4. Rotate Your Nozzles – While many waterjet cutting head manufacturers may advertise perfect alignment between the orifice and nozzle, this is not always the case. Even the smallest misalignment between these two elements can cause uneven wear of waterjet nozzles (focusing tubes). By rotating your nozzle ¼ turn at the beginning of each shift (or before long projects), you can counteract the uneven wear, and extend the life of this component.
PRO TIP : Before cutting high precision parts, use a pin gauge to measure the ID of your nozzle. If the nozzle is too worn for that project, replace with a new one. Save the old one if the ID is acceptable for other, rough cutting projects.
5. Clean Your Orifice – The periodic cleaning of waterjet orifice can extend the life of this item. Despite water treatment efforts, dissolved solids can still collect on the inside diameter of an orifice assembly.
This is particularly relevant to long-life orifice materials such as diamonds or tetraCORE. Using white vinegar in an ultrasonic cleaner will allow the orifice to maintain a clean, coherent stream.
PRO TIP : When using long-life orifice like diamonds or tetraCORE, rotate to a second orifice while the first is being cleaned. Catalog operating hours per orifice to ensure you are getting maximum life.
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