Thick materials are often harder to cut through, but the waterjet cutter can cut through them with ease. Using high pressured water or a combination of high pressured water and an abrasive compound such as grit, the material is cut all the way through in one pass. This machine can handle cutting all the way through thin or thick materials as well as just etching into the materials.
A Waterjet Cutting Machine can be used on materials as thin as thousands of an inch all the way up to materials as thick as four inches. When cutting thicker materials, the materials are passed slower through the machine so the machine can make the thick cut. Materials that can be cut using this machine and technique include metals, granite, wood, and just about anything else. There are proposals in place to even create a portable waterjet cutter that can be used to cut grass along the highway to save on time and labor.
When you don’t want the material cut all the way through, a Waterjet Cutting Machine may still be the right machine for your project. The waterjet cutter can be used to etch into the top later of materials instead of all the way through. This is done by passing the material through the cutter at a higher rate of speed. The higher rate of speed allows the water to cut through some of the material, but does not allow it the time to cut through the entire thickness. Applications for this could include creating unique signs for businesses.
Whether your material is thin or thick, and almost no matter what material you have, a waterjet cutting machine could be the right tool to get your project done. If you have just an idea for a project or the entire layout, it would be a good idea to talk with an engineer that specializes in waterjet cutting. They will be able to help you get your project done on the waterjet cutter. It won’t matter if your material is thin or thick or if you want the material cut all the way through or just etched.