Nordic subcontractor takes precision to the next level with new micro waterjet

Image: While waiting for new premises, the company still managed to make room for the compact workstation.

After nine successful years of micro waterjet cutting, a Nordic subcontract manufacturer has taken the next step. A new NCM 10 Micro from Water Jet Sweden will provide higher precision, increased capacity and the ability to take on more advanced precision components.

The subcontract manufacturer invested in a standard waterjet cutting machine from Water Jet Sweden back in 2017. Equipped with an FAWJ Micro cutting head, the machine enabled the company to offer customers significantly higher precision than conventional waterjet cutting.

The investment proved successful. Demand for precision components has continued to grow, and over time the existing machine has been utilized to its full capacity.

As the company now expands its operations, the objective was therefore not only to increase capacity. It also wanted to further improve precision in order to compete for a wider range of advanced machining applications.

The choice fell on the NCM 10 Micro, a machine platform developed by Water Jet Sweden specifically for high-precision cutting and extremely tight tolerances.

A design that minimizes sources of error

In precision applications, a highly accurate cutting head alone is not enough. The entire machine design must contribute to maintaining precision.

The NCM 10 Micro therefore features a rigid, vibration-damping machine bed made from a special composite material, designed to minimize the effects of temperature variations. Positioning is carried out using a Renishaw Invar scale, combining an extremely low coefficient of thermal expansion with high resolution.

The water tank is also rubber-mounted to reduce vibration. Abrasive delivery is software-controlled to ensure a consistent and controlled cutting process.

Combined with FAWJ technology – Fine Abrasive Waterjet – the design provides the conditions required for extremely narrow kerfs and minimal material loss.

“When tolerances become extremely tight, it is important to control the entire system, not just the cutting process itself. That is why the NCM 10 Micro has been developed with a focus on precision in every part of the machine,” says Christian Svensson, Sales Manager at Water Jet Sweden.

Perpendicular cutting as well

The Norwegian subcontract manufacturer has also chosen to equip its NCM 10 Micro with an Alphajet TVL cutting head. This allows the company to combine the high precision of FAWJ technology with the ability to produce perpendicular cuts on precision components.

The machine can process workpieces up to 100 mm thick and, according to Water Jet Sweden’s specifications, offers positioning accuracy of ±0.01 mm/300 mm and repeatability of ±0.008 mm at 20 °C ± 2 °C. Kerf widths can be as small as 0.2 mm.

For the Norwegian subcontract manufacturer, the investment therefore means both increased capacity and a broader technical offering.

From the initial investment in 2017 to today’s NCM 10 Micro, the development has been driven by the same fundamental need: to deliver increasingly advanced components with high precision while meeting growing demand from customers with ever-higher manufacturing requirements.

Components cut with the NCM 10 Micro