Water Jet Cutting Machine for Granite Cutting

What Types of Granite Can Be Cut With a Water Jet Cutting Machine?

 

Water jet cutting machines have a wide range of application areas. You can buy one high quality waterjet cutter, and cut many types of granite. This increases your team’s productivity and gives you a fantastic return on investment. Waterjets can cut the following forms of granite:

 

Greisen

This type of granite rock consists mostly of micas and quartz. It is a very altered form of granite, and that is actually how they are formed. Greisen granites are formed by self-generated alteration of granite rock.

 

Aplite

Aplite is a very-grained granite. It is an intrusive igneous rock. Which means they are formed when lava or magma cools and solidifies. The mineral composition of Aplite is identical to granite but with a finer grain. The grains are less than 1mm.

 

S-type Granite

These granite are oversaturated with aluminum but are still categorized as granite. These granites have special isotopic, geochemical, textural, and mineralogical characteristics.

 

I-type granite

Unlike S-type granite, I-type granite has more silica content than aluminum. This type of granite is used in construction and is known for its looks and durability.

 

Granophyre

Granophyre granite is a subvolcanic rock. It is a very fine-grained igneous rock with very specific textures. It has a texture that is made of distinct crystals. Granophyre contains quartz and feldspar, which is a group of rocks containing aluminum tectosilicate minerals.

 

Rapakivi

Rapakivi granite is famous for its texture. They are a type of hornblende-biotite granite and have round crystals of orthoclase. Orthoclase is a form of tectosilicate mineral that helps the formation of igneous rocks. Rapakivi is a very rare form of granite. This shows how versatile water jets are at cutting granite rocks.

 

 

Applications of Water Jet Cutting Granite

 

Granite is often used as a luxurious stone in many industries. It is used in construction, household decor, and more. The stylish look and durability make it one of the most popular choices other than marble. There are many applications of water jet cutting granite:

 

Granite Uses in Kitchens

One of the most common uses of granite we see is in kitchens. It makes for fantastic countertops that are heat-resistant and not susceptible to scratches. With water jet cutters, you can precisely cut granite to manufacture countertops according to customer specifications.

 

Granite Uses in Jewelry

This rock is also heavily used in jewelry, where precision cuts are vital. Therefore, water jets can also help businesses cut very small pieces of granite with surgical precision.

 

Granite Uses in Sanitary-ware

Luxury sanitary ware like wash basins and other wares inside a bathroom can be made by cutting granite with water jets. Since the quality of the granite cuts needs to be perfect, a precision cutting process like a water jet is crucial for luxury sanitary ware.

 

Granite Uses in Tiles

Flooring tiles made with granite can look luxurious. They are also very durable. However, these high-quality tiles also need to be cut to fit various use cases. And water jets are the perfect tool for that.

 

Granite Uses in Fireplaces

One of granite’s most important properties is its incredible heat resistance. Therefore, it is widely used in fireplaces. Water jets can be used to cut granite into different shapes and sizes to use in fireplaces.

 

 

Advantages of Water Jet Cutting Granite

 

Advantages of using water jets for cutting granite range from increased productivity to precise cuts. In general, water jets have a lot of advantages when used for cutting granite commercially

 

No Heat Generation

One of the biggest benefits of waterjet cutting is it does not generate heat. Excessive heat generation during the cutting process can distort and deform your workpiece. In this case, granite.

 

Depending on how tight the manufacturing tolerances are, it could render the piece unusable. Water jet cutters do not suffer from this problem since it uses high-pressure water and an abrasive to cut through. This process is called cold cutting. As a result, the workpiece is not distorted, and you get precise cuts.

 

Precise Cuts

Speaking of precision, another substantial benefit of using water jets over other cutting methods is cutting accuracy. Granite is used in all sorts of applications. It is used in home decor, construction, jewelry, and more.

 

And in most cases, manufacturers want to create pieces made with granite with intricate designs. Water jets are the perfect tool for this. The high accuracy of the water stream and abrasives gives you very fine control over the cut.

 

You can cut very intricate shapes and designs without much wastage. Plus, the process is relatively easier to do as well. Therefore, the high precision makes it the perfect choice for commercial use.

 

Reduces Cracks

Water jet cutting also produces very little stress on the cutting material. As a result, your risk of cracking the workpiece is very low. Therefore, you will not waste materials, which will reduce costs. Stone materials like granite (and marble) are especially susceptible to cracking.

 

The brute force method of other cutting techniques can cause the stone to crack. And that will render the workpiece unusable. Water jets have no such issues. Moreover, excessive amounts of heat can also crack granite.

 

Since water jet cutters use a cold-cutting process, there is no chance of cracking the granite workpiece. It is one of the safest ways to cut granite efficiently.

 

No Tooling Costs

Businesses can also save costs on tooling. Traditional cutting methods require all sorts of specialized tooling. And they are not cheap. With traditional cutting methods, you might need separate blades or tooling to work with different material thicknesses.

 

However, a single water jet cutter can work with granite of all sizes. Also, there is no need to change the blade; it does not have any. The high-pressure water it uses can cut through all kinds of granite without any hassle. And you can save a lot on tooling costs in the long run.

 

Versatile

Versatility is another strength of water jets. As mentioned, you can cut different kinds of granite with a single high-quality water jet cutter. Not only that, water jets can cut all kinds of different materials.

 

They can cut glass, metals, stone, and other exotic materials. Just ensure that you get the right water jet cutters for the job. You can ask for specifications and learn what kind of water jet cutters your supplier sells.

 

Dust Free

Water jets also keep your workshop or factory floor clean. They do not produce dust or debris since all the cutting is done with a streamlined and high-pressure water stream. They also do not use blades that generate a lot of dust.

 

Traditional cutters can create dust that can be very harmful if inhaled. Moreover, you will also need to wash and clean your workshop. Water jet cutting produces very little dust to begin with. Also, you can wash away the little dust with the water itself during the cutting process. It is a much cleaner cutting process.

 

No Need for Additional Polishing

You only need to cut once when cutting stones like granite (and any other materials). There is no need for additional polishing to get the finish quality you want. As a result, you will save time, and your operations will be much more efficient.

 

This will additionally also save your business time and money. Also, not needing additional polishing after the cut is a testament to how precise water jet cutters are.

 

Environment Friendly

Lastly, water jet cutters are one of the most eco-friendly ways of cutting materials like granite. There is very little waste, and many things can be recycled. For starters, you can recycle the water.

 

Also, since the cutting is so efficient, you do not waste too much material. In other words, there are very few kerfs. Kerfs is the amount of material taken away during the cutting process. However, since the high-pressure water is very narrow, the kerfs are extremely low. You waste a lot less material that way.