Water jet cutting will normally require a five or six axis robot to cut out complex shapes from composite materials and foams. Yet again, driven by the automotive industry but with plenty of spinoff.

The robot will manipulate a nozzle which delivers a mix of water and abrasive at extremely high pressure.

Critical process requirements would be constant flow rate, feedback from the jet delivery system and tip velocity control from the robot controller. A good cut will be a combination of feed and flow to produce optimum results. Flowrate feedback will alert the operator when process variables have not been maintained, as this will compromise quality.

Three axis machines are often used to profile complex shapes out of sheets of flat material. The process can deliver a very accurate and sharp profile edge out of soft and compliant materials.

A wide variety of materials can be profiled using this technique. These include plastics, foam, kevlar, ceramics, metals, glass and stone.

A typical robot cell would stand alone and comprise a worktable or end changer. The robot would carry and manipulate the jet nozzle. The water jet cutting equipment would include a delivery system, pump and reservoir.

Associated issues would include overspray protection. Corrosion resistant surfaces and materials, IP ratings and seals etc.

The water jet itself represents a hazard. The cell would be fully enclosed with personnel excluded during operation. Interlocked 'dry run only' when teaching robot locations would help to protect operatives. This information is for discussion purposes only. Safety is your responsibility!

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