WARDJet Waterjet Feed Rate Calculator
Aluminum (6061/7075)
Stainless Steel (304/316)
Mild Steel
Titanium
Inconel
Stone / Granite
Glass
Foam / Rubber
Q1 – Separation Cut (Fastest)
Q2 – Rough Cut
Q3 – Standard Production
Q4 – High Quality
Q5 – Extra Fine (Slowest)
Q1 is for scrap separation; Q5 is for high-precision finish.
Estimated Feed Rate (Linear Cutting)
0.0 IPM
(0.0 mm/min)
Estimated Cut Time per 12″ Linear Cut
0.00 min
Understanding WARDJet Feed Rates
In the world of abrasive waterjet cutting, the Feed Rate refers to the velocity at which the nozzle moves across the material, typically measured in Inches Per Minute (IPM). Optimizing your WARDJet system's feed rate is critical for balancing production speed with edge quality.
Unlike standard CNC machining where feeds and speeds are determined by tool geometry and chip load, waterjet feed rates are determined by an erosive process. The stream must dwell long enough to erode the material all the way through, but moving too slowly increases cost and can cause "kerf widening" at the bottom of the cut.
The 5 Factors Influencing Cutting Speed
- Material Machinability: Softer materials like Aluminum and Foam cut significantly faster than dense materials like Stainless Steel, Titanium, or Inconel.
- Thickness: As thickness increases, the jet loses energy as it penetrates deeper. The relationship is non-linear; doubling thickness often reduces speed by more than half to maintain the same quality.
- Pump Pressure (PSI): Higher pressure increases the velocity of the water stream. A 60,000 PSI pump is the industry standard, but hyper-pressure systems (87,000+ PSI) can cut 20-30% faster.
- Abrasive Flow Rate: The amount of garnet (abrasive) introduced into the stream affects cutting power. This calculator assumes a standard flow rate for the given pressure.
- Quality Level (Q1-Q5): This is the user's primary lever. You trade speed for edge finish.
Q-Levels Explained
WARDJet and most waterjet software utilize a Q1 to Q5 quality scale:
- Q1 (Separation Cut): Very fast. The bottom edge will have significant striations (lines) and significant taper. Used for roughing or scrapping.
- Q2 (Rough Cut): Better than Q1, but striations are visible on the bottom half of the cut.
- Q3 (Standard): The industry standard. Good edge finish with minimal striations near the bottom. Good compromise of speed and quality.
- Q4 (High Quality): Smooth finish, striations are barely visible. Slower production time.
- Q5 (Extra Fine): The highest precision. The edge is smooth from top to bottom with virtually no taper. Extremely slow feed rate.
How to Use This Calculator
This tool provides an estimation based on standard abrasive waterjet physics. Enter your material type and thickness. Adjust the pressure if you are running a specific intensifier pump configuration (e.g., 60k vs 90k PSI). Select your desired finish quality to see how the IPM changes.
Note: Actual feed rates on your WARDJet controller (e.g., Move, Igems) may vary based on orifice condition, mixing tube wear, and abrasive mesh size.