CNC waterjet cutting in industry

Cutting a wide range of materials

The digitally controlled waterjet cutting machine tool is a compendium of technology. It offers many advantages, starting with high-precision cutting. This precision preserves the entire molecular structure of the product being cut.

The power of the water jet and the pressure are adjustable.

This makes it possible to cut soft materials such as rubber or leather without the risk of damaging them. Waterjet cutting technology is also suitable for hard materials: steel, aluminium, etc.

Energy-saving technology

Whether it's a soft or high-density material, this type of machine uses a small amount of water. The water is used cold. This technology reduces operating costs and helps protect the environment.  It also optimises offcuts when cutting parts, which reduces the need for raw materials. 

A water-jet cutting machine is also a machine whose investment quickly pays for itself. It therefore meets the needs of small businesses in all sectors of industry. Finally, thanks to its optimised operation, it makes the operator's job easier and saves him a lot of time.

A process that combines speed and precision 

Like laser cutting, waterjet cutting produces an extremely precise cut. Hard, soft or even sensitive materials can be cut to size. The high pressure (up to 6200 bar) exerted on the part to be cut is adapted as required via a more or less fine nozzle. The focussing guide bush limits the loss of raw material by ensuring a precise, fine cut.

Cold cutting with or without abrasive

Cutting with pure water offers a major advantage. The water used is cold. This process therefore produces no heat-affected zones (HAZ). This advantage is significant in many applications in industrial sectors such as food processing or textile manufacturing.

How the high-pressure water jet cutting machine works

The machine incorporates a high-pressure cutting system. It has several axes and an articulated head to provide extremely high precision and choice of cuts.  The operator controls the machine from an interface using programming software. The first step in cutting with or without abrasives is to filter the water to remove impurities.

The velocity, produced by the pressure exerted through the use of a small nozzle, creates a water jet of the order of a few microns. Certain abrasives can be incorporated in a dosage depending on the material to be cut. The water is then compressed using a special pump. The speed is increased to 2 to 3 times the speed of sound. The concentrated energy of the water molecules, reinforced by the abrasive, enables almost any material to be cut, with thicknesses of up to 200 mm for hard materials.

Waterjet cutting with abrasives

Waterjet cutting can be used to cut a wide range of metals. It represents an interesting alternative to laser and plasma techniques. It is both more precise and less expensive. Table-top cutting technology enables thicker metals such as titanium and aluminium to be cut.

With this cold cutting process, no deformation can be produced by the heat, and there is no hardening of the material. Its precision eliminates the need for most of the retouching routinely carried out in other processes. Finally, water jet cutting enables thicker metals to be cut with great precision.

The addition of abrasive, the absence of vibration and the thermal neutrality of the operation mean that glass can be cut in a variety of shapes and patterns. Simple techniques will prevent the glass from cracking. This makes most glass cuts possible and more economical. 

High-pressure water jet technology can also be used to cut many other materials: stainless steel, alloys, stone, ceramics, tiles, foam, rubber, fabrics, cardboard, etc.

Abrasive-free waterjet cutting

Abrasive-free waterjet cutting meets the health and safety requirements of the food industry, for example. The MDA cutting machine features a mobile table for loading and unloading in hidden time. Cutting with pure water is carried out in a healthy environment, with no possibility of contamination. This process saves a lot of time. There is no need to replace the blades. So there's no interruption to the manufacturing process. This type of cutting also offers great flexibility in the diversity of raw materials to be machined and the shapes to be formed.

PUREJET: for cutting soft or light materials

The PUREJET range is designed for cutting soft or light materials without abrasives, using pure water only. With this equipment, you can envisage intensive industrial use with a high level of efficiency. PUREJET cuts rubber and rubber derivatives with ease. It also cuts thin plastics, leather, paper and cardboard, rock wool and woven tarpaulins.

Its brushless motor makes it particularly durable, with minimum wear and tear. Its welded structure is also designed for durability and low maintenance. Compact, it is designed to make the operator's job easier, with its 21" touch screen and user-friendly HMI.

LABJET: a compact, precise and efficient range

The LABJET range is designed to be versatile. Although within a controlled budget, its precision is of the highest quality. This machine is suitable for cutting both soft and hard materials, with abrasive added to the water. Its high-pressure pump (up to 4,000 bar) ensures a cut that's as precise as it is effective. 

This type of equipment cuts foams, plastics and rubbers as well as composite materials, glass and metal. Although versatile, it is powerful and safe to use. It has an X-axis travel of up to 1050 mm, a Y-axis travel of up to 750 mm and a manual Z-axis travel of up to 50 mm. Cut sheets can measure up to 1200 x 1000 mm.

MECAJET: water-jet cutting machine for soft and hard materials

The MECAJET incorporates the latest innovations: new long-life pneumatic cutting heads, axis positioning control, 3- or 5-axis head, rake control, etc. The 3 or 5-axis cutting heads are powered by a THP pump ranging from 15 HP (10 kW, maximum flow rate 1.2 l / min at 3,800 bar) to 125 HP (92 kW, maximum flow rate 10 L / min at 6,200 bar). This water-jet cutter is designed for :

- Soft materials: rubber, plastic, leather, etc. in the leather and textiles sector, for example.
- Hard materials with abrasive addition: metal, ceramics, glass, stone, composite materials, etc. in industrial applications such as plastics processing, luxury goods and crafts, or mechanical engineering.

QUIK JET II: Compact and precise for all materials

This water jet cutting machine designed by MECANUMERIC is unique on the market. It combines safety, compactness, high productivity and ultra-precision. Its kinematics are inspired by mechanical machining centre solutions (use of ballscrews on all axes, high-performance AC brushless servomotors controlled by a user-friendly numerical control), enabling it to produce high-precision parts.

Equipped with high-pressure pumps and THP components, the QUICKJET II is a waterjet cutting machine optimised for all industrial precision cutting applications involving pure, soft or hard materials. Unique on the market, the new QUICKJET II equipment can produce high-precision parts from all materials, soft or hard.

MDE: a very high-pressure die-cutter

This cutting machine has been designed specifically for the textile and leather goods industries. Thanks to its very high pressure (up to 3800 bars), the MDE range cuts fabrics, leathers and derivatives with maximum precision. Perfect, burr-free cuts. 

Thanks to a cutting mist extraction and cooling system, the MDE is particularly efficient and fast. Practical, it is equipped with a numerical control and an HMI on an integrated console.

MDA: waterjet cutting machine for agri-food applications

The MDA range allows the cutting of food products such as pastries, fish, catering products, sandwiches, etc. Innovative technologies result in mechanical precision and guarantee durability and performance over time.

It complies with food safety and hygiene regulations, the main advantage of the water jet cutting machine is the absence of a blade, cutting is done without contact with the product.