Versatile and precise.

Water jet cutting.

CNC cutting with water jet.

Perfect cuts efficiently placed.

As a cold cutting process, CNC waterjet cutting is a material-friendly and efficient process that impresses with its speed, maximum precision and minimal effort for reworking cut edges. We offer CNC milling machines for different waterjet cutting processes - a wide range of options for your customised results.

Jürgen Balzer

Technical sales

+49 (0) 6659 981-774
juergen.balzer@isel.com

Termin vereinbaren

Functionality and types of waterjet cutters

Modern water cutting machines are capable of compressing the water jet to up to 6,000 bar. As a result, it reaches an exit speed of 1,200 m/s at the cutting nozzle, which corresponds to four times the speed of sound. This generates enormous forces when it hits the workpiece, which are capable of cutting even thick materials almost burr-free. Depending on the material, water cutting is carried out either with pure water or with added abrasive agents such as sand.

Pure water jet cutting

The pure water jet cutting process uses pure water as the cutting medium and is suitable for softer materials such as fabrics, rubber, leather or thin plastics. However, the water jet also cuts very thin metal foils without any problems. When waterjet cutting with pure water, the machine produces a water jet that is only a few tenths of a millimetre thick and cuts through the material like a knife with a very fine cut.

Abrasive waterjet cutting

In abrasive waterjet cutting, the waterjet is mixed with abrasive materials such as garnet sand in a mixing chamber before it hits the workpiece. Depending on the material being cut, different grit sizes from 80 to 120 mesh are used; for micro waterjet cutting, grit sizes between 300 and 400 mesh are even used. Abrasive cutting is used for hard materials such as metal, ceramics, glass, armoured glass, ceramics or stone.

Advantages

Have you ever cut with a water jet?

Versatility

Waterjet cutting is very versatile thanks to the different processes and is suitable for a wide range of materials. The waterjet cuts soft materials such as paper, leather or plastics as well as stone, metal or glass.

Precision

The precision of water cutting is very high due to technological progress and therefore enables the production of complex shapes. Depending on the machine equipment, the tolerances are in the range of +/- 0.1 to 0.02 millimetres.

No heat development

Waterjet cutting is ideal for processing heat-sensitive materials due to its minimal heat generation. Harmful vapours during plastic processing are eliminated with waterjet cutting, as is the possible deformation of the material.

Advantages

Cleanliness

Waterjet cutting is a very environmentally friendly process thanks to the use of water and natural abrasives. Vapour emissions are prevented by the lack of heat generation and any dust produced is bound directly in the recyclable cutting water.

No deformation

With waterjet cutting, there is no deformation of the material as the waterjet is not a direct cutting tool and no heat is generated. The material is removed by the water jet and remains flat and undeformed during the cutting process.

Water-jet technology.

The iWS 1000 is the ideal choice for small batch production, educational institutions and workshop operations. This compact waterjet system was developed with the aim of providing a cost-effective solution that is easy to install, maintain and operate.

To the product.

FAQ

Questions and answers about waterjet cutting

How does CNC waterjet cutting work?

CNC waterjet cutting works with very high water pressure, which is generated by the machine's high-pressure pump. A pressure of up to 6,000 bar can be achieved. The highly compressed water is forced through a nozzle and forms a water jet just a few tenths of a millimetre thick, which cuts the material like a knife.

What accuracy can be achieved with waterjet cutting
and what does the cut surface look like?

Modern CNC waterjet cutting machines work with high precision and a minimum tolerance of 0.1 to 0.02 millimetres. The cut surfaces of soft materials are absolutely smooth. In abrasive cutting, the condition of the surface depends on the material and the grain size of the abrasive used. As a rule, the surfaces are rough, but without burr-like edges. Glass and plastics in particular have silky smooth surfaces when using the right grit size of abrasive.

What are the advantages of waterjet cutting compared to other cutting processes?

The biggest advantage of water cutting is the lack of heat generation. This makes the process the ideal solution for heat-sensitive materials such as carbon or certain composite plastics. But the process also has other convincing advantages such as high environmental compatibility, cleanliness and high cost-effectiveness. Its versatility should also be taken into account, as waterjet cutting machines can process a wide variety of materials.

Cost factor - how expensive is waterjet cutting?

Waterjet cutting is very often the more cost-effective solution compared to other processes, especially for small quantities or individual pieces with a material thickness of 15 millimetres or more. In principle, waterjet cutting is one of the most favourable alternatives.

For many years, isel Germany has been a strong partner for the production areas of a wide range of companies. Benefit from our many years of experience and extensive expertise in CNC cutting systems.