6. Waterjet machining

6.1 Principle

This process is relatively recent, since the first patents, which were decisive in developing the use of a hyperbaric fluid jet to cut material, date back to the early 1970s (American companies Flow Systems and Ingersoll Rand). Since then, other suppliers of hyperbaric pumps have appeared, and manufacturers of complete systems have developed in parallel.

Its main feature, compared with other cutting processes, is that it ensures cold cutting, without damaging or thermally deforming the material. The process has come a long way since it was first introduced, and is becoming increasingly widespread. In 1991, there were 3,000 installations worldwide, including...