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Hydro: The First Low Cost Waterjet Cutter for less than $5K

By on February 15, 2015
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Waterjet cutters are generally huge machines, with equally large price tags. But what if there was a hobbyist level waterjet cutter that was actually affordable? Well, for their Senior Design Project at the University of Pennsylvania, Adam Libert and his team made one that could retail for less than $5000:

“I was the lead mechanical designer on this project and custom designed a fully waterproof and environmentally sealed XY gantry that would be able to withstand the water and abrasive from the waterjet. The waterjet has a cutting work space of 12”x14” and yet the machine is entirely self-contained to a footprint of only 2 feet by 2 feet, meaning that it can be easily rolled through a doorway and fit in the corner of any room. As well, it requires only a typical electrical outlet and shop air supply to run, making it a feasible option for universities, hobbyists, and small businesses with a budget of $5000 or less. The waterjet is low maintenance, requires only minimal training to run, and is able to cut through 1/4” aluminum and 1/8” steel to a tolerance of 0.005”, Adam said.

Below, a video showing the machine working:

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