FAQ
FAQ
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
We have dedicated this page to our industry questions that potential customers may have. We wanted to ensure that our customers were given a wealth of information regarding any order they might place with Van Industries, Inc., however, if your question or concern does not fall into any of these categories, feel free to contact us to speak with a Van Industries, Inc. employee.
For definitions and terminology, see our glossary.
WATERJET AND LASER CUTTING
WHAT IS ABRASIVE WATERJET CUTTING?
The water jet cutting process pushes a 60,000 psi stream of water through a 0.040" nozzle. The powerful stream alone is strong enough to cut through many materials, and yet, with the addition of garnet abrasive to this stream we can cut nearly anything.
DOES WATERJET CUTTING COST THE SAME AS LASER CUTTING?
Because of the laser's capability range, the laser will always be the cheaper option. The jet's rates are noticeably slower while the costs are significantly higher.
DO YOU CUT GLASS?
Our waterjet cutting services are great for the cutting of glass. Above anything else, we want our cuts to look great after they're finished. However, some types of glass may be more delicate. Give us a call or email to ask one of our associates to get a specific piece of glass cut.
DO YOU CUT TITANIUM?
Yes, waterjet cutting is ideal for cutting titanium.
HOW THIN OR THICK OF MATERIAL DOES THE WATERJET CUT?
Abrasive waterjet cuts thicknesses from .0005" to 12."
WHAT IS THE LARGEST PLATE SIZE POSSIBLE TO CUT?
The largest plate size to waterjet cut would be 120" x 240."
DOES YOUR ABRASIVE WATERJET CUT HARDENED METALS?
Yes, the waterjet can cut hardened metals ranging from 20-70 Rockwell C.
WHAT SIZE KERF IS CREATED WITH THE ABRASIVE WATERJET PROCESS?
The width of the kerf is around 0.040" minimum.
IS THERE ANY TAPER ON THE PART AFTER CUTTING?
Often there are times a taper when waterjet cutting a part, but it can be eliminated with a 5-axis taper compensation.
WHAT MOST COMMON TOLERANCE IS YOUR JET CAPABLE OF?
Our tolerance for waterjet cutting is ±.005," but a tolerance of ±.003" is achievable as well.
WHAT IS THE THICKEST YOU CAN CUT?
Our jet can process most materials up to 12" thick. Laser metal cutting can process materials up to about 1" (carbon steel) in thickness.
For a comprehensive list, click here for our capabilities page.
WHAT ARE THE LIMITATIONS OF WATERJET CUTTING?
Four materials that we cannot cut with the waterjet are; Tungsten, Tungsten Carbide, Lead and Beryllium Copper. Tungsten is an extremely hard material, and Beryllium Copper are both harmful because they releases poisonous Beryllium into the air. Because of this, these are materials that we do not process with our waterjets.
WHAT KIND OF ABRASIVE DO YOU USE IN ABRASIVE WATERJET CUTTING?
We use garnet exclusively in our waterjet cutting processes. For us, garnet provides greater cutting performances at better prices.
WHAT TYPES OF MATERIALS CAN YOU LASER CUT?
We use laser cutting to process different material types like stainless steel, aluminum and carbon steel.
HOW THICK OF ALUMINUM CAN BE LASER CUT?
Laser cutting can be used to cut aluminum up to 1/2" thick. However, at this thickness it is often more efficient to cut on the water jet, as the laser produces a heavily burred edge at this thickness, which takes time to clean up
CAN YOU LASER CUT HY-80 MATERIAL?
Yes. HY-80 can be laser cut, only up to about 3/4" though. If the material is thicker than this, a good alternative might be waterjet cutting, which can cut up to 12" HY-80.
WHEN SHOULD I CHOOSE WATERJET CUTTING OVER LASER CUTTING?
If your project involves cutting thick material over 1", then you should use waterjet cutting. If your project involves cutting aluminum, copper, brass, titanium, wood, acrylic, plastic or requires no heat affected zones, then you should use waterjet cutting. If your project involves processing thinner stainless steels, or carbon steels, then you most likely will choose the laser cutting route. Laser cutting is also a little less expensive, as it uses less consumables than waterjet cutting.
HOW THICK OF STEEL CAN WATERJET CUT?
Our waterjets can cut up to 12" thick in nearly every material, steel included.
WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO CUT "AR" STEEL?
"AR" means abrasion resistant, including AR236, AR400, AR500, etc. The best way to cut these materials is laser cutting.
HOW CAN I CUT URETHANE?
We usually use water-only waterjet cutting for urethane parts. We can also machine urethane.
WHAT ARE SOME RENEWABLE MATERIALS YOU USE FOR WATERJET CUTTING?
As far as renewable or recyclable materials that you can cut with waterjet, this could include bamboo, cork, plastic (polycarbonate, acrylic, nylon, polyethylene, HDPE) or rubber (foam, silicone, urethane, vinyl, neoprene) and more. We also process numerous composites with waterjet this can include glass, ceramics, linoleum and others.
We consider Van Industries, Inc.'s waterjet cutting 'green' because we:
Recycle our abrasive that is used in our cutting process
Recycle our water from our RO systems
Recycle all of our metals
Test our air compressor system plant wide for leaks and reduce air pressure to optimum levels
SHOULD I USE WATERJET CUTTING OR LASER CUTTING FOR ACRYLIC?
Some laser machines have the capability to accurately laser cut acrylic, otherwise you can choose to waterjet cut acrylic. It all depends on the intricacy of the design and the thickness of the material. Simple designs can easily be cut on the waterjet table. At Van Industries, we only use waterjet cutting to process acrylic.
WHAT IS THE BEST CUTTING METHOD FOR POLYCARBONATE; ABRASIVE OR NON-ABRASIVE WATERJET CUTTING?
Depending on how thick of material you are using, we would recommend using water-only waterjet for polycarbonate up to .032." From there, you may have to switch to abrasive waterjet which cuts up to 12" thick.
CAN A WATERJET CUT PLASTIC?
Yes, it can. You'd want to use water-only waterjet cutting but abrasive waterjet cutting would work as well. It would depend on the application you'd be using the plastic for.
CAN YOU CUT ARMOR PLATE WITH WATERJET?
Yes we do, we usually laser cut armor, but we're able to waterjet cut armor plate and ballistics up to 12" thick and from all different types of plate. Click here to see our waterjet page.
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CUTTING STAINLESS STEEL WITH A LASER OR A WATERJET?
That's a great question. The most basic differences can be seen in 1) heat affected zones, which laser cutting has and waterjet does not have. 2) laser cutting typically cuts up to 3/4" thick stainless steel. Anything thicker than that and you may need to use waterjet cutting. 3) Laser cutting typically has tighter cutting tolerances, so if your part includes intricate designs and is less than 5/8" thick, then laser cutting is the ideal choice.
HOW DO I LASER CUT ACETAL?
Acetal is not considered a good application for laser cutting due to the heat involved. We would recommend this material be cut on the water jet
MANUFACTURING
WHAT ARE YOUR PRICES?
We quote our projects on an individual basis, as it would be pointless to attempt a blanket statement on pricing. Please contact us for a quote.
DO YOU DO TITANIUM WELDING?
It depends on the project, we offer titanium welding depending on the application and requirements of each project. Contact our associates to find out more.
DO YOU CUT CUSTOMER SUPPLIED MATERIALS?
Yes, we are open to customers bringing in materials to be cut.
CAN YOU DEFINE "HIGH SPEED MACHINING"?
We have it defined in our glossary section, jump to the H's here.
WHAT IS 'BURR'?
A burr is a raised or jagged edge on a metal part, most often appearing after it has been processed. Generally speaking, it's unwanted material that can be fixed using a process called deburring.
WHAT FILE TYPE DO I NEED TO SEND IN TO GET A QUOTE ON MY PART(S)?
We will take files in many forms including; DXF, IGES, DWG, STL, SLDPRT, and more. It is a rare occurence that we are unable to open a customer supplied file.
DO YOU HAVE IN-HOUSE INVENTORY THAT YOU CAN USE ON MY JOB?
In most cases, yes we do. We stock all kinds of material, and our suppliers can provide next day service for most materials.
HOW FAST CAN YOU HAVE MY PARTS DONE?
Lead-time for orders is usually from one to two weeks, expedited service is usually available as well. Be sure to contact one of our associates to get a more specific estimate.
POWDER
HOW DOES ONE USE COATING POWDER FOR A DIY PROJECT?
Powder coating is applied electrolytically through a powder coat system/gun. Typically first timers and do it yourself-ers use a harbor freight powder gun or something similar to apply the powder to the prepared substrate. Once an adequate film has been achieved the object is then baked out or cured in an old kitchen oven or a toaster oven typically around 400-450 degrees Fahrenheit. All of this can be done in the safety of your home. There are many instructional videos available online that demonstrate to you on how to apply the powder coat and how to cure the coating.
HOW MUCH WILL ONE POUND OF POWDER COATING COVER?
One pound of powder coating will generally cover about 30 sq. ft. of surface. However, keep in mind there are variables for coverage such as the equipment being used and type of finish desired
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PRETREATMENT/WASH SYSTEM FOR POWDER COATINGS VS. LIQUID PAINTS?
Powder coatings provide improved performance over liquids when applied to a properly pretreated part. Solvent-borne paints are usually more forgiving of organic soils left on the work piece by sub-par cleaning. Because powder does not have solvents, the washer must be ensured to do a good cleaning job. This is just good operational practice and is not an unusual requirement. Iron phosphate is the most frequently encountered pretreatment used with powder coatings. If the highest level of performance is required, zinc phosphate will work just fine with powder.
HOW DO I KNOW IF IF MY PARTS ARE CLEAN?
The most widely used test to determine cleanliness is the "water break free" test. This test is a visual observation of whether water fully sheets over the clean part or draws away from portions of the surface (like water on a waxed car). Other tests may include wiping with a white cloth, alcohol drop tests, or other more sophisticated laboratory testing like coulometry (organic soil is burned off the substrate and measured). Again, your pretreatment supplier can assist with evaluating your part cleanliness.
WHAT CLEANS POWDER COATING BEST?
Many choices and decisions go into picking which cleaner is the best for your application. When it comes down to cleaning parts, the following steps in the pretreatment process will serve that purpose.
WHAT PRETREATMENT IS BEST FOR MY APPLICATION?
Iron phosphate is the most used pretreatment for powder coating. It can be used with almost any substrate. Powder coatings will often give improved performance compared to liquid paint over the same pretreatment. For higher quality applications, zinc phosphate may be the pretreatment of choice. However, this process is more costly to operate, uses heavy metals and can produce considerable sludge. The washer typically requires added stages versus an iron phosphate washer. If you cannot achieve the desired performance with iron phosphate, zinc phosphate or an improved paint system may be your only choice.
WHAT KIND OF WASTE BYPRODUCT IS FOUND AFTER PRETREATMENT?
Most typically oil and grease, metals (zinc from the substrate, or the zinc phosphate bath), and pH are the concerns from an environmental reporting point of view. However, sludge or contaminant buildup in the cleaner and phosphate stages may force regular cleanout of these stages.
IS POWDER CLASSIFIED AS HAZARDOUS WASTE?
Basically all powder coatings are not hazardous waste by definition of the Resources Conservation and Recovery Act regulations (RCRA). Disposal of waste powder is similar to that of non-hazardous wastes, in most states. However, there are always exceptions, and your powder supplier should be contacted regarding the proper method of disposal. Always renew disposal needs with the local authority having jurisdiction over your facility location.
WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO STORE POWDER?
Powder storage for many months is often normal practice. Ideally, powder should be stored in the optimum conditions of less than 80°F and approximately 50 - 60 percent relative humidity. Most coating powder should be readily usable for at least a year. Avoid placing powder inventory in close proximity to any heat source such as an oven or furnace. The powder's packaging is to protect from compression that leads to lumps that are not readily broken. Avoid stacking packages, in case of breaking or collapse. Some particular powders should receive greater attention when stored to ensure desired results.
HOW DO I KNOW WHEN MY POWDER HAS FINISHED CURING?
There are two factors established to check if a powder coating has finished curing; the metal temperature and time. A powder's time/temperature requirements must be achieved to obtain a full cure. A cured thermoset powder coating will not re-melt upon further heating. To ensure proper time and temperature it is often best to test using a thermal profiling instrument or similar device to provide actual performance data.
HOW OFTEN SHOULD I CHANGE THE POWDER HOSE?
It is a good idea to change a powdering hose once a year. It is good practice to frequently check the hose for wear and tear.
For other questions, Contact Van Industries Inc. today to request more information about our waterjet and industrial laser services or to request a custom quote!