Waterjet and Laser Cutting Case Studies
Here you can see a few specific examples of projects we have done, and projects that we have learned from in the past. The projects shown here were waterjet cut, laser cut, or a have used a combination of our in-house, value-added manufacturing services.
The project at hand here, was 16 gage carbon steel (A1011) that would be laser cut at Fedtech for tight tolerances and high quality. The parts were architectural panels for outdoor decor on a company building. Read more about this project and see pictures of the finished product here...
Custom Waterjet Cut Metal Rings
These parts were waterjet cut from 7 gage 316 stainless steel and also 5052 aluminum. Take a look at these custom waterjet cut rings and see the precision and detail behind each individual project. Read more...
The parts in this case study made for a complicated project on Fedtech's production floor. The parts were waterjet cut, formed, stamped, milled, heat treated, finished and assembled to completion. Read more about this project...
Custom Metal Perforation Plates
The perforated plate shown here was custom cut for a customer, however Fedtech is able to manufacture endless different designs for metal perforation. Click to see perforation photos and read more details about this topic...
Fedtech's Waterjet Catches a Wave on TV
A recent project on our waterjet was for the DIY network. A custom cut flower from .750" thick MDF (Medium-Density Fiberboard) for a bathroom renovation on their upcoming series, "BATHtastic!". Read more about this project...
Waterjet Cut BeltingThis case study features custom cut SBR belting. The forty-nine foot material would be waterjet cut with small holes as designated by the print. The material was .123" thick and ran smoothly on our waterjet cutting table. Read more...
This case study showcases tight tolerances and tiny holes made in 316 stainless steel from 1.120" wide by 8.80" long blanks. The holes cut into the material were .021" in diameter (.0105" radius). To reach this tight tolerance, laser cutting was used in processing this project. For photos and more details, read more...
Fedtech's waterjet manufactured custom aluminum signage of .125" thick for a local eye care clinic. See the finished product and the process used to get the job done by reading more of this case study!
This case study features abrasive waterjet cutting of 4.00" thick HY-100 ballistic steel material. Mostly featured in the defense industry, HY-100 is a very tough and rugged material. See how waterjet was able to process the material with exact specifications and tight tolerances.
To complete a sculpture at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport, Fedtech was called in to do some extra-special laser cutting of 7 gage 304 stainless steel for the tops of the towers to have their immaculate LED light fixtures shine through. Read more about these art sculptures...
Using 3-Axis Waterjet Cutting for Alloy Gears
Fedtech used abrasive waterjet cutting to process extremely hard, heat-treated alloy gears. The heat treated material made the project extremely challenging. Our solution satisfied the customer and we successfully completed another custom manufacturing project. Read more about the experience...
Waterjet Cutting of 1.5" Thick GPO-3
Fedtech had a recent project the required us to process 1.5" thick GPO-3. This material is a fiberglass reinforced polymer laminate that is used for its flame resistance properties for electrical components. Normal applications of cutting here would have involved bandsaw cutting, millling, or drilling which often times results in broken saws or bits. Read more about the experience...
Processing 9.25" Aluminum Blocks
Fedtech's waterjet machinery takes it to the next level in processing 9.25" aluminum for a customer. The thick material is difficult to process since the waterjet must deliver a perfectly straight cutting stream through all 9.25 inches to achieve the exact cut that the customer desired. Read more about this experience...
Fuel Injector Pieces For the Aircraft IndustryFedtech recently completed a project for the aircraft industry. This project involved processing several 5.5" Haynes 282 rounds using waterjet cutting. The project was tricky since the rounds were attached to a piece of equipment that could not get wet. Not only this, but the job required extremely expensive material in order to meet the requirements for the jet. Read more about the fuel injector pieces...
Thick Copper for Waterjet Cutting (featured story)
Fedtech even processes copper! The task here was to use waterjet cutting to process 10" copper bars. Copper is not a cheap material, so it was important to ensure perfect cuts on each copper bar. Another tough part was the thickness of the copper, which was difficult in itself as the expensive material was 10" thick. Read more about copper processing...
Gears Galore - 7" Rounds
Fedtech was asked to waterjet cut 1.125" thick carbon steel rounds, which were 7" in diameter. To process the rounds individually with the exact cut on each piece would have taken countless hours, however waterjet cutting got the job done in just a short amount of time. The resulting product was a shipment of gears, processed for a company in Avon, Minnesota called Columbia Gear Corp.. Read more about this experience...
Water-Only Waterjet Cuts PTFE
For soft or thin materials, water-only waterjet cutting is the best way to go. To keep the material clean but still precisely manufactured, we use our water-only waterjet. In the case of this particular project, the material we would be cutting was PTFE, one of the most slippery materials out there. But what also made this job tricky was the .094" thick material. Read more about this experience...
Honeycomb Aluminum Processed Here
When a job comes along that is soft but tough at the same time, it's always nice to have options. In this case, the choice option was waterjet cutting. Since Fedtech has numerous years of experience in waterjet cutting, they knew exactly how to go about processing honeycomb aluminum. Read more...
Stainless Steel Movie Theater Decor
It's show time at a couple local theaters! Their latest renovations to their business involved custom manufactured ticket windows, which turned out to look great! The different designs were waterjet cut from stainless steel, and A36 carbon steel and were then presented to the customer. See the finished results...
1" Acetal Wheel Conveyer Pieces
Fedtech processes 1" thick acetal by using waterjet technology. The finished product is then sent to the customer to be drilled, tapped, turned and lastly put into use for their business. The pieces seen here are then used as a type of roller for a conveyer belt. Read more about these pieces...
Rubber Belting for Rock Climbing
This project was requiring abrasive waterjet cutting to process 3/8" rubber belting to be used for a rock climbing wall. The small holes were cut into the material for the rocks to be placed in and used as the stepping stones. The material was soft but yet hard at the same time, so waterjet cutting was the ideal choice to process the material as desired. Read more about the rubber belting...
A recent project that was brought to Fedtech was the task to process 13,200 pieces of titanium that was .025" thick. The pieces were to be waterjet cut then sent to the customer to be used as electrical conductors for vacuum cleaners. What made this project interesting was the fact that titanium is a very strong material, but also very lightweight, making it a fascinating project to observe. Read more about the titanium pieces...
6061 Aluminum Martial Arts Weapons
In this project, we were asked to use abrasive waterjet cutting to process .090" thick 6061 Aluminum. The parts had numerous points at which detail was to be carefully processed into the aluminum. With 400 of the blades being made, it was crucial that the parts were manufactured to the exact specifications the customer gave us. Read more about these martial arts pieces...
14 Gauge Engine Parts for Concrete Equipment
Unique parts are laser cut for precise engine parts. The 14 gauge HRPO carbon steel would soon be used on the engine skid cover for concrete leveling equipment. The process of laser cutting was able to process the large parts while still allowing for tight nesting of parts and amazing cutting accuracies. Read more about these laser cut parts...
Customers wanted head gaskets made out of AR 400 steel, a wear resistant material. To produce quality results, we used waterjet cutting to process the 1/16" thick material to the specifications required. Read more about these head gasket parts...
The project shown here were custom tile decor for a Fedtech customer. The tiles were designed by the customer and involved waterjet cutting through 3/8" slate tile. The designs included letters and animals for a very 'outdoorsy' look. To find out how the tiles turned out, read more...
Have an idea? Check out our Photo Album to see samples of our prior work in waterjet and laser cutting, to develop a better understanding of what Fedtech is all about. Now you can even check out some New Videos from our production floor!
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