Waterjet is a process still very much regarded as new technology. Wilkie Engineering were the first company in Scotland to invest in a high pressure precision waterjet machine and our state of the art Trumph WS 2500 allows us to produce high quality small and large batch profile items.
The vast number of materials this process can handle has seen Wilkie’s supply items to customers in aerospace, medical, electronic, architectural, mechanical, and packaging.
A reputation for precision and reliability has forged strong links between Wilkie Engineering and the ROV industry. This was achieved by the ability to reduce their manufacturing costs for previously machined products such as manipulator fingers and grab items.
Waterjet Technology
Using a jet of water mixed with a very fine granite powder and pushed through a 0.8mm nozzle at 3000 bar (45000 psi) a laser like beam is formed to cut through the substrate. The finish can be as good as machined depending on the speed of cut.
Control
Control of cut and accuracy is most important. The waterjet is programmed with the drawing of a part/component; the machine then automatically “nests” the item onto the screen to give optimum use of material. The fully CNC machine is then controlled via a consul by the operator. The beauty of this technology now allows customers to simply e-mail their CAD drawings, which are then downloaded and fed straight into the machines computer. No ambiguity, no dimensional errors.
Advantages
No heat affected zones, no burn marks, no burs, no need to machine large blocks of material to get them square, very integrate shapes can be cut, very little wastage.
Materials
The bed area will take a full 2.5m x 1.5m sheet of material ranging from .5mm to 100mm in the following:
- All mild steels (From the very hard to softer grades)
- All stainless steels
- All aluminium alloys
- Wood (non compressed)
- Plastics
- Perspex
- Brass
- Copper
- Titanium
- Rubber
- Foam
- Glass
- Ceramics
- Gasket materials
- Granite
- Composites etc.
