Use of high pressure water as an erosion process has a long history, dating back to the mid-1800s in the mining industry. But it wasn’t until well into the 21st century that concept of narrow jets for industrial use was conceived and the waterjet cutting machine was born.
One of the forefathers of the waterjet cutting machine technology is Norman Franz. Dr. Franz studied the technology extensively as it pertained to cutting lumber. The engineer was the first to study the use of ultrahigh-pressure water as a cutting tool. UHP is considered anything higher than 30,000 pounds per square inch (psi).
His studies included dropping heavy weights on columns of water and funneling that pressurized water through a tiny hole. He was never able to create a system that could produce continuous high pressure but he laid the foundation for what would later become a leader in the machine industry. While a waterjet cutting machine is not used in the lumber industry today, it is used to cut just about any other material at high production levels.
Over the next forty years, the process was perfected and, eventually, adding abrasive like sand and granite elevated the process to the next level. Abrasive allowed the machines to cut much thicker and harder materials.
The basic technology is both simple and extremely complex. Simply explained, water flows through a pump and out a cutting head. But to reach a pressure of 60,000 psi, a waterjet cutting system is a complex machine designed by experienced engineers.
Today, waterjet cutting machines are used in almost every industry and can also complement other cutting machines that use laser and other technologies. It can cut through almost any material – from cake to composites. It as many advantages and is used in a multiple of settings. It has perfected the age-old process of chipping away at a material, and does so with minimal waste and with maximum precision.
Artists may take their designs to a general machinist shop to cut intricate designs in hard materials like stone or glass. From simple uses like this to the manufacturing of parts in the aerospace industry, this versatile machine combines pinpoint accuracy with efficiency for a superior cutting process.