Waterjet cutting can be a valuable tool to many fabricators, but there are certain materials that have always proven difficult to work with. Some materials such as laminated shim stock, certain laminated composites and phenolics, may de-laminate during the waterjet piercing process. WARDJet’s Pneumatic Drill allows a hole to automatically be drilled through the material at a specific offset from the waterjet cutting head. Once the hole is drilled, the waterjet will then start the cut inside the pre-drilled hole. The CAD/CAM program, IGEMS, can automate this entire process. In order to use this tool an air compressor capable of 25 cfm at 90 psi must be provided. This will allow these materials to be cut regardless of any necessary holes. This unique drill feature also comes in useful when cutting high tolerance holes in various steel and stainless steel materials. By using the reaming capabilities, a customer can pierce the initial hole with the waterjet and then come back and ream it out to get the higher tolerances that are required. This can be substantially faster then using a waterjet alone to create these higher accuracy holes. The pneumatic drill feature is available to be mounted on any WARDJet waterjet cutting system. This is just one of many unique features that WARDJet offers to allow their waterjet to be used in a variety of applications. If you have a difficult application give WARDJet a call and see what they can offer as they work with you and your team to find the best solution possible.
