Micro-machining water jet machine development

With the launch of the companies' range of 'fine abrasive water jet' (FAW) models, WJS and Finecut are setting out to capture the market at the opposite end of the spectrum to that targeted by most recent water jet machine developments, which have been aimed at large parts or the processing of large sheet sizes. Results from extensive market research indicate that existing maturing water jet markets will now be complemented by this new generation of fine water jet machining centres. It is predicted that the fine and micro-abrasive water jet cutting market itself may soon become as large as the total market today's conventional water jet machines, as a better understanding of the capabilities and availability of these new techniques become more widely-known and understood. These capabilities include, by way of example, a reduction in kerf width from the industry normal minimum of 0.5 mm to 0.3 mm on the currently released models, and a potential 0.2 mm, pending successful, on-going trials within customer service centres. Conventional and fine abrasive water jet cutting can be differentiated by the following: Conventional abrasive water jets (AWJs) - cutting jet diameters larger than 300 microns, abrasive carried in air and entrained into a high velocity water jet. Fine abrasive waterjet (FAWs) - cutting jet diameters between 50 and 300 microns, abrasive carried in water or air and entrained into a high velocity water jet.