The Benefits of Water Jet Cutting

Last year Partwell invested in an extension to the Lancashire based premises to create space for a new water jet cutting machine. Traditionally Partwell have focused on bespoke plastics using the latest CNC router technology, specialising in turning ideas in reality in the form of three dimensional bespoke plastic parts.

It was a natural growth to invest in a water jet cutting machine to enable a quick approach to cutting two dimensional products from plastics but also other materials such as metals, synthetics, foams, rubber and ceramics etc.

What do we mean by a quick approach?

Firstly, the process is much faster than CNC router cutting for the machining of two dimensional bespoke parts. The Partwell jet cutter is a twin head cutting operation, which means both heads cut simultaneously.

The machine also has a very quick to set up time, this allows for cost effective small volume production runs; especially when compared to tooling orientated cutting technology such as routers.

Good value cutting

The speed of the cutting process obviously provides a good value for money cutting service; Partwell can also work with free issue material.

Water jet cutting lends itself perfectly to low volume production runs, the quick machine set up, easy programming and dual head cutting function enables cost effective locally produced parts. The images show that there is a level of intricate detail on the injection moulded components, it is not commonly known that water jet cutting can also achieve this detail. The fine nozzles allow a tight cutting tolerance of up to 0.1mm.

This means the criteria of a cost effective fast production turnaround with high detail are fulfilled, the next issue we addressed with the customer was a more economical base material. As a sheet stockist of open and closed cell rubbers, the engineering department were able to provide the client with a range of samples for trial in different hardnesses of material. The final product was water jet cut from a closed cell vulcanised rubber material. Having the sheet material in stock also contributed to minimised lead times.

Content writer for Brick technology Ltd, Blackburn, Lancashire.