet is 30 times more than a local power washer or local car wash.

Different from the metal cutters, the water jets do not get dull and also cannot overheat.

In the industries today, computer-controlled water jets and abrasive jets are being used that

cut all sorts of hard and soft materials. A plain water-abrasive mixture ejects out of a nozzle

with a speed of more than 900 mph. The latest machine has the ability to cut 2000 th of an inch and has a speed of jet around Mach 3.



The materials water jets can cut are:

  • Stainless steel

  • Plastic

  • Metal ranging from mild steel and aluminum to titanium, Inconel, brass, and tool steel

  • Wood

  • Stone

  • Marble

  • Granite


Why Choose NuWave?

Nuwave is a leading North American brand of water jets. We produce the most efficient

tools available to the industry. As we are pioneers in this business, we offer a competitive

advantage to our customers with years of R&D and craft.


Our services include:

● Abandonment of surfaces

● Abandonments of pipelines and their road crossing


The water jets we produce are also environmentally friendly, which helps the green

industries. It is also safer to use as the risk of heat and explosion is reduced through the use of water abrasives. And last but not least, our water jets have a high velocity ranging from 30k up to 45k PSI. NuWave's equipment also uses natural abrasives and water to ensure its team safety and industrial standards.



66 views0 comments

Comments


bottom of page