1.What are the core advantages of waterjet cutting?
No heat-affected zone: This is the biggest advantage. Waterjet cutting uses ultra-high pressure water jets (mixed with abrasive) for cutting, and the process does not generate high temperatures.
Protective coating: Completely avoids the problems of coating ablation, melting, discoloration, and toxic fumes caused by the high heat of laser and plasma cutting. The coating on both sides of the cut remains intact.
Maintaining material properties: The substrate metal does not undergo thermal cycling, therefore there is no thermal deformation, no hardening or embrittlement areas, and the original mechanical properties of the material are preserved.
High-quality cutting, burr-free:
Smooth, flat cuts with high precision (typically ±0.1mm).
Excellent perpendicularity of the cut edge allows for direct use in precision assembly, reducing subsequent grinding processes.
Extremely adaptable to materials:
Easily cuts any complex shape, sharp corners, and small round holes, offering far greater flexibility than traditional shearing and slitting machines.
Unrestricted by material hardness; can cut low-carbon steel, stainless steel, and even color-coated coils with aluminum alloy substrates.
Environmentally friendly and safe:
Dust-free (unlike abrasive wheel cutting), free of toxic gases and metal vapors, resulting in a cleaner working environment.
2.What precautions should be taken to prevent rust from forming the cut surface?
The core problem: The cut surface after waterjet cutting is 100% exposed metal, where the protection provided by the coating is broken. Without treatment, the exposed cut edges will rust rapidly, and the rust will spread beneath the coating, causing it to peel off.
Solution: Rust prevention treatment must be applied to the cut edges immediately after cutting. The standard practice is to carefully coat all exposed metal cut edges with a specialized rust-preventive paint (such as an epoxy zinc-rich primer or a matching edge coat). This is a crucial follow-up step that determines the success or failure of a waterjet cut.
3.How can the problem of water erosion be solved?
Problem: During cutting, water and abrasive can seep into the cut and surrounding area. If the boards are stacked or not dried promptly, moisture may become trapped between the boards or seep into minor damage to the coating, potentially causing corrosion over time.
Solution:
Immediately after cutting, use dry compressed air to dry the cut and board surface.
Lay the boards in single layers at an angle to ensure thorough and rapid drying.
Avoid prolonged immersion in water.
4.What about operating costs and speed?
Waterjet cutting equipment has higher initial investment and daily maintenance costs (high-pressure pump, abrasive, nozzle).
Cutting speed is generally slower than plasma cutting and also slower than medium-power laser cutting, but better than mechanical methods such as band saws.
5.How about the support and back protection?
High-pressure water jets may cause minor impact damage ("water splashes") to the supporting mesh bed or the coating on the back when penetrating the sheet material.
Suitable supports (such as a specially designed slat table) should be used, and protective padding should be placed under the sheet material where possible.