Can Water Jet Cutting Make Intricate Cuts?
Water jets are used in industry to cut through thick sheets of material – such is the power that depths of more than 25 centimetres can be cut through in virtually any material.
However, is this technology just for power, for cutting through great big slabs of material or can it be used a bit more delicately?
In this post, we look at water jet cutting’s capabilities for more intricate cuts.
In technical terms, water jet cutting’s cutting heads can have a slightly wider diameter than the cutting head in laser cutting – does this equate to water jet cutting being less accurate and so less suited to intricate jobs?
The answer is no as the cutting head diameter is far from being the only factor to consider.
At TMC Waterjets, the tolerances of our machines are just 0.2mm, this level of accuracy putting us among the leading water jet cutters.
Water jet cutting has a huge advantage over other technologies – it does not damage the cut edge.
Laser cutting can create micro abrasions and damage the edge, more than negating any nominal advantage it has in cutting head width. Other technologies such as CNC cutting are even less forgiving to the cut edge.
However, is talking about whether water jet cutting is suitable for intricate cutting an imperfect way of addressing the question?
Would it be better to have a look at a few examples?
Here are a few examples of intricate water jet cutting work, some our own work, some the work of others.
From http://waterjet-cutting.blogspot.com
Anya Gallaccio’s Ghost Tree at the Whitworth Gallery – a project we were proud to work on
From Waterjetwest.com
Beautiful work from Art Glass Solutions
Tiles cut by the David Allen Company in Raleigh
The proof is there…
Water jet cutting is suitable for intricate jobs, it is increasingly used by artists, sculptors and those who need accuracy as they turn their vision into reality.
This ability to be intricate matters for all customers – they might not be artists, but they want their parts to be perfect.
About TMC
TMC are leading UK water jet cutters with true cutting edge technology. We pride ourselves in being able to deliver any size of job – from projects for hobbyists through to contracts with huge multinational businesses.
To discuss the requirement for your cutting job, please call us on 01625 610 441 or fill out our Contact Form.
