Cnc Water Jet cutting
For precision engineering work
Apex Metal Services offers precision engineering services to clients throughout Whakatane and the Bay of Plenty. With the investment in our state-of-the-art CNC Water Jet Cutting machine, we can provide highly accurate, repeatable cutting in a wide range of materials.
What is CNC water jet cutting?
CNC, or Computer Numerical Control, refers to the programming and movement of the machine. The CNC Water Jet Cutter is powered by the latest computer technology with software that has been written specifically for abrasive water jet systems.
The precision element of precision engineering comes not only from getting a high-quality cut but from the design software we use. We create technical drawings using CAD design software, which allows us to offer 3D modelling to visualise the product before it is physically engineered.
Using computer technology allows us to cut highly accurate drawings into a number of materials, including stainless steel and aluminium without distortion or burr.
How water jet CNC work?
We use a Maxiem 1530 CNC Water Jet Cutter which combines an abrasive grit with a jet of high-pressure water. This allows us to cut metal without it suffering heat distortion or edge hardening.
We use garnet as our grit, which rates 7 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness. It’s a popular choice in the industry as its crystals are chemically inert, meaning that any garnet dust that makes its way into the natural environment doesn’t impact the ecosystem. And, as the machine uses water and abrasives rather than any chemicals, gasses, or noxious liquids, it’s considered an environmentally friendly alternative to other precision engineering methods.
The Maxiem 1530 specifications
If you’re as mad about machinery as we are, you might want to take a look under the hood of our CNC Water Jet Cutter. Here are a few of the key specifications:
- Windows operating system
- Table size: 3000mm x 1500mm
- X-Y cutting travel: 3,061mm x 1,575mm
- Z axis travel: 305mm
- Speed: 500in/min
- Accuracy: 0.076mm
- Repeatability 0.025mm
- Maximum supported material load:
1221kg/sq metre