Water Jet Glass Cutting

By Bear Glass NJ


Water Jet Cut Applications

Printed Circuit Boards:

For circuit boards, waterjet cutting is mostly used to cut out smaller boards from a large piece of stock. This is a desired method, since it has a very small kerf, or cutting width, and does not waste a lot of material. Because the stream is so concentrated, it can also cut very close to the given tolerances for parts mounted on the circuit board without damaging them. Another benefit is that waterjet cutting does not produce the vibrations and forces on the board that a saw would, and thus components would be less likely to be damaged.

Wire Stripping:

Wire stripping is another application that can be used effectively in waterjet cutting. If no abrasives are used, the stream is powerful enough to remove any insulation from wires, without damaging the wires themselves. It is also much faster and efficient than using human power to strip wires.

Food Preparation:

The cutting of certain foods such as bread can also be easily done with waterjet cutting. Since the waterjet exerts such a small force on the food, it does not crush it, and with a small width, very little is wasted.

Tool Steel:

For abrasive waterjet cutting, tool steels are one application, although a limited one. It can be very useful though because tool steel is generally very difficult to cut with conventional machining methods, and may cause an unwanted byproduct: heat. Abrasive waterjets, however, do not produce heat that could alter the structure of the material being cut, and thus the strength of the tool is retained.

Wood Cutting:

Woodworking is another application that abrasive waterjet machining can be used for. Since wood is a softer material compared to steel, almost all wood can be cut, and the abrasive particles sand the surface, leaving a smooth finish that doesn’t require sanding.


Advantages of Water Jet Cutting