Waterjet cuttingis used as a highly effective and precise process in many industries. Two techniques for cutting water jets are pure water cutting and abrasive cutting. Both have their own advantages and disadvantages and are not always suitable for every material.

In the blog post on pure water vs. abrasive, we would like to explain the differences between pure water cutting and abrasive cutting. Our experts explain which materials are suitable for each method. We will show you which applications are available for both methods.

Pure water vs. abrasive - Which is right?

Waterjet cutting is becoming increasingly popular. It is used in a wide range of industries. From the aerospace and automotive sectors to the construction and architecture industries - they all use waterjet cutting.

For many users, the first question is: pure water vs. abrasive? Both methods have their advantages and disadvantages. In waterjet cutting, high-pressure water is mixed with or without abrasive particles.

When choosing the right method for your project, you should be aware of some key differences between the two processes.

High cutting quality thanks to pure water cutting

As no high-pressure abrasives need to be added during pure water cutting, it is a smoother process than abrasive cutting. There is less material contamination when comparing pure water vs. abrasive. 

Excessive wear of the tool parts can also be prevented with pure water. Under certain circumstances, this can significantly reduce your maintenance costs.

Due to the lower taper angle and the absence of a heat-affected zone (HAZ), pure water cutting also offers a higher cutting quality. However, this process is rarely suitable for cutting harder materials.

It does not rule out the possibility of cutting ceramics, stone or metal alloys. However, there is a very high probability that the cutting speed will have to be massively reduced.

However, there are also a number of materials that can only be processed using pure water cutting. These include, for example:

• foam
• rubber
• special plastics
• wood
• mixed materials
• fabrics

For materials such as these, a high-pressure jet with clean water must be used. Their material properties make them too soft for an abrasive. An abrasive can severely damage the materials during the cutting process. In a comparison of pure water vs. abrasive, cutting with pure water has the edge here.

Further advantages of pure water cutting are shorter production cycles due to lower set-up requirements. Finer cuts result in less material waste than with abrasive cutting. If the project requires it, the joints require only minimal reworking.

With pure water vs. abrasive, pure water cutting results in lower maintenance costs as no additional consumables are required. 

However, the use of pure water for cutting also has limitations. These include the maximum workpiece size that can be cut. Pure water is also rather unsuitable for harder materials such as metals. Higher pressures are often no longer sufficient for harder materials.

Razor-sharp: use of abrasive

However, the abrasive can also score points with some positive properties when it comes to pure water vs. abrasive. The advantage of waterjet cutting with an abrasive is that it can cut a wide range of materials. These include materials made from:

• metal
• composite material
• plastic
• stone
• glass 

The abrasive particles are mixed with water in the nozzle head and pressed onto the material at very high speed. This can first create a joint and then a cut in the thick material. Depending on the type and quantity of abrasive used, however, this can be detrimental to the quality of the cut. Due to the friction, the abrasive water jet creates a HAZ.

By adding abrasives, even harder materials such as stainless steel and titanium can be cut. Compared to cutting with pure water vs. abrasive, an abrasive is required for such robust materials. 

There are numerous abrasives that can be added to water for cutting. The most common are aluminium oxide, glass particles or silicon carbide. Combinations of several abrasives are often used to achieve optimum results. 

Examples of combinations are calcium carbonate and silicon carbide, aluminium oxide and calcium carbonate, glass shards and glass beads and aluminium oxide and calcium carbonate. There are also other abrasives that can vary depending on their use, such as gypsum, carbon sand or garnet. 

However, the cutting process including abrasive is associated with higher maintenance costs. Due to the use of an abrasive, the wear rates on components such as cutting heads are greater than with the pure water counterpart. 

Areas of application for waterjet cutting

The comparison of pure water vs. abrasive shows that both abrasive cutting and pure water cutting have advantages and disadvantages. Abrasive cutting is best suited to harder materials such as metal and stone. Softer materials such as foam or fabric are better cut with pure water.

The choice between the two processes depends on the material to be cut, the required accuracy and the desired cost efficiency. 

Both processes are used in a wide range of industries. Examples include the automotive, aerospace and building materials industries. They also include the manufacture of medical devices, jewellery production and clothing production. For all of them, the question is: pure water or abrasive?

Do you have any further questions?

With this knowledge, you can make an informed decision as to which process is suitable for your needs. If you still have further questions about pure water vs. abrasive or any other topic, please feel free to contact our experts at Eckert Cutting. You can get in touch with us here. We look forward to hearing from you!

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