Waterjet cutting is not necessarily something to brush off as easy. You need a skilled technician who pays attention to detail and safety to operate a waterjet machine. You need workers to help you maintain the equipment so that you can get the most out of it, and on top of it all you need to keep in mind how much it is ultimately costing you to use the machine and produce items from it. When it comes to your waterjet machine, it can be important to keep a few things in mind.
When you’re cutting any sort of material, it might take a different kind of cutting head depending on the material’s thickness. Depending on the thickness of the material that you are trying to cut, you might want to think about using a smaller cutting head. Using a large or medium cutting head on material less than 0.1 inch thick might not be as useful as using a smaller cutting head, for instance.
Different materials might also require a different amount of pressure for proper waterjet cutting as well. For example, you probably wouldn’t use the same water pressure for cutting glass as you would for cutting stone. Different materials going through the machine may require different pressure. As such, it can be useful if your controller can change the water pressure. Preferably, your waterjet system should have the ability to adjust the water pressure as needed by the controller.
Some people are actually concerned about the disposal of the water and abrasives used in the cutting process. You can actually have testing done if you are concerned about the impact of your waterjet’s waste on the environment. There are methods approved by the EPA to test for hazardous waste. It is likely that your abrasive and water disposal is not hazardous, but with this knowledge in your possession, you can make sure the waste gets disposed of properly.
Although a waterjet can pretty much cut through anything, you probably don’t want to cut tempered glass with it. It will likely not survive the pressure and fall to pieces before you can finish your project. Almost any other type of material could be game, though.
Waterjet cutting requires vigilance and care of your machine. There are certain things that you can keep in mind when using their waterjet. Different cuttings heads may be necessary for different thicknesses of material, you can get your waste tested if you are concerned about it being hazardous, and it’s not wise to use your waterjet on tempered glass.