Thread: cutting steel with water

I was watching one of those MEGA TV shows . They were building a new submarine for the US navy . They showed how they cut out 300mm thick hardened steel plates with a water jet , the water has a garnet abrasive in it . They said a positive effect is, the water keeps the steel cooler and negates the distortion due to heat . Mike

We have a water jet at work its a pretty cool machine you can cut almost anything, The water is pressurized to 3,500 bar I think

A local conveyor belt company here just bought a hydro-cutting machine. We went and did an industry visit late last year and its a pretty seriously cool piece of kit. They said it would cut 6in of stainless and 8in of mild steel, but it would cut just about anything they care to throw in the pond. They had just finished a job where they were cutting 1/8in acrylic sheets that pressed into each other to form an advertising sign and another job where a guy needed 8mm holes cut into bigish riverstones to form a water feature. Every time he touched one with a masonry bit, the rock would shatter. This water cutted did every one of the 50 rocks without a single breakage.

I thought our school should buy one, but evidently the machine is worth some million plus (they wouldnt say precisely) and thats just a little out of our budget. For the next century.

Yeah a serious cutter. Thought the vertical plate roller was pretty coo as welll.

It might surprise you guys, but one of the better water jet manufacturers, is in humble Campbellfield Melbourne. Techni-Jet. TECHNI Waterjet Cutting Machines for Waterjet Cutting Metal, Glass, Stone & Rubber

They developed a servo driven pump which has won any amount of international design awards. They even sell that to other manufacturers and as a retrofit option. TECHNI Waterjet Showroom : Modern Machine Shop

As well as the hard stuff, like steel, glass and ceramics. They will also cut soft stuff like plastics, fabrics and carpet.

Have any of you ever walked into a National Australia Bank (NAB), and seen the red carpet star in-layed, with in black carpet to make up the logo? Good chance it was water jet cut. I was at a customer a few years ago and they had truck loads of them going out the door.

Regards Phil.