Waterjet Cutting in Michigan

What is Waterjet Cutting used for?

Waterjet Cutting is a process involving high-pressure water and a fine abrasive waterjet stream. It uses a water stream with a cutting line, acting on a specialized material such as stainless steel, synthetic composite plastics, rubber, and more. If you’re looking for Waterjet Cutting in Michigan, then look no further then Golden Valley Products.

High Pressure

Waterjet cutting is an intricate, highly versatile and accurate method of precision cutting that utilizes a high-pressure jet of water to cut through multiple types materials. Waterjet cutting is a process that uses cold water and intense pressure to cut products or components out of larger materials sheets. A waterjet cutter uses a powerful, narrow stream of pressurized water to cut through material. With Golden Valley Product’s Waterjet cutters, pressures can reach as high as 90,000 psi. With this intensity, a wide range of materials and thicknesses can be cut easily into the perfect product or component . Unlike other methods of cutting, waterjet cutting is extremely accurate, especially for flat or curved surfaces. It also does not require any heat to the material being cut, so it can be used on heat-sensitive materials.

Accuracy

Accuracy is one of the many benefits of Golden Valley Product’s Waterjet cutters. The computer-controlled system allows for extremely accurate cuts with a high degree of repeatability. This makes waterjet cutting ideal for many applications, including medical devices and aerospace parts. Our waterjet cutters are guaranteed to cut with an accuracy of 0.005 inches, or 0.13 mm. However, we more frequently record our finished cuts to fall within an astounding 0.001 inches, or 0.025mm on a variety of materials and thicknesses.

Low-Waste

Are you worried about the cost of unused scrap material during the production process? Waterjet cutting reduces the amount of scrap material generated during the production process because of its narrow kerf. This means that each part or product cut out of the broad uncut material piece can be nested closely together without risk of the waterjet cutting into the next piece. This is a major advantage over other machining processes, which require additional labor and resources to remove the excess material. When you receive your parts from us, they will be ready for use with minimal waste.

Low Heat

When you use a waterjet cutting process, the heat generated by the process is minimal. This is important because it means that your material will not be damaged by excessive heat during production. If you need to produce components out of a product that melts or burns easily, then waterjet cutting is the perfect solution. Waterjet cutting is also a great option for cutting materials that are sensitive to heat, such as plastic or foam. When you need to cut out complex shapes from these products, using a laser can damage them or leave them warped. With waterjet cutting, those issues will never be an issue. If you need to use cork, neoprene, felt, Teflon, foam, or other easily melted or otherwise damaged materials, waterjet cutting is the way to go. The waterjet cutting process can be used to cut out complex shapes from these products, as well as from materials that are sensitive to heat, such as plastic or foam. When you need to cut out complex shapes from these products, using a laser can damage them or leave them warped.

Variety of Materials

If you’re worried about how well waterjet cutters will hold up against thicker or denser materials such as copper, brass, stainless steel, or aluminum , you can rest assured that waterjet cutters are capable of handling these materials. In fact, if you’re looking to cut out complex shapes from a single piece of metal as part of your business, this is the best way to do it. The waterjet cutting process allows for high-precision cuts without damaging the material being cut. For denser materials, an abrasive compound is mixed into the water stream to add the extra punch needed to cleanly cut through the metal. The process itself is also very safe, as the waterjet machine uses a focused stream of high-pressure water to cut through the material. This means that there’s no risk of sparks or flying debris when using a waterjet cutter, which makes this tool ideal for use around flammable materials.

Waterjet cutting can be used to cut out custom shapes and patterns in many different materials, including:

Thicker film Plastics
EPDM Rubber
Felt or Teflon (PTFE)
Adhesive backed, and thick Foams
Neoprene
Urethane
Silicone
Sponge rubber
VHB adhesives
Cork
Metals
And more!