As a "cold cutting" technology, water jet cutting has the following characteristics compared with other cutting technologies:
1. Comparison with Laser Cutting
Material Range: Waterjets can cut almost all materials, including metal, stone, glass, ceramics, and composite materials. They are particularly suitable for cutting heat-sensitive and high-hardness materials. Laser cutting is primarily suitable for metals and some non-metallic materials, but is less effective for cutting highly reflective and transparent materials.
Thickness Limitation: Lasers can typically cut metals up to a maximum thickness of 20mm; waterjets can cut plates exceeding 100mm.
Cost and Energy Consumption: Laser equipment has a high initial investment and consumes a lot of energy. Waterjets are moderately expensive, with operating costs primarily coming from the abrasive and recyclable water.
2. Comparison with Plasma Cutting
Cutting Quality: Plasma cutting produces a relatively wide kerf, which may have slag and burrs on the edges, requiring subsequent processing. Water jet cutting produces a narrower, smoother cut, free of slag and burrs, resulting in higher cutting quality.
Material Range: Plasma cutting is primarily used for conductive metals (steel, iron, etc.) and is ineffective on non-metals; water jet cutting can cut all materials, including metal, stone, and glass.
Precision Control: Plasma cutting has lower precision (±0.1-0.5mm error); water jet cutting achieves accuracy of ±0.01mm, making it suitable for precision parts processing.
3. Comparison with Mechanical Cutting
Cutting Efficiency: Wire EDM is slow, especially when cutting thick workpieces, resulting in long processing times. Waterjet cutting is relatively efficient and can complete cutting tasks in a shorter time.
Cutting Shape: Wire EDM is primarily used for cutting two-dimensional workpieces and is more difficult for cutting complex three-dimensional shapes. Waterjet cutting can cut a variety of complex three-dimensional shapes through five-axis machining, making it more adaptable.
Application Options: Mechanical cutting can be used for simple straight-line cutting; waterjet cutting is more efficient for processing irregular, brittle, and thick materials.