Hi,

Newbie here on the forums ....

Anyone have any tips on waterjet cutting 2" thick UHMW Polyethylene?

I'm using a Maxiem (built by Omax corp) and it cuts 1" thick UHMW just fine, but with the 2" material it heats the material up so badly that it moves up and blocks the mixing tube so water enters the abrasive feed line.

I tried increasing the stand off, but it's not helping. The machine eventually cut without material build up (once the material was submersed completely), but it still won't cut cleanly.

Basically, the parts are three 1/4" holes in a rectangle that measures around 1" x 3".

Any recommendations would be really appreciated. I've cut nearly everything imaginable, but this 2+ inch thick UHMW is causing me some real headaches ...

Thanks!