Water saws for small businesses

1991/10/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Teknologia

If the fine jet of water has enough pressure, it is able to cut any material quickly and without leaving burrs. However, the cutting machines that use this system are very expensive, between 10 and 12 million pesetas. The pressure of the water jet is usually 500 pascales and the speed is between two and three times higher than that of the sound.

However, in companies of medium and small size, the great power of these machines is not usually necessary. The pressure of 60 pascales is usually sufficient with leather, cardboard, textiles, synthetic foam, etc. For cutting. With a pressure of 200 pascal can be cut all the semi-hard materials: wood, composites, plastics, plaster, etc. This is why researchers Christian Delevet and Guy Basile have already started manufacturing a machine that will cost half in Aix-en-Provence. The water pressure has decreased intentionally to 200 pascales, replacing the oil used in a complex compression cycle by the compressed air of the factory.

The air of 0.7-0.8 pascales is compressed by pistons up to 150-200 pascales. Due to these pressures, flexible pipes can be used to drive water to the cutting mouth. This equipment is expected to be sold soon.