How can a jet of water be powerful enough to cut through steel?
In: 63
Water is pretty bloody relentless, have you heard of the grand canyon?
It isn’t. Water jet cutters have an abrasive material in the water that does the actual cutting. The water just allows the machine to be very fine and accurate.
Water jets can be made extremely powerful by pressurizing the water and forcing it through a small nozzle. The high pressure of the water causes it to move at a very high velocity, and the nozzle helps to focus the water into a narrow stream. When the water stream hits the surface it is cutting, the impact can be enough to cut through even very tough materials like Sterling. The water jet can also be made more effective by adding abrasive materials to the water stream, which helps to wear away the material being cut. The combination of high pressure, velocity, and abrasive action can make a water jet a very powerful cutting tool.
[removed]
If you look at [this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIEqXbXxpfg) you will see a fine sand in the center of the piece being cut. So the water jet is high pressure and very high speed, and has sand in it, which acts as a very strong abrasive.
Latest Answers