Since copper is so versatile and has tons of use cases, you need a cutting method that is just as versatile. Copper is a mainstay in electronics, medical devices, and other critical industries. Therefore, the cut quality is crucial. It needs to be very precise.

Therefore,  water jet-cutting copper is the best way to achieve it. Regardless of your business, if you need to cut copper the most effective way, water jets are the best option. Here is all you need to know.

Can a Water Jet Cut Copper?

Water jet cutters are the perfect tool for cutting copper. They are efficient and produce clean, high-quality cuts that allow you to use the final piece for various applications. There are, of course, other cutting methods out there. For example, plasma and laser cutting.

However, water jets are the most versatile, safe and produce very high-quality cuts. And it does it without creating much waste or trouble for the operator. Additionally, since water jet cutters can work with thick materials, you can work with all copper workpieces without any heavy modifications.

Moreover, water jets are not only great at cutting copper, they can cut all kinds of other metals. Water jet cutters are perfect for cutting glass, plastics and stones too.

How Does Water Jet Cutting Copper Work?

Water jets essentially use high-pressure water along with an abrasive to cut the workpiece. Copper (or any other metal) is kept on the cutting table. Then a high-pressure pump pressurizes the water, which is essential for cutting.

The pump can pressurize the water anywhere between 30,000 PSI to 90,000 PSI. That is extremely high. The machine shoots the water through a thin nozzle to cut through the material effortlessly.

High-quality water jets will have nozzles built from materials like diamond or ruby. The nozzle has a thin tip, and as water is forced through it, the thin stream of high-pressure water, along with an abrasive, can efficiently cut through even 12-inch thick pieces of copper effortlessly.

Note the abrasives. The abrasive is another critical piece of the machine design. Water jets are designed to cut in one of two ways – pure water cutting or water plus abrasive cutting. Simple water cutting is pretty self-explanatory.

The machine does not use anything except high-pressure water. On the other hand,  the other method uses high-pressure water along with an abrasive garnet to give it extra cutting force. In some machines, the abrasive is mixed with the water in a mixing tank.

Other machines allow the operator to add abrasives to the water right at the nozzle. The operator details the cutting pattern, size, depth, and every metric into the software. And the computer numeric control or CNC system will cut the workpiece according to specification.

What Types of Copper Can Be Cut With a Waterjet?

Copper is one of the most versatile metals on Earth. As a result, it is not surprising to see that all sorts of industries use copper.

Additionally, there are also many types of copper. This means you need a versatile material to cut them all. A water jet is a perfect choice, especially if you want an efficient copper-cutting method. It can easily work with various types of copper:

• Pure compounds
• Copper Compounds
• Hard tempered copper
• Copper combined with other metals
• Recycled copper
• Soft tempered copper
• Scrap copper
• High conductivity copper
• Copper alloys

Applications of Water Jet Cutting Copper

Copper has wonderful characteristics that make it the material of choice for many applications. For starters, it is very conductive and durable. Therefore, it is heavily used in electronics. In addition, copper has antimicrobial properties.

As a result, copper can be used in public places or where sanitation is very important. Here are all the applications of water jet cutting copper:

Copper Use in the Electronics Industry

Copper is an excellent conductor of electricity. That is why it is widely used in the electronic industry, specifically copper wiring and thermal plates. The metal needs to be cut to size before being used, which is why water jets are perfect for them. Additionally, it is also used in circuit board design. Which is another major use case for the metal

Copper Use in House Ware

As we mentioned, copper is antimicrobial. It is also very rust-resistant. Therefore, copper is used for making kitchenware and bathroom fittings. Copper bathroom fittings look very elegant. Premium copper bathroom fittings need to be cut precisely, which can be done easily with a water jet cutter.

Copper Use in Jewelry Making

Copper has actually been used in jewelry making for a long time. 8th century B.C., to be more exact. It is a durable material and the eye-catching color makes for beautiful-looking pieces. Creating intricate jewelry pieces with copper requires expert jewelry makers and specialized machines to cut them precisely.

Copper Use in Transformer Manufacturing

It is also heavily used in electric transformers. Transformers made with copper components are efficient. Moreover, the transformers can be made smaller as well. This is because manufacturers do not need to use excess steel and other cooling components unnecessarily.

Copper Uses in the Healthcare Industry

Due to the antimicrobial properties of copper, it can be used to make infrastructure for high-footfall areas in hospitals. For example, railings. Bacteria on metals like aluminum or stainless steel can remain for up to a month. Which is why copper is comparatively much more sanitary. 

In addition, copper is used in medical devices since it is a great conductor of heat. These highly-specialized devices need precisely cut and machined copper parts.

Copper Uses in Etching

Despite being quite durable, copper is also very malleable. Therefore, it is the perfect material for chemical and other etching forms. It can be cut, bent, and twisted in various ways. This allows manufacturers to make different shapes for etching.

The malleability of copper also makes it a suitable metal for making signage. Signage made with copper will be rust-resistant and durable. And since signs will mostly likely be put up outside, bad weather and rain will not ruin it as quickly.

All in all, tons of use cases exist for water jet-cutting copper. It is one of the best choices for cutting copper commercially, especially since there are a lot of advantages compared to other methods.

Advantages of Water Jet Cutting Copper

Using alternate cutting methods can create more problems than it solves. They are more expensive, difficult to implement, and also might need more specialized tooling. 

Which can increase costs. If you are using water jet cutting copper for commercial purposes, there are a lot of hard-to-ignore benefits:

The Cold-Cutting Process

Cold cutting is one of the biggest benefits of cutting copper with water jets. The genius of water jets is the high-pressure water. It does not use rotating blades or electrical arcs shot through gas like a plasma cutter.

As a result, no excess heat is generated at the cutting point. Moreover, the high-pressure water also helps to cool the piece down. You do not have to worry about any heat-affected zones. Heat-affected zones can be terrible for metal workpieces like copper. 

Since there are no affected zones with water jets, there is no chance of ruining the durability and characteristics of the copper workpiece. Not to mention it will also not warp it either.

Superior Edge Quality

The edge quality of a water jet cutter is unmatched. The super high-pressure water and abrasives give you a pristine edge. If you are cutting copper for commercial purposes, you can provide the best quality cuts for your clients.

Not only will this help you provide a better experience for your client, but it will also increase your goodwill. The precise cutting edge means the copper piece can be used in places with low manufacturing tolerances.

Higher Accuracy 

Speaking of low tolerance, water jets use a CNC cutting process. This gives you exceptional accuracy when cutting. As a result, even if your manufacturing tolerances are very small, you get a good yield when cutting.

The precise cutting ability of water jets ensures all pieces are uniform according to the required specifications. If you are cutting copper commercially, the reliable tolerances and accuracy will consistently give you a better-finished product.

No Dust While Cutting

Other cutting methods can produce a lot of copper dust. However, with water jets, the dust gets automatically washed away. As a result, your workshop will stay cleaner. This is another benefit of the cold-cutting process.

If the temperatures during cutting are too high, the dust can go everywhere. Sometimes, the copper dust can settle at the bottom of the shop floor and turn to slags. Even worse, you cannot recycle it since it mixes with other materials.

More Efficient

Water jets are certainly one of the most efficient ways of cutting copper. The high-pressure water and the right abrasive can cut through even thick pieces of copper. Moreover, you can also cut multiple pieces at once by stacking one on top of the other.

Stacking is only possible with water jets. This process improves your shop’s efficiency. As a result, you can increase your profits or revenue if you cut copper commercially. And you can keep costs low without hurting the finished quality of the copper piece.

Versatility

Water jets can also cut other materials besides cutting different types of copper. They are excellent for cutting plastics, glass, and stones like granite or marble. Moreover, you do not need to change the tooling drastically to adapt your cutter to cut different materials.

As a result, you can reduce tooling costs, keep operating costs and increase your crew’s productivity. You can use one machine and make very few changes to cut all kinds of materials. Not to mention, you do not have to train your staff to use multiple complex machinery.

No Secondary Finishing Required

Thanks to the superior edge quality, the cuts are so precise you will not need any secondary finishing. Therefore, you do not have to work on the same piece twice. This will also help increase your team’s productivity by quite a lot.

More Eco-friendly

Water jets are efficient, do not need much additional tooling, and many of the byproducts from the cutting process can be reused. As a result, water jets are very eco-friendly. This can reduce your company’s carbon footprint and also increase goodwill.

Tips and Precautions for Water Jet Cutting Copper

As great water jets are, you can get the most out of them by using some of our professional tips and precautions. Here are some cool tips that will help you cut better and safer:

Cut Smarter Designs

Whenever possible, cut smarter designs. It will make the cutting process much more efficient. For example, if a corner can be either square or round, go with the easier-to-cut round edges. Sharp edges require the nozzle to turn dramatically and stop to make that turn precisely. Therefore, water jets can cut round corners faster.

Never Skimp on Abrasive Quality

A lot of businesses that start water jets sometimes skimp on the abrasive quality. However, this is a huge mistake. Most of the benefits of water jet cutting copper we mentioned above directly result from high-quality abrasive mixed with high-pressure water.

Therefore, always use high-quality abrasives to ensure your water jet cutter cuts as precisely as it can. Abrasive with similar garnet sizes gives you the best results. You can also consult your water jet manufacturer to see whether they recommend any specific abrasive for their machine.

Always Tie Down Your Workpiece

Many water jet cutter models have easy ways to properly secure your workpiece to your table. Securing your workpiece to the cutting bed ensures higher-quality cuts. Unsecured workpieces might come loose. This can cause damage to the piece or, worse, the machine.

Use Stacking

Try to exploit all the quality-of-life benefits water jets give you – the ability to stack materials is one of them. We already explained how stacking can help you increase your team’s productivity.

There is no reason why you should not use it. Since these cutters are so powerful, stacking multiple pieces on top of each other is fine. It will not degrade the cut quality at all, either.

Recycle As Much As You Can

Water jets are inherently more eco-friendly than other cutting methods. But you can also make it even more so. Try to recycle and reuse as much material and water as you can. You can use mesh to filter the water and reuse it for future cutting sessions.

Use the Right Tooling and Configuration for the Job

Although water jets will not have you switch out tooling as often as other cutters, some configurations are better at cutting certain kinds of copper than others. 

For example, if your workpiece is very thick, high water pressure and a slow cutting speed will give you better cuts. Therefore, always step back before you start working on a new piece. And ask yourself if you have set up your machine in the most optimal way.

Always Follow Safety Protocols

Reckless use of water jet cutters can cause massive damage. The low-end pressure of 30,000 PSI is not a joke. It can cut through limbs like butter. Now imagine what kind of damage 90,000 PSI can do.

Therefore, always ensure you put all the right safety protocols in place. Properly train your staff and keep your workplace well-ventilated. Also, ensure they are wearing proper safety gear like gloves, masks, and eye protection – the usual. These precautions will keep your employees safe and keep your liability free.

Conclusion

Water jet cutting copper is the most efficient for commercial reasons. They are very powerful machines that are versatile and can give you excellent cuts. Copper has so many different applications. Using a versatile machine like a water jet makes all the more sense.

You can tailor the cut to your needs and stack multiple materials, all while using a process that is also the most eco-friendly. Not only is the edge-cut quality superb, but you can also use the machine to cut other materials. That is simply an excellent return on investment. Thanks a lot reading till the end and have a nice day!

FAQ for Water Jet Cutting Copper

Can a water jet cutter cut copper in any shape?

Yes, these cutters use a CNC cutting process. You can cut any odd shape you want with these cutters. This gives you much more flexibility and the ability to cut intricate shapes for jewelry.

Can the high-pressure water affect the copper?

No, since there are no heat zones, the high-pressure water flow from water jets does not affect the copper piece. It is the safest way to cut metals like copper without warping or damaging it.

Are water jet cutters safe to use?

Water jet cutters are perfectly safe to use. You can also inquire whether your cutter manufacturer provides additional training or not. With some training, your staff will be able to use water jet cutters without any hassle.