CNC Water Jet Cutting
Ultra-high pressure water streams mixed with abrasive garnet cut through materials up to 8" thick with zero heat-affected zones, enabling precision fabrication of heat-sensitive alloys and composite materials for specialized fleet applications.
60,000 PSI Precision Without Heat
Water jet cutting accelerates water to three times the speed of sound (Mach 3), then mixes it with abrasive garnet particles to create a cutting stream that erodes material along a programmed path. Operating pressure reaches 60,000 PSI - comparable to the pressure found 4 miles beneath the ocean surface. The process generates no heat, eliminates hardening or warping, and leaves no heat-affected zones that compromise material properties.
Cold Cutting Advantages
- Zero heat-affected zone preserves material properties
- No material hardening or stress concentration
- Cut hardened tool steels without annealing first
- Process composite materials without delamination
- Stack cutting through multiple material layers simultaneously
Specialized Applications
- Thick plate fabrication up to 8" steel
- Heat-sensitive titanium and aluminum components
- Hardened tool steel cutting and shaping
- Composite material processing without damage
- Multi-layer stack cutting for production efficiency
System Specifications and Capabilities
60,000 PSI Operating Pressure
Ultra-high pressure intensifier pump delivers consistent cutting force capable of processing materials from rubber gaskets to 8" thick armor plate steel.
6' x 12' Cutting Table
Large format capacity with full sheet processing and multiple part nesting. Submerged cutting tank reduces noise and contains abrasive spray during operation.
5-Axis Cutting Head
Articulating head cuts bevels and angles up to 60° from vertical. Dynamic taper compensation maintains edge quality on thick materials throughout the cut depth.
Abrasive Metering System
Precision garnet delivery system optimizes abrasive flow rate for material type and thickness. Consistent mixing ratio ensures uniform cut quality across production runs.
When Water Jet Makes Sense for Fleet Programs
Processing Materials Laser Can't Handle
Highly reflective materials like polished aluminum and copper deflect laser energy. Thick sections over 1.5" become thermally impractical for laser cutting. Composite materials like fiberglass and carbon fiber delaminate under thermal cutting. Water jet handles all of these without issue because the process is purely mechanical erosion.
Maintaining Material Certification
Heat from laser or plasma cutting can alter material properties in the cut zone - hardness changes, microstructure transformation, residual stress. For fleet applications requiring certified materials (pressure vessels, load-bearing structures), water jet's cold cutting process preserves original material certifications throughout the finished part.
Thick Plate and Structural Steel
Fabricating heavy-duty mounting systems and structural reinforcements often requires plate steel 2"-4" thick. Water jet cuts these thicknesses in single operations without preheating, multi-pass torch cutting, or edge preparation. Finished edges are ready for welding with minimal cleanup.
Prototyping Exotic Materials
Testing new material combinations or specialized alloys in prototype fleet builds? Water jet's universal cutting capability lets you evaluate titanium, Inconel, carbon fiber, aramid composites, and other advanced materials without investing in specialized tooling for each material type.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the maximum thickness you can cut?
We cut mild steel up to 8" thick, stainless steel up to 6", aluminum up to 5", and titanium up to 4". Thicker materials require slower cutting speeds and produce wider kerf, but there's theoretically no upper thickness limit for abrasive water jet - it's a function of time and economics rather than capability.
How does cut quality compare to laser cutting?
Water jet edge quality ranges from Q3 to Q5 on the ISO 9013 scale depending on cutting speed and abrasive flow rate. Laser generally produces Q4-Q5 quality on thin materials. Water jet's advantage is maintaining consistent quality through thick sections where laser quality degrades. Water jet also leaves no heat discoloration or oxide formation requiring removal.
What materials can't be cut with water jet?
Tempered glass shatters from water jet impact. Very soft materials like foam rubber compress rather than cut cleanly. Certain brittle ceramics may fracture. Otherwise, water jet cuts virtually everything - metals, composites, stone, glass, plastics, wood, rubber. If material can be eroded, water jet can cut it.
How accurate is water jet cutting?
Positioning accuracy is ±0.003" and repeatability is ±0.001". Actual part tolerance achievable is ±0.005" to ±0.010" depending on material thickness, type, and edge quality requirements. Kerf width ranges from 0.030" to 0.050" depending on cutting parameters. Taper through thick sections is controlled via dynamic angle compensation.
Can you cut stacked materials?
Yes. Stack cutting multiple sheets simultaneously is one of water jet's key advantages. We routinely stack 4-8 sheets of thin material and cut them as a single unit. This multiplies production efficiency for bracket blanks, shims, and gaskets. All layers receive identical geometry. Fixturing prevents shifting during cutting.
What's the typical lead time for water jet parts?
Simple parts in common materials ship in 5-7 business days. Complex geometries requiring program development and first-article approval take 7-10 days. Exotic materials not in stock can add 1-2 weeks for material procurement. Large production runs are scheduled based on machine availability but typically complete within 3-4 weeks including first-article approval.
Ready for cold cutting technology?
Contact our fabrication team to discuss how water jet cutting can handle the challenging materials and thick sections your fleet program demands.