As Precise as it Gets: Meet the Water Jet

Here at Sioux Rubber & Urethane, we are in the business of providing our customers with innovative solutions that solve abrasion, impact, and corrosion issues in their day-to-day operations. We often support agriculture, manufacturing, mining & aggregate, and warehousing businesses to obtain their goals of having their equipment run smoothly, for longer than they did unprotected. After 60+ years in business, we’ve seen it all. And because we’ve seen it all, we know that we need to be ready for anything. We produce all of our solutions here at our Sioux City, Iowa facility and have all of the equipment we need at the ready. We have a wide variety of tools and processes that we utilize to produce great outcomes for our customers, and today we’re spotlighting one of our favorites: the water jet. 

Why a Water Jet?

As a leading custom rubber company, when products need to be cut and designed to precise specifications, we turn to the water jet. Because of its unique capabilities, it is able to cut precisely through almost any material; metal, wood, textiles, plastic, rubber, stone, ceramics, paper, and more. An ultra high-pressure pump generates a stream of water with pressure rated up to 94,000 psi (78 times stronger than your average garden hose). The pressure is converted to velocity and creates a stream as thin as a human hair. Water exits the head at nearly 4 times the speed of sound, giving it the power to slice through steel up to 12 inches thick. Water jet cutting is a game-changer in the manufacturing industry and Sioux Rubber and Urethane is proud to offer this cutting-edge technology to our customers. Contact us today to learn more about how we can provide you with customized solutions using water jet cutting to meet your unique needs.

Common Applications

Do we need to cut through 12 inches of steel every day? Not necessarily. But here at Sioux Rubber and Urethane, we take pride in having powerful equipment on-hand, should the need arise. Most of the time, we’re using our water jet to cut through rubber to create perfectly customized sizes, shapes, and solutions for our customers. We commonly cut through rubber that is up to 4 inches thick, or as tiny as ⅛’ diameter holes. We use it to cut stone, plastic, and plywood as needed. With our AutoCAD design system, we work with the customer to create and determine the specifics that are needed and cut accordingly. The result? A perfectly precise slice that suits the exact needs of the project.

There isn’t much that we aren’t able to cover with rubber or urethane, and there aren’t many things we can’t cut with our water jet. Thanks to our amazing, experienced team and state-of-the-art tools like our water jet, we are able to provide precise, accurate, and well-designed solutions to our customers, day after day. Curious about our water jet? Reach out today!