Granite is a high quality material that is used in a variety of renovation projects. The beauty and durability of granite make it one of the most sought after materials to be used in kitchen and bathroom renovations, for countertops and tabletops.
Due to its durable properties, granite can be a difficult material to cut. However, granite is an expensive material, so it is important to ensure that the cutting methods employed render high precision cuts with smooth edges the first time around. The more costly a material, the less room there is for mistakes.
When it comes to cutting granite, professionals are employing the effective use of water jet cutting. Water jet cutting is a dependable method of industrial cutting that is applied to a wide range of materials. Professionals in the granite, stone and marble industry rely on water jet cutting as the prime choice for a dependable method of cutting hard materials.
How Does ?
While the concept of employing water to cut through durable materials such as granite and stone may appear outlandish, water jet cutting is an effective means of achieving not only accurate cuts, but shapes and designs as well.
In fact, due to the multi-axis and flexibility of the water jet nozzle, stonemasons depend upon water jet cutting to create three-dimensional designs and patterns in granite, marble, and stone materials. Water jet cutting has expanded the range of granite and stone products that can be offered by the renovation industry.
Water jet cutting works by combining water with an abrasive substance, such as sand or garnet. It is this substance that is responsible for the cutting and the water acts as the carrier. When the mixture is combined with high air pressure and shot out from a concentrated space (a nozzle) at high velocity, the jet stream produces a powerful cutting force that can cut through a wide range of materials. The speed at which the water stream is shot at is three times the speed of sound.
Water jet cutting can cut a thickness level of up to 0.12” and the materials it can be used for vary significantly:
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Stainless Steel
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Aluminum
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Glass
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Brass
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Plastic
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Rubber
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Carpet
The above are just a few examples of materials that water jet cutting can be applied to. Materials will not warp or distort from thermal stress as water jet cutting is done without the use of heat. In addition, the contact force level is low, meaning less material is wasted due to cracking from impact.
Professionals are also glad to select water jet cutting over other industrial cutting methods as it offers a green-friendly solution to cutting heavy-duty materials. While water jet cutting used to use aluminum as its abrasive, sand and garnet are non-toxic. The water solution can be used more than once and the cutting process is clean and does not leave any hazardous wastes to be disposed of.
Due to the above benefits, many professionals choose water jet cutting as their top choice for granite cutting.