As businesses get more competitive and consumers get more demanding, precision in manufacturing isn’t just a luxury but a necessity. With competitors ready to swoop in on your customers at the drop of a hat, giving the customer exactly what they want is one of the keys to running a successful business in today’s economy.
This is true nowhere more than in manufacturing, where one slip-up can cost you a vendor’s business. To ensure accuracy and quality, many manufacturers have turned to computer controlled cutting machinery, and waterjet cutters are one of the most utilized in the comfort and support industry.
A waterjet cutter uses a super-pressurized stream of water that’s barely .005 inches thick in diameter to cut through foam just as easily as a hot knife cuts through butter. This can make a custom cushion with sharp lines and smooth curves more intricately than any person could dream of doing by hand. The water coming out is pressurized at more than 60,000 PSI in some cases, and depending on the machine, is either pure water or abrasive-treated water. A water-only jet cutter can cut through four and a half inches of polyurethane foam easily, while an abrasive waterjet cutter can go through almost one and a half feet of the same material, though it wears down a machine faster and is messier than pure water.
Foam custom cut on a waterjet is also affordable for a cushion or prototype project, because it only requires computer programming and not the creation of pressure plates or cutting dies. It’s also fast, in that the lead times, without the need for plates, are drastically reduced.
Waterjet cutters can turn their water streams on and off to cut inside of a foam shape without having to enter from an exterior perimeter. This allows things like gaskets to be created, with an opening in the middle and a consistent outer edge to form the seal.
If you’re looking for precision and a job done to your exact specifications, consider doing business with a waterjet owner to give you the results you need.