Waterjet Cutting Technology

Waterjet cutting, commonly known as a "waterjet", is a cutting technique that utilizes high-pressure water jets. It is also a green, clean and environmentally friendly cutting process. Under computer control, the OMAX waterjet can carve workpieces arbitrarily and is less affected by material properties. With advantages including fast speed, high precision, low cost, easy operation, high yield rate and low pollution, it is widely used in many fields of the industrial manufacturing industry.

Exhibition Highlights and Applications

ProtoMAX® is a compact, safe and easy-to-operate waterjet cutting system. It has optimized the existing mechanical design and innovatively integrated the cutting table and pump into a single unit. Fully considering user needs, it is equipped with casters at the bottom, facilitating easy movement and disassembly.

The ProtoMAX® waterjet has a cutting pressure of 30,000 psi and is equipped with a 5HP pump. Whether it is metal, glass, plastic or wood, ProtoMAX® can easily cut most materials under 25mm, with a cutting area of 300mm×300mm.

During operation, users only need to gently close the waterjet cover—the material is submerged underwater, enabling safe and low-noise cutting (with a noise level of 76 decibels). There is no water splashing during cutting, ensuring a clean processing environment. ProtoMAX® does not produce a heat-affected zone or alter the material properties, making it an ideal solution for material research, prototype design, and small-to-medium batch processing and production.

Application Case

Carbon Fiber Composites

Thanks to its excellent comprehensive performance, carbon fiber has long been a preferred material for universities and research institutions. Today, artificial intelligence is integrating into our daily lives, and the development and application of robots for diverse purposes are in the ascendant. The RoboMaster Youth Series Competition (one of the National University Robot Competitions) aims to cultivate young people's practical abilities in artificial intelligence and teamwork skills.

Each participating team is required to design and build robots independently. In the manufacturing process, a wide range of materials are used, including metals, non-metals and carbon fiber composites. A university purchased the ProtoMAX® integrated waterjet, which has provided a powerful boost for students' independent design, development and manufacturing.

After students use CAD software to draw the design concepts of competition robots discussed by their teams, they import the drawings into IntelliMAX®, the proprietary software of OMAX waterjet, and then use the ProtoMAX® waterjet to cut out all the components needed for robot manufacturing.

Photo: Students using ProtoMAX to cut robot parts for the RoboMaster Competition

Advantages of OMAX Waterjet

Fast cutting speed, short processing preparation time, capability to cut any material, no thermal damage, narrow kerf, minimal burrs, low cutting force, simple clamping, easy processing of slender and complex precision workpieces, no cutting-related troubles, no coolant pollution, and no need for tool changes.

OMAX waterjet can cut most metal and non-metal materials quickly and accurately. As a cold cutting process, it does not affect the physical, chemical and mechanical properties of the materials being cut.

IntelliMax®, the controller software of OMAX waterjet, is a powerful software suite specially designed for waterjet cutting. With the same hardware configuration, it enables faster and higher-quality waterjet cutting, increases cutting speed, reduces cutting costs, and automatically generates cutting paths. It is simple and easy to master, allows operators to monitor cutting status in real time, and features high flexibility. It also supports direct import of CAD files in other formats. OMAX will continue to commit to R&D and innovation to make waterjet cutting faster, more precise and more efficient.

One of the reasons for the rapid growth of the abrasive waterjet market is its high processing quality, which eliminates the need for secondary processing—most cut workpieces can be directly used as final products. As China's manufacturing industry moves towards greater refinement, high-end quality and intelligence, the demand for waterjet processing in industries such as aerospace, military machinery, electronics and electrical appliances, and environmental protection will keep growing.

For more information about OMAX waterjet technology, we welcome you to visit our booth for communication and on-site experience. We look forward to your arrival!

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