MWJ TECHNOLOGY
- THE PROCESS
Micro Waterjet LLC uses proprietary equipment developed with new Abrasive Waterjet
Micro Machining (AWJMM®) technology to cut a wide range of materials, including
heat sensitive ones, with a cutting accuracy of +/-0.01mm and a positioning
accuracy of +/-0.003mm. This occurs by mixing a very fine abrasive with
accelerated water at an average impact speed of approximately 800m/s to
quickly and accurately remove material and produce a finished piece with
little to no burr and no heat deformation. For soft materials such as
rubber or silicone, only high pressure water is required.
There are low occurrences of process forces and thermal stress, the water cools
the processing spot and transports chips (shavings) away. With these properties
even the most delicate contours can be cut, which would bend or melt away using
alternative processes. Due to the small diameter of the jet is it possible to
create sharp edged contours with high cutting edge quality; in addition with
the jet diameter being 0.2mm a very high material efficiency is achieved.
In addition, the start and end points can be chosen almost freely for
the machining process.
COMPARING PROCESSES
The microwaterjet® used by Micro Waterjet was specifically designed to
machine two-dimensional, high precision and micro parts with a substantially
smaller kerf width (0.08 mm for pure water cutting; 0.2 mm for abrasive cutting)
compared to traditional waterjet machines (0.8 mm) that is primarily used to cut
or rough large shapes and/or thicker materials. In addition, the microwaterjet®
utilizes smaller nozzles and a finer garnet than conventional machines.
More competitive with EDM and Laser Cutting, Micro Waterjet can cut without
Heat Affected Zones (HAZ), allowing cutting of materials with little to no
biocompatibility issues or deburring required. It is possible to stack cut on
the microwaterjet®, although some taper may occur depending on the
material/thickness and speed of the cut.
Click Here for interesting applications!
MWJ FAQs
We have prepared a series of Frequently Asked Questions which will be helpful in
determining whether the Micro Waterjet Process is right for your application.
click Here to find the list of questions and answers.
If you
do not find an answer to your question there, click Here to contact
us directly or to find your local Micro Waterjet Distributor
or click Here to find a distributor nearest you.