3 Useful Water Jet Cutting Tips for DIY-savvy People

A water jet cutting system uses high-pressure water passing through a nozzle to cut through almost any surface such as metal, glass, and concrete. The water is combined with an abrasive material such as garnet to give it that cutting power. This technology has become popular in the manufacturing industry because of its unrivaled precision cutting. If you are a DIY-savvy individual, you might want to try out this cutting technology. Here are a few tips you need to know before you get started.

Cold Cutting Technology -- Many cutting technologies produce a lot of heat, which can damage the surface that is being cut because of warping, cracking, hardening, crystallization or melting. Water jet cutting, on the other hand, is a cold cutting technology that can cut through delicate material without rendering them unusable. When cutting though plastic, for instance, you do not have to worry about all distortions resulting from melting.

Cuts Through Every Imaginable Object – The best thing about water jet cutting technology is that it can cut through any household item or material you can imagine at a super fast speed. This may seem scary, but imagine the power that this technology places in your hand, eliminating the need to purchase various power tools. If you have a home improvement project, a water jet cutter can help you cut through material such as stone, concrete, metal bars, and glass. Most water jet cutters pack a cutting pressure of at least 60,000 PSI (pressure unit), responsible for precise and fast cutting. This is why a water jet cutter can dissect through metal like a knife through butter.

Abrasive Grains -- Most cutters use garnet (similar to gemstone) abrasive. Abrasives enhance the cutting ability of the system, ensuring that it cuts through tough materials such as ceramic. The advantage of garnet is that it is a moderately inert material that will not react with other materials being cut. When planning to use other materials, ensure that they do not react with the surface of the material being cut. Moreover, choose a pure abrasive for high precision and unmatched cutting speed. When you want a marginally slower but a smooth cut surface, go for smaller abrasive grains. Alternatively, when working on different cutting jobs that require different abrasive sizes, an abrasive bulk transfer system can be ideal. The system delivers a continuous flow of different abrasives for various applications through inlet valves.