Description: Water Jet Cutting Technology is a way to augment the level of automation. The energy for material separation is obtained by focusing high pressure and high speed water through a fine precious stone orifice. The heart of 2D or 3D cutting systems is the high-pressure pump-a streamline intensifier pump with hydraulic drive. In the primary circuit, hydraulic oil is pre-pressurised using a hydraulic pump. This pressure is then multiplied using the intensifier in the secondary circuit. In continuous operation, the high pressure pump can work at up to 3800 bar with a jet stream velocity of 800 m/s (equals 2.5 times the velocity of sound) exiting from the focusing nozzle in the cutting head. In this way, potential energy is converted into kinetic energy. The cutting water is filtered beforehand in order to protect the high pressure parts and the intensifier. The abrasive cutting head with inserted focusing nozzle is integrated into the manipulator, which can either be a root, 2D or 3D gantry. The system can also be integrated into a slitter where the material is moving under the jet. In 3D cutting, the part is lightly fixed on to a grid and the manipulator moves the head along the pre-programmed path. With pure water and no additives, it is possible to cut textiles, elastomers, non wovens and thin plastics. Abrasive jet cutting is used to separate harder materials such as metals, stone bullet proof glass and ceramics.
