Abrasive Jet and Waterjet Cutting Heads Information

Image Credit: AccuStream | Jet Edge

Abrasive tools and water jet tools use a pressurized jet of water to cut or shape a variety of materials. Abrasive tools and water jet tools generate little heat, cut clean edges without any gasses or oils, and remove only small amounts of material. In addition, water jets and abrasive jets can cut virtually any material, do not generate side forces or mechanical stresses, and do not require tool changes. Cutting water jets may complement other cutting technologies such as electro-discharge machining (EDM), laser cutting, milling, and plasma cutting. Unlike other cutting processes, however, abrasive and water jet tools do not create hazardous materials and vapors. Some products are used in automotive and aerospace applications. Others are designed for stone and tile, tool and die, fabrication, and job-shop applications.

Component Types
There are two basic types of water cutting products: abrasive jets and water jets. Both types of water jet tools use water that is pressurized to 20,000 psi to 60,000 psi and then shot through a small-diameter opening (0.007 in. to 0.015 in.) to create a very thin beam of water. A standard water jet uses an unadulterated stream of water to cut through relatively soft materials such as carpet, paper and cardboard, soft rubber, foam rubber, gasket material, or soft wood. The device uses high-pressure water forced through a small hole to concentrate an extreme amount of energy in a small area creating a high-pressure, high-velocity beam.

standard water jet

Abrasive water jet tool

Abrasive water jet technology (AWJ) start the same way as a water jet but they inject abrasive particles into the water stream, allowing the abrasive jet to cut through materials such as stone, non-ferrous metal, glass, carbon fiber, composites, nylon, graphite, many types of steel, plastic, hard rubber and ceramic. This tool can cut material while the device is stationary but it is also highly efficient when the jet is moved across the material. Like standard water jets, AWJ tools require few secondary operations and can produce net-shaped parts without heat distortion mechanical stress.

Abrasive and Water Jet Tool Parts

Abrasive and water jet tools cut with a narrow kerf and use materials efficiently since parts can be nested tightly. Components and accessories include nozzles, compressors, pumps, cabinets, wheels, and dust collectors. To learn more about the components of abrasive and water jet tools, watch this

Abrasive and Water Jet Tool Features

Abrasive and water jet tools are available with several features for optimal performance in the required application. Dry / Air- The machine uses a stream or jet of air to carry, accelerate, or direct the abrasive particles against the workpiece. Wet / Water- The machine uses a stream or jet of water to cut, to carry, or accelerate the abrasive particles against the workpiece. Gravity Feed- The abrasive particles are fed into the nozzle or wheel by gravity for projection onto the workpiece. Pressure Feed- Pressure pot or vessel contains a mixture of abrasive and carrier fluid (air, water or other). The pressurized air, liquid, or gas in the vessel pushes the abrasive particles into the gun. Suction / Venturi Feed-The abrasive particles are sucked into the gun, nozzle, or lance through a Venturi generation process. Venturi generators use a fast moving stream to create a vacuum that pulls materials into the steam.

Product Specifications
When selecting abrasive tools and water jet tools, specifications to consider include jet pressure, abrasive grain or media flow, traverse speed and power. Jet pressure is the pressure of the water used to create a jet or blast stream for cutting or propelling abrasive particles. Abrasive grain or media flow is the rate of flow or feed of the abrasive grain. Traverse speed is the feed speed of the workpiece as presented to the abrasive stream or water jet. Power is the mechanical motor power required for driving the pumps or compressors on abrasive and water jet tools.

How do waterjets work?

Take ordinary tap water and pressurize it to 60,000 psi (4,000 bar) and force it through a very small hole. Mix the water with garnet abrasive and you have a very thin stream of water traveling very fast that will rapidly erode most materials. Some waterjets are "pure waterjets" and don't add the garnet abrasive. These are used to cut softer materials, such as food, rubber, and foam.

What can waterjets cut? What can't they cut?

Waterjets can cut just about any material that can be made into a sheet and placed in front of them. The most popular materials are metals (especially aluminum, because it's relatively soft and cuts quickly), because waterjets can cut intricate shapes to a high precision quickly and economically. Since metals are the most common material cut by machining shops, waterjets tend to cut a lot of metal. Waterjets also commonly cut stone and glass, because the waterjet can get intricate shapes not possible using traditional machining methods. These materials are popular with artists who like to work with these materials and waterjets because it lets them create almost anything they can envision. Among the very few materials that waterjets cannot cut are diamonds and tempered glass. Diamonds are too hard to cut (and there may be a few other very hard materials that can't be cut). Tempered glass will shatter when it is cut with a waterjet (tempered glass is designed to shatter when it's disturbed and is frequently used in windshields for this very reason). A few advanced ceramics are so hard that it's not economical to cut them. Some composite materials (layers of different materials sandwiched together) can't be cut because the water can seep between the layers and "delaminate" the material. Many composite materials cut just fine, though, and there are some techniques to cutting laminated materials.

Basic waterjet principles

Waterjets are fast, flexible, reasonably precise, and in the last few years have become friendly and easy to use. They use the technology of high-pressure water being forced through a small hole ( typically called the "orifice" or "jewel") to concentrate an extreme amount of energy in a small area. The restriction of the tiny orifice creates high pressure and a high-velocity beam, much like putting your finger over the end of a garden hose. Pure waterjets use the beam of water exiting the orifice to cut soft material like diapers, candy bars, and thin soft wood, but are not effective for cutting harder materials.

Typical design of a pure waterjet nozzle The inlet water for a pure waterjet is pressurized between 20,000 and 60,000 Pounds Per Square Inch (PSI) (1300 to 6200 bar). This is forced through a tiny hole in the jewel, which is typically 0.007" to 0.020" in diameter (0.18 to 0.4 mm). This creates a very high-velocity, very thin beam of water (which is why some people refer to waterjets as "water lasers") traveling as close to the speed of sound (about 600 mph or 960 km/hr). An abrasivejet starts out the same as a pure waterjet. As the thin stream of water leaves the jewel, however, abrasive is added to the the stream and mixed. The high-velocity water exiting the jewel creates a vacuum which pulls abrasive from the abrasive line, which then mixes with the water in the mixing tube. The beam of water accelerates abrasive particles to speeds fast enough to cut through much harder materials.

(Left): A diagram of an abrasivejet nozzle. (Right): Photograph of the same nozzle, with the guard removed, cutting out some parts. The cutting action of an abrasivejet is two-fold. The force of the water and abrasive erodes the material, even if the jet is stationary (which is how the material is initially pierced). The cutting action is greatly enhanced if the abrasivejet stream is moved across the material and the ideal speed of movement depends on a variety of factors, including the material, the shape of the part, the water pressure and the type of abrasive. Controlling the speed of the abrasivejet nozzle is crucial to efficient and economical machining.

(Left) A typical waterjet nozzle to the left of an abrasivejet nozzle. (Right) An abrasive nozzle installed on a machine. The white tube protruding from the side of the abrasive nozzle brings the abrasive to the nozzle.