Waterjet Cutting Foam Fabrication
What Is Waterjet Cutting?
Waterjet cutting is a cold cutting process that uses a jet of high pressured and high-velocity water to slice into materials. A high-pressured water pump sends high-velocity water through the nozzle to the cutter. The process is an accelerated, controlled version of erosion.
Waterjet Cutting Processes
Water jet cutting is a popular method for cutting materials because the narrow-high-pressured kerf of the water jet stream does not alter the materials during the process. This process is a function of pressure, speed, abrasive flow rate, and nozzle size. Waterjet foam cutting eliminates the need for secondary finishing, saving significant time and improving efficiency.
There are two types of waterjet cutting, including:
- Pure waterjet - This process only uses water as a cutting tool. It is used for cutting softer materials such as gaskets, foam, food, paper, carpet, and plastic.
- Abrasive waterjet - This process adds a mix of abrasive materials to the water for more accurate cuts on materials such as metal, ceramic, stone, wood, and glass.
Advantages & Benefits
Foam is a very soft material and can be cut by using just water, eliminating the abrasive medium costs. The precision and accuracy of each cut eliminate the need for molds or plates that other cutting methods require. A significant advantage to waterjet foam cutting is that it does not produce any hazardous waste, making it environmentally friendly. The water used in the process can be recycled through the machine to be used again and the process does not require cooling oils or lubricants after cutting.
Water jet cutting foam fabrications has greater accuracy and is more powerful than other cutting techniques. Waterjet foam cutting is efficient for stacking and common line cutting which allows the machine to make cuts simultaneously and in half the time it takes other cutting processes. The small heads can create a single cut that is used to create other neighboring parts reducing process time. The addition of a 5-axis water-only cutting head adds the capability of 3-dimensional shape cutting such as polygons and cones out of foam. Other benefits of waterjet cutting:
- No heat distortion or stress caused by other heat cutting methods
- Can cut a variety of materials up to a maximum of 4-5” depending on the density of the material being cut
- Cost-efficient
- Automated loading options
- Variety of materials to cut
The Foamcraft Difference
At FoamCraft USA, delivering high-quality products that meet beyond customer satisfaction is our main goal. Our foam water jet cutting services are capable of cutting intricate parts from a variety of foam thicknesses. No matter what specifications your project requires, our team of highly trained individuals is ready to help you convert your concept into usable parts. Contact the team at FoamCraft USA for more information regarding our foam cutting capabilities.