We Bet You Didn’t Know People Use Water Jet Cutting For…
Water Jets are commonly used to cut metal, plastic and other material for industrial clients.
As leading UK water jet cutters, those jobs are our bread and butter, however that isn’t to say we don’t get the odd job slightly more out of left field.
Here we take a look at some of the water jet cutting jobs that might surprise you and some uses for water jet cutting you might not have thought of.
Art and sculptures
Regular readers of this blog (hi Mum, hi Dad) will know that this is an area we have some experience in at TMC.
OK, we’re being modest. We have been involved in projects at both the Victoria and Albert Museum and also Manchester’s wonderful Whitworth Gallery.
Water Jet cutting is also being used on a smaller scale, individual artists and sculptors coming to realise that its accuracy and competitive pricing make it very appealing.
From mosaics to our work on the Ghost Tree, water jet cutting has a growing file of works of art; we think Leonardo Da Vinci would have loved to have have had a water jet cutter in his workshed.
Model enthusiasts
We mean small scale models, Hornby Railways, that sort of thing – not fans of people doing photoshoots.
Water jet cutting is increasingly the technology used by those who need bespoke parts cutting, from miniatures up to exact copies of cogs or larger replicas of machinery.
How small and accurate can the models be? We found some beautiful examples online, have a look at this Eiffel Tower for example – to see more of this German firm’s work follow this link.
Medical and surgical parts
Surgical equipment is a fairly obvious job for water jet cutting – after all, it is cutting metal with great accuracy.
However, this is far from our industry’s only involvement in this sector. Water jet cutting is often used for cutting spare limb components and orthopaedic appliances.
Slightly more tenuously, those models of new facilities? They are often cut using a water jet too.
Food Manufacturing
A water jet used in food production? The benefits are great – the cutting part is a sterile water jet, no heat is generated and so no damage can be done to any part of the food substance and all waste is harmlessly washed away.
Water jet cutting can be used for slicing of food and is used in the production of frozen food, meat processing and the production of cakes and biscuits.
Electronics
Water and electronics are not generally seen to mix well – with good reason. That all changes when it comes to the production of electronic parts.
When you are making something like a circuit board what do you need? Complete accuracy, no heat generated, a process that is easily replicable (using state of the art software).
Water jet cutting is picking up much of the work that used to go to other technologies, this trend being particularly notable in areas such as South East Asia, helping their economies become ever more efficient.
In this field, water jet cutting is also used for cable stripping.
Signage and glass work
As water jet cutting can cut through virtually any material to a depth of 25 centimetres, cutting through thick glass or stone is not a problem.
At TMC, we have experience in this area, including cutting the logo for an upmarket boutique. Others such as branches of all common high street favourites have used water jet cutting – it is telling that when accuracy is essential, for a corporate logo or a part for the oil industry, water jet cutting is the go-to technology.
Can water jet cutting handle your job?
Without wishing to sound arrogant, almost certainly! Water jets can cut through almost any material and that to a depth 10 times greater than a laser can manage. Advanced water jets can also cut complex 3-d parts in one fluid motion.
If you would like to discuss any jobs you might have, please do get in touch with us at TMC Waterjet, we love discussing all things water jet! You can mail info@tmcwaterjet.co.ukor call us on 01625 610 441.
