1. Are there environmental considerations?
   
2. Can the abrasive be re-used?
3. How do you dispose of abrasive?
   
4. What do you do with process water?
5. What kind of maintenance is required?
6. What kind of operator is required?
7. How much water does it use?
8. What type of water?
9. Does it affect the material?
10. Does it generate a burr or dross?
11. How thick does it cut?
12. How fast does it cut?
13. What material can it cut?
14. How accurate can it cut?
15. How good a finish can it achieve?
16. What does it cost to run?
17. Can you stack material?
18. What is the abrasive used? 
19. How much abrasive?
20. How wide does it cut?
21. How much taper can you expect?

1. Are there environmental considerations?
Virtually none.  It is considered a “green” process.  The only exceptions are if you are cutting a hazardous material such as lead, etc.

2. Can the abrasive be re-used?
It’s not really practical.  We can, however, provide an economical way to remove the garnet to be disposed of. 

3. How do you dispose of abrasive?
Typically in a commercial dumpster.  The same rules for disposal of machining chips typically applies on a local basis. It is common to use a septic system maintenance firm to remove and dispose of the abrasive.  Typically you need to clean out the tank every 3 months if you do not have an automatic removal system.  If you run it a solid 40 hrs/wk, clean every 6 wks.

4. What do you do with process water?
You can let it go down the drain if there is nothing hazardous in the water.  However, we recommend a “Zero Discharge” closed loop system.  This will clean, filter and de-ionize both cutting and cooling water and will pay for itself in less water usage and extended component life. 

5. What kind of maintenance is required?
Mostly changing pump seals (10 minute job about every 300 to 600 hours)
The diamond orifices last about 800-1,000 hours and nozzles about 80 to 100 hours.

6. What kind of operator is required?
Someone who plays computer games!  No special skills are required, due to the systems excellent software.

7. How much water does it use?
Roughly about 1gal/min. for cutting.  If you don’t have a chiller, add 1.2 gal/min. for cooling the servo intensifier.  (A closed loop filtration system would clean, filter, de-ionize and chill the cutting and cooling water)

8. What type of water?
Tap water.

9. Does it affect the material?
No.  It is totally non invasive.  There is no heat or work effect.

10. Does it generate a burr or dross?
No dross like thermal cutting.  Either very light burr or no burr is generated.

11. How thick does it cut?
From shim stock to 7 inch thick.

12. How fast does it cut?
This depends on a number of factors such as type of material, pressure, orifice size, the amount of abrasive used per minute and the quality of cut desired.  We can provide cut speeds for your particular application.

13. What material can it cut?
Virtually anything but carbide and tempered glass.

14. How accurate can it cut?
The waterjet process can produce +/-0.010 net parts without special attention.  With special attention and a good operator, you can hold +/- .001”.

15. How good a finish can it achieve?
Very smooth to very rough, depending on the cut speed.

16. What does it cost to run?
Direct expendables run about $16/hr to $25/hr. depending on how much abrasive is being used ($7/hr without abrasive).  On average you can figure about $60/hr including expendables, average operator wage and machine cost on a 5 yr term.

17. Can you stack material?
Yes.  It is practical up to about 1 inch.

18. What is the abrasive used? 
Typically 80-grit garnet

19. How much abrasive?
About 1/2 to 1.25 lb/min. is average for most people with a Quantum 55S or 66S servo intensifier.

20. How wide does it cut?
Typically .040” with 80 grit garnet, .020” with 150 grit abrasive and .005” with plain water and a “water only” nozzle

21. How much taper can you expect?
On 1” thick steel using cutting “Fine”: .002”.  Using cutting “Medium”: .008”
On 3-1/2” thick steel using cutting “Fine”: .004” and using cutting “Medium”: .012”