Plasma, Oxicombustível, Laser ou Jato de Água: Qual Escolher?

Plasma, Oxyfuel, Laser or Water Jet: Which One to Choose?

In metal processing applications, users often have difficulty choosing the most suitable metal cutting machine. The main metal cutting processes currently available have unique characteristics related to cutting thickness, precision, metallurgical performance and productivity.

While this article cannot cover all the details of these features, we can provide an overview that will help you better understand and make the best choice.

Before discussing the technology and capabilities of each process, we must first define the most important needs of users in the metallurgical industry.

Choosing the right metal cutting machine: plasma, oxy-fuel, laser or waterjet

Waterjet technology has been in use for several decades and has been applied to a wide range of materials, from soft cakes to hard granite.

Pure water can be used to cut soft materials, with a high-pressure water jet (ranging from 40,000 to 60,000 psi) compressed through a nozzle, which increases flow rate and energy density.

Sand can also be added to the water jet, acting like the teeth of a saw, to cut the material with the momentum of the water jet.

State-of-the-art waterjet pumps can reach pressures of up to 100,000 psi, leading to faster cutting speeds, but require regular maintenance as pump seals need to be replaced frequently.

Waterjet technology offers two main advantages over other cutting processes, including the lack of a heat-affected zone and the ability to cut virtually any material. Furthermore, the precision of waterjet cutting is very high.

However, the main disadvantage of water jets is their slow cutting speed.

The cost of a 5′ x 10′ waterjet cutting machine can range from 200,000 to 350,000 RMB. Due to the slower speed, the cost is less than a laser bed but slightly more expensive than a plasma cutter.

Cutting cost per unit piece or unit length:

Because waterjet cutting is very slow, the cost per piece cut is the highest compared to other processes.

See too:

  • Waterjet Cost Calculator: #1 Free Online Tool

Easy to use:

Similar to the latest plasma systems, when equipped with the latest CNC and software, waterjet cutting machines are equally easy to learn and use. Very little experience is required of the operator.

Productivity:

Very slow on carbon steel and stainless steel, aluminum cutting will be faster.

Accuracy of cut part:

Waterjet accuracy is the best of all cutting processes, with dimensional tolerances of cut parts within approximately ±0. 005″ (approximately 0.13 mm).

The slope is within 1 degree.

Edge quality, metallurgical properties:

No influence on the metallurgical properties of the material to be cut.

Smooth section, the quality of the cut is related to the grain and cutting speed (the slower it is, the smoother it is).

Maintenance requirements:

Maintenance is relatively simple and can be controlled by the user.

Conclusion

After clarifying your needs and practical applications, and taking into consideration the various process characteristics described in this article, I believe you will be able to choose the most suitable metal cutting process and equipment.

Conteúdo relacionado

Back to the blog

Leave a comment

Comments need to be approved before publication.