Water cutting

Our waterjet cutting machines

At Stans & Press we have three CNC-controlled waterjet cutting machines. Each machine has four cutting heads, the largest of which has a cutting table measuring 4 x 6 metres. We can waterjet cut with high precision in most materials, such as sheet steel, stainless steel, aluminium, titanium, plastic, rubber, graphite, plaster and wood fibre. It is also possible to cut sheet metal thicknesses of around 100 mm with precise cuts.

Different waterjet cutting methods

There are several processing methods that involve cutting with water. Two of the most common methods are pure waterjet cutting and abrasive waterjet cutting. Both techniques utilise the power of a focused water jet to cut through different materials, but there are some distinct differences.

Pure waterjet cutting

Pure Water Jet (PWJ) cutting is a cutting method where ordinary, cold tap water is used to pressurise it to extremely high pressure in an ultra-high pressure pump. Then the water is pumped through a high-pressure pipe to the cutting tool, where a small orifice focuses the jet and converts the pressure into tremendous speed. Eventually, the water jet reaches supersonic speed and can cut through soft materials such as plastic, foam, rubber and wood veneer.

Abrasive waterjet cutting

To increase the cutting force, grains of sand are added to the water jet. This cutting method is called abrasive waterjet cutting or AWJ (Abrasive Water Jet). The sand water jet can cut through hard materials such as stone, glass, titanium, stainless steel, ceramics and composite parts with even greater precision. The precise cuts make the technology suitable for creating moulded parts for machines, legos and signs, among others. The method is also time efficient as it requires minimal post-processing.

Advantages of waterjet cutting

At Stans & Press, we offer both pure and abrasive waterjet cutting for figure cutting in a variety of materials. Cutting with water has many advantages, and some of them are:

• Minimal heat impact: In waterjet cutting, the material is processed with a cold water jet, making it ideal for materials that are temperature sensitive.
• Accurate results: The smooth cut surface minimises the need for post-processing, saving time and resources.
• Environmentally friendly alternative: Waterjet cutting can produce large volumes of identical results with a minimal amount of waste and does not require the use of chemicals or coolants.
• Versatility: The production method can be used to cut a variety of materials, including metal, stone, glass, ceramics, plastics and wood. It is a versatile method that can be adapted for different applications.