However, the spacing between the slats may be too wide to catch small parts, the material being cut may be soft and prone to sagging, or the steel finish of the slats may mar the material’s surface finish during loading or via backsplash that occurs during the cut.
These can be serious problems and to remedy these issues, waterjet “bricks” can be deployed with both water-only and abrasive waterjet cutting. Let’s explore what these bricks do and when you should use them.
Standard brick dimensions are 4-inches tall, 6-inches wide and 48-inch or 96-inches long. This modular approach allows you to rotate the individual brick position or replace individual bricks as they wear.
Waterjet bricks serve a few essential purposes: they catch small parts that would otherwise fall through the slats into the catch tank, support materials that tend to sag or require additional support to avoid breakage, and control splash back that may mar the surface finish.
Cutting small parts on any cutting system regardless of type (laser, plasma or waterjet) creates challenges as small parts tend to be lighter and prone to jostle once cut free from the main sheet. This creates risks for the finished parts to fall through the supporting slats.
To avoid this risk, tabs are often programmed into the cutting program and the part is never fully cut from the main sheet. However, this requires a secondary operation to remove the tab and break the part free. By placing the material directly upon the bricks, a solid surface is created that captures all parts regardless of size. Material retrieval is simplified in the process and parts may be fully cut without having to break tabs during a secondary operation thus reducing time to finished product.
Parts cut with water are frequently cut from full sheets of raw material placed directly on the slats of the catcher tank. Rigid materials such as steel, composite, granite, etc. do not typically sag and the resulting cut remains consistent across the sheet. However, flexible and soft materials may not support themselves over large spaces and can flex or sag. This sagging may create unwanted variation in the cuts and may negatively impact both cut dimension accuracy and finish quality. Waterjet bricks provide a solid surface that eliminates sagging of flexible or soft materials and provides support when cutting brittle materials that tend to splinter or break during cutting when bricks are not used.
Splash back occurs during cuts when the stream deflects off the steel support slats on the catcher tank and back onto the piece being cut. In most instances splash back does not mark the work piece. However, with softer materials or materials susceptible to scratching like laminates and glass it may damage the part by scarring or clouding it making the part unusable. The design of the bricks allow for the water stream to be absorbed by the brick and practically eliminates the risks created by splash back.
There are many brick styles, each boasting a unique value to your process. Consequently, you may find it necessary to use different types to enable you to process the largest number of materials. As a general guideline, look for the following features and characteristics to ensure the best results.
Using waterjet bricks in your cutting operations delivers significant benefits, especially when cutting small parts and soft or fragile stock materials. Key benefits include:
Are you considering integrating waterjet bricks into your cutting operations? Jet Edge offers an array of bricks on its online store. Should you have any questions about the best bricks for your needs, call one of our engineers. We’ll be glad to answer your questions and help you increase the versatility of your cutting processes.
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