Water Jetting
Water Jet Cutter Offers Endless Possibilities for Custom Stair Design. Let’s face it, handcrafted intricate wood pieces for custom balustrade systems make for an amazing and beautiful staircase, but the time and cost can make these pieces expensive. This is where technology can step in. Water jet technology turns what could previously only be done by hand into an assembly line operation. Water–jet cutting machines can open up a new ways to design your staircase.
Previous cutting technology such as laser, plasma and EDM (electrical discharge machining) had limits for depth of cutting from less than 1–inch (laser) to 12–inch or less (EDM). These cutting technologies also produced heat, which can cause metallurgical changes or discolor many materials. By–products produced when cutting with these technologies are hazardous. Water–jet machining is a better choice for production and for the ecology as it has no production by–products.
Cutting with water can be done on all materials from paper to wood to glass and metals. Thinner softer materials can use only water to cut, harder and thicker material uses an abrasive, which is added to the water stream to cut thick hard material. Both abrasive and water cutting allow for intricate detailing and omni–directional cutting for amazingly complex designs.
In custom stairs, this allows the balustrade to become an artist’s canvas. Glass, Plexiglas, wood, ceramics or metal can be etched, inlayed and carved into amazing creations. Simple balusters can become intricately spiraled, or replicate an architectural motif in metals or woods. Mix and match materials with inlays. Open up metal or glass sections with simple or ornate cutouts.
Stair treads can be cut from any material in many shapes or textures. Stone treads can be inlayed with a multitude of different stone types to create geometric or ornate patterns. Businesses can have their logo inserted into any part of the stair system.
Since the 1980s, water cutting has only improved its ability to cut more precisely, faster, and with less secondary finishing. With simple H20, this technology has opened up many design possibilities for people who desire custom stairs with less expense than handcrafted designs.