Portable Water Jet

Water jet cutting is an advanced fabrication method that uses a high-pressure stream of water to cut through materials like metal, stone, glass, and concrete. Unlike traditional cutting methods that use heat, water jet cutting is a cold cutting process that prevents damage or alteration to the material being cut. This makes water jet cutting ideal for applications that require high precision and where heat-affected zones are undesirable.

How Does Water Jet Cutting Work?

Water jet cutting utilizes an ultra-high pressure stream of water that can exceed pressures of 90,000 psi. This high-pressure water is forced through a tiny orifice in the cutting head, creating an extremely focused cutting beam. The water jet beam is typically 0.1mm wide, which allows for precise and intricate cuts.

To cut harder materials like metal and stone, a granular abrasive like garnet sand is introduced into the high-pressure water stream. The abrasive particles greatly enhance the cutting power of the water jet. This mixture of water and abrasive is called an abrasive water jet.

The high-pressure water and abrasives are generated by an industrial water jet pump and are propelled through a cutting head mounted on multi-axis machine that controls the path of the water jet. The water jet cutting head flies just above the material being cut, following a programmed cutting path while piercing right through the material.

How Does Water Jet Cutting Work?

Compared to other cutting methods, water jet cutting provides many advantages:

• Cuts without heat, eliminating heat affected zones in the material.
• No sparks or flames, allowing it to be used safely in explosive environments.
• Cuts virtually any material, from metals and composites to glass and ceramics.
• No tooling required, allowing fast job changeovers.
• No mechanical stresses or vibrations induced into the material.
• Finely focused jet produces precise, clean cuts with a smooth edge.
• Wastes very little material compared to other cutting methods.
• Environmentally clean process with no toxic fumes or smoke.

Portable Water Jet Cutting Systems

Large industrial water jet cutting machines are commonly used in manufacturing facilities. However, there is also a need for smaller, portable water jet cutting systems that can be transported to job sites and deployed on-demand.

Portable water jet cutting units are self-contained, trailer mounted systems that can be hitched to a truck and driven directly to the work site. This allows complex water jet cutting on materials that cannot be readily moved, such as large, fabricated structures, storage tanks, concrete, and more.

Having water jet cutting capabilities on-site eliminates the costs of disassembling, moving, and relocating oversized materials to get them into a cutting shop. Portable water jet cutting brings the technology right to the structure or component needing to be processed.

Portable water jet cutting systems commonly incorporate an abrasive cutting head mounted on a multi-axis manipulator arm. This allows the cutting nozzle to be maneuverer around obstacles and directed at any angle onto the workpiece. The system is operated remotely from a control panel at a safe distance from the cutting.

Applications for Portable Water Jet Cutting

Portable water jet cutting systems enable cutting and machining operations to be performed anywhere they are needed. This mobile fabrication capability can be invaluable across many industries including:

• Petrochemical - For cutting pipes, vessels and structures onsite at plants and refineries where hot cutting methods are hazardous. Provides a safer cold cutting method.
• Offshore - For cutting and removing offshore oil platforms, well heads, and other subsea structures.
• Demolition - For large demolition projects where water jet cutting can selectively dismantle structures onsite versus wrecking ball methods.
• Mining - Provides ability to machine and cut directly within mines to facilitate extraction of ores.
• Tunnelling - For efficient rock and concrete cutting when excavating tunnels. Enables curved cut contours.
• Nuclear - Allows radioactive components and structures to be sectioned remotely without risk of contamination.

Accurate Cutting Service Water Jet Cutting Service

Accurate Cutting Service provides an industry leading mobile water jet cutting service deployed around the world. Their portable water jet cutting systems are designed to be lifted and positioned anywhere cutting operations are required. This allows for safe, spark-free cutting in potentially explosive environments within oil, gas, chemical, and offshore facilities.

Accurate Cutting Service's experienced water jet cutting teams work closely with each client to engineer customized tooling and processes to match the specific requirements of each project. With a fleet of water jet cutting units and a range of jetting pump capacities up to 150 HP, Accurate Cutting Service has the equipment and expertise to take on specialized water jet cutting projects of any scale.