Why do most waterjet cutting machines use garnet abrasives?
Abrasive is one of the most important components in the water jet cutting process. Although pure water jet (without abrasives) can cut softer materials, such as foam and rubber, adding abrasives will enhance the jet’s cutting ability, thereby achieving the purpose of cutting glass, steel and various other parts. As you might imagine, the type of abrasive used is very important for determining the processing effect.
Why do most waterjet machines use garnet abrasives?
Professionals have tested various synthetic materials and natural materials for water jet cutting, and the outstanding choice in the industry is garnet. The sharp edges formed when the garnet abrasive breaks provide superior cutting ability. Garnet has excellent characteristics of durability, density and particle shape to maximize cutting ability.
According to the Mohs hardness, the hardness of diamond is 10 (the hardest known substance), while the hardness of garnet is usually between 7.5 and 8.0. Although stronger minerals are available, garnets usually provide the best hardness at the most reasonable price. As an abrasive substance, the advantages of garnet are:
Significant hardness. Garnet can usually be used for a long time before it needs to be replaced, making it a cost-effective abrasive.
garnet has a variety of particle sizes, designed to provide different results, such as smooth or rough surfaces, depending on the hardness of the processed material. In most cases, companies need to use finer abrasive grains for processes that require higher edge quality, and for projects that require faster cutting, larger abrasive grains are most effective.