An abrasive is one of the essential components used in waterjet cutting. Without a garnet abrasive, the waterjet cutting machine can only cut softer materials such as carpet, food, rubber, and foam. Adding abrasive garnet for waterjet cutting elevates the cutting capability of the device that can cut steel, glass and many other components.
Just like sandpaper, garnet abrasives are available in a variety of grit sizes for either a smooth or a rough finish. For the best edge quality, a finer grit is used while for fast cutting applications with little concern to edge quality; larger grits is applied.
Best Attributes Of Garnet Abrasives
These are some of the best natural qualities of garnet abrasives that make them unique to performing their functions. They include the following:
Toughness
Also known as friability, toughness plays a useful role in detecting waterjet abrasive performance. A very fragile material breaks down quickly at the focusing tube ending up too fine for effective cutting.
Hardness
There should be a balance between the component wear and cutting speed. A soft one slows cutting but extends the nozzle life. Use of hard abrasive offers fast cutting, but quick nozzle erosion leading to further replacement expenses. However, it balances the need for a quick cut and the provision of cutting tool life.
Benefits of Using Garnet Abrasives
Environmentally Safe
Garnet has deficient silica levels, making it nontoxic. This quality ensures there’s no silicosis poisoning or hazard and contamination risk from radioactive substances. There’s a reduction of the disposal volume due to low consumption and recyclability. This quality qualifies the use of garnet as a more sustainable and environmentally safe abrasive.
Increased Productivity
There’s a possibility of achieving very fast cutting with a large number of grains in a particular shape affecting the surface at high speeds. For a more significant impact of energy on surfaces, smaller grains are used to accelerate quickly. The result is a superior quality clean rate, twice as much than using conventional abrasives.
Little Dusting Emissions
Garnet is a clean and fast blast media. Due to its inherent toughness quality, using it for blast cleaning is emits little dust. It has a high specific gravity that allows for rapid settling. This quality is beneficial as there are minimum disruptions to the surrounding operations. Additionally, the operator will have clear visibility.
Increased productivity
The impact of large grains on a surface at high speeds makes it possible to achieve fast cutting. There’s a more comfortable acceleration with smaller grains of garnet with a more substantial effect of energy to surfaces. This results in a quality cleaning rate usually twice better than using other abrasives.
Producing the Best Surface Quality
Garnet grains can clean pitted areas and deep cavities to the bare metal resulting in a blasted surface free from embedment and rogue troughs and peaks. The removal of rust and soluble salt contamination is entirely removed.
Can Be Recycled-Low Mineral Consumption
Due to its hardness, it’s a very cost effective material that lasts longer than others. Additionally, with more guns impacting the surface when used, it significantly reduces its consumption. This means you can recycle for about two times or even more when starting with a coarser grade.