【Waterjet Machining Application】Waterjet machining resolves material cutting challenges in quality control, significantly boosting production efficiency!
Quality assurance and quality control are essential processes in factory production. Regardless of how long a factory has been operating, quality checks must be performed regularly to maintain consistent quality standards. Quality control on the production line typically involves periodically testing produced samples, and most importantly, these samples must come from the production line.
By definition, no substitute sample is valid; otherwise, it is not a "sample." The quality control process may involve testing raw materials to verify material properties, testing manufacturing steps to ensure they are performed correctly, and inspecting finished products for conformity.
In quality control applications, samples must be physically cut to prepare them for testing. When designing these sample cutting programs, quality control engineers face several challenges. The first is speed; since online quality checks can delay a production batch, samples must be produced quickly. Second, when visual inspection is required, features may not be easily visible. Finally, when preparing for quality control testing, cutting the material or samples from the production line may alter the material's integrity.
By definition, no substitute sample is valid; otherwise, it is not a "sample." The quality control process may involve testing raw materials to verify material properties, testing manufacturing steps to ensure they are performed correctly, and inspecting finished products for conformity.
In quality control applications, samples must be physically cut to prepare them for testing. When designing these sample cutting programs, quality control engineers face several challenges. The first is speed; since online quality checks can delay a production batch, samples must be produced quickly. Second, when visual inspection is required, features may not be easily visible. Finally, when preparing for quality control testing, cutting the material or samples from the production line may alter the material's integrity.
Diverse Cutting Methods, Each with Limitations
While there are various ways to cut samples, each method presents different challenges for quality control. There are many ways to cut metal today, but each method is generally limited to certain types of metal. Traditional machining is mainly used for metal billets, such as shearing for sheet metal, laser cutting for non-reflective sheet metal, and plasma cutting for thick, conductive sheet metal.
For non-metallic materials, there are fewer practical cutting processes. Fiber composites produce toxic dust when cut with a saw or rotary blade, and ceramics can crack or chip, even when cut with a special wet saw. Plastic and rubber materials may melt, gum up, or emit fumes when cut with a blade or laser.
Worse still, these cutting methods often deform the material during the process. Laser cutting produces a heat-affected zone that hardens the cut edge. Sawing or shearing can bend or deform the edges of sheet metal, and plasma cutting introduces heat that can deform thin materials. Therefore, each of these cutting technologies can affect the results of quality control.
Fortunately, there is a cutting process that works for all materials while minimizing deformation of the cut material: abrasive waterjet cutting. Waterjet cutting combines a narrow, high-pressure stream of water with abrasive particles, spraying the slurry through a nozzle to penetrate the object. This is a micro-erosion material removal process that cuts without generating heat or mechanical stress on the material. Since all materials erode, waterjet cutting is often superior and leaves a smooth surface finish similar to sandblasting.
Waterjet cutting technology is particularly suitable for quality control applications where material integrity or part integrity must be ensured. However, quality control departments often cannot justify the capital investment of a large waterjet cutter, and until recently, small waterjet cutters were not available. Newly launched and affordable waterjet cutters allow quality control engineers to use this unique process to quickly cut exact material samples for internal use.
For non-metallic materials, there are fewer practical cutting processes. Fiber composites produce toxic dust when cut with a saw or rotary blade, and ceramics can crack or chip, even when cut with a special wet saw. Plastic and rubber materials may melt, gum up, or emit fumes when cut with a blade or laser.
Worse still, these cutting methods often deform the material during the process. Laser cutting produces a heat-affected zone that hardens the cut edge. Sawing or shearing can bend or deform the edges of sheet metal, and plasma cutting introduces heat that can deform thin materials. Therefore, each of these cutting technologies can affect the results of quality control.
Fortunately, there is a cutting process that works for all materials while minimizing deformation of the cut material: abrasive waterjet cutting. Waterjet cutting combines a narrow, high-pressure stream of water with abrasive particles, spraying the slurry through a nozzle to penetrate the object. This is a micro-erosion material removal process that cuts without generating heat or mechanical stress on the material. Since all materials erode, waterjet cutting is often superior and leaves a smooth surface finish similar to sandblasting.
Waterjet cutting technology is particularly suitable for quality control applications where material integrity or part integrity must be ensured. However, quality control departments often cannot justify the capital investment of a large waterjet cutter, and until recently, small waterjet cutters were not available. Newly launched and affordable waterjet cutters allow quality control engineers to use this unique process to quickly cut exact material samples for internal use.
Affordable waterjet cutters are available for in-house quality control applications.
Integrating Waterjet into Quality Control Processes
Consider an automotive supplier performing laser welding operations to join thin steel components. Weld samples from each production line batch must be inspected to verify the integrity of the entire batch of welds. How are welds visually inspected? During cutting, the cross-section of the weld must be cut through without distorting the integrity of the weld. Excessive heat cannot be introduced during cutting, so laser cutting, plasma cutting, or angle grinders cannot be used. Therefore, specimens are usually cut manually with a band saw. Even a Tier 1 automotive supplier would manually cut weld samples on the production line with a band saw for quality control.
Waterjet cutting technology is suitable for solving this problem because waterjet cutting does not generate heat and does not shear or otherwise distort the weld during cutting. The weld is preserved in its original form, allowing for easy inspection of the weld cross-section.
Waterjet cutting makes the cross-section of a laser-welded joint visible.
When evaluating thin stamped metal parts, quality control engineers face the challenge of preparing samples without damaging them. For example, an aluminum can manufacturer must inspect the top and bottom of aluminum cans ("can ends") after they are stamped to ensure proper ridge formation. As a quality control process, samples from the production line are regularly inspected. To inspect the cross-section, the can must be cut vertically in half. How can stamped thin aluminum sheet metal be cut without damaging the can's stamped shape and ridges? The answer: embed the can in epoxy. The can is embedded in epoxy, allowed to cure, then the can is sawed open with a band saw and the epoxy is removed.
However, this time-consuming process can delay the collection of QA data, which may further delay the identification and remediation of related production defects. A faster, simpler, and more consistent solution is now available using a waterjet cutting machine. It can cut thin metal without deforming it due to excessive heat.
For quality control engineers at aerospace companies who must verify the material properties of raw materials, using a waterjet cutter to cut tensile test specimens is a smart choice. Hardened steel is a material produced by quenching and then tempering, and cutting it with traditional methods is very cumbersome due to rapid tool wear. Companies often outsource this work to waterjet cutting services because they cannot afford traditional large equipment in-house. Relying solely on external suppliers for critical quality control processes can lead to schedule delays and risks. Using an affordable small waterjet cutter can greatly reduce risks and allow the quality management department to control the entire production process.
However, this time-consuming process can delay the collection of QA data, which may further delay the identification and remediation of related production defects. A faster, simpler, and more consistent solution is now available using a waterjet cutting machine. It can cut thin metal without deforming it due to excessive heat.
For quality control engineers at aerospace companies who must verify the material properties of raw materials, using a waterjet cutter to cut tensile test specimens is a smart choice. Hardened steel is a material produced by quenching and then tempering, and cutting it with traditional methods is very cumbersome due to rapid tool wear. Companies often outsource this work to waterjet cutting services because they cannot afford traditional large equipment in-house. Relying solely on external suppliers for critical quality control processes can lead to schedule delays and risks. Using an affordable small waterjet cutter can greatly reduce risks and allow the quality management department to control the entire production process.
Cutting hardened steel tensile test specimens in-house using a waterjet cutter
Accelerating New Material Development
Material testing and quality evaluation are not only for the production line. It is also part of the product development process for material companies. For example, a polyurethane material manufacturer needs to test samples for each new formula developed to evaluate the quality of the material. Although waterjet cutting tensile test specimens is already in use, the actual cutting work can only be outsourced to waterjet cutting services. Recently, waterjet cutting equipment has been large and expensive, only suitable for high-volume production environments. Small material companies' R&D departments simply cannot afford one. In addition, the lead time before samples are returned is at least 2-3 weeks, which not only severely delays the entire testing process but also undermines subsequent arrangements for repeated verification. With the advent of small waterjet cutters, material manufacturers of any size can now perform material sample cutting in-house, shortening the iterative verification cycle, accelerating product development, and maintaining complete control over the QA/QC process.
Revolutionary Waterjet Technology for Quality Control
Waterjet cutting has always been associated with manufacturing processes, and its advantages in quality control are obvious. Unlike test samples produced using lasers, plasma, or traditional machining, waterjet cutting provides clean, readily inspectable samples while preserving the original characteristics of the material, such as welds and shapes, like cans. And now, waterjet cutters are smaller, more affordable, and easier to use. Therefore, quality control engineers can operate them in-house for production, testing, or development. This greatly accelerates the testing cycle while improving the integrity of quality control data.
Material testing and quality evaluation are not only for the production line. It is also part of the product development process for material companies. For example, a polyurethane material manufacturer needs to test samples for each new formula developed to evaluate the quality of the material. Although waterjet cutting tensile test specimens is already in use, the actual cutting work can only be outsourced to waterjet cutting services. Recently, waterjet cutting equipment has been large and expensive, only suitable for high-volume production environments. Small material companies' R&D departments simply cannot afford one. In addition, the lead time before samples are returned is at least 2-3 weeks, which not only severely delays the entire testing process but also undermines subsequent arrangements for repeated verification. With the advent of small waterjet cutters, material manufacturers of any size can now perform material sample cutting in-house, shortening the iterative verification cycle, accelerating product development, and maintaining complete control over the QA/QC process.
Revolutionary Waterjet Technology for Quality Control
Waterjet cutting has always been associated with manufacturing processes, and its advantages in quality control are obvious. Unlike test samples produced using lasers, plasma, or traditional machining, waterjet cutting provides clean, readily inspectable samples while preserving the original characteristics of the material, such as welds and shapes, like cans. And now, waterjet cutters are smaller, more affordable, and easier to use. Therefore, quality control engineers can operate them in-house for production, testing, or development. This greatly accelerates the testing cycle while improving the integrity of quality control data.
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