A major development for Bulwell's customers is the provision of water jet cutting. The company saw the potential of this some years ago and, over the ensuing period, further investment in facilities and methods has yielded significant benefits for Bulwell's customers.The conventional applications of water jet are confined to the better utilisation of materials. Bulwell has extended this use to produce a machine finish on component surfaces, often to very tight tolerances.
There are a number of reasons why water jet cutting should be considered:
- Reduced machining costs
- Improved material utilisation
- Cutting of hard materials
- Coating removal
- Lead time reduction
The ranges of materials and thicknesses that may be cut by this process are extensive:
- Low strength and thin materials can be cut without deformation due to the low mechanical forces used.
- Hard and strong materials can be readily cut due to the hardness of the abrasive (for example; Tungsten alloys, Nickel and Cobalt alloys, Ceramics, etc)
- The thickness of materials to be cut ranges from 0.2mm to approximately 75/100mm.
Recent Highlights
- Investment in a new 4 x 2 metre machine
- Relocation to a purpose built facility
- Application of technology to aero-structure components which complements long established engine capabilities
