How An Aerospace Components Supplier Achieved Precision And Cost Savings with HEAD Waterjet Technology

The aerospace sector imposes some of the world’s toughest manufacturing standards. Parts must meet tight tolerances, uncompromised material integrity, and rigorous documentation. Traditional cutting methods—laser, plasma, and even some milling operations—can introduce heat, micro-cracks, burrs, and excessive tool wear, all of which threaten quality and program schedules. This article explains how an Asia-based aerospace components supplier adopted HEAD Waterjet Technology to solve these problems, improving precision, lowering total cost, and accelerating delivery—while strengthening compliance practices.

Pre-Waterjet Challenges in Aerospace Cutting

The supplier handled a wide portfolio of materials and geometries, from thin aluminum avionics panels to thick titanium brackets and complex CFRP/GFRP laminates. Four recurring pain points constrained performance:

• Heat-Affected Zones (HAZ): Thermal methods caused discoloration, hardening, and distortion—unacceptable for safety-critical components and cosmetic surfaces.

• Composite Delamination: Mechanical and thermal cutting induced fiber pull-out and frayed edges, raising scrap and rework.

• High Tooling Cost & Downtime: Milling titanium and trimming composites consumed specialty tools and operator hours.

• Documentation Burden: Proving process control for audits was difficult when cutting parameters varied across tools and operators.

Why the Team Selected HEAD Waterjet

After trials across representative part families, the supplier chose a HEAD waterjet system configured for aerospace work cells. The decision hinged on these engineering and business factors:

Cold Cutting—Zero Thermal Damage

Waterjet removes material via high-pressure water with abrasive, not heat. Titanium, aluminum, Inconel, and composites retain their original microstructure and mechanical properties. No HAZ means fewer non-conformances and simpler qualification.

Precision & Edge Quality

Typical tolerances of ±0.1 mm with burr-free, delam-free edges reduce secondary finishing and protect bond/paint adhesion for downstream processes.

Multi-Material Capability in One Cell

The same machine cuts metals, fiber-reinforced polymers, high-performance plastics, honeycomb panels, and ceramics. Tooling changeovers and machine transfers disappear, simplifying scheduling.

CAD/CAM Traceability

Direct import of engineering models (with revision control) ensures program traceability for audits. Logged parameters (pressure, feed, abrasive flow) support first-article inspection and continued airworthiness documentation.

Predictable Operating Cost

Instead of volatile specialty cutters, the cost structure centers on standardized abrasive + water + energy, enabling reliable cost-per-part forecasts for long-term contracts.

Implementation: From Pilot to Production

Deployment began with a pilot covering three part families: aluminum avionics panels, CFRP interior liners, and titanium brackets. The team standardized nesting rules, lead-in/lead-out geometry, and inspection points at the cell.

• Piercing Strategy: Low-pressure pierce → ramp-up sequences protected top surfaces on composites and thin aluminum.

• Abrasive & Nozzle DOE: Short design-of-experiments runs balanced edge finish, cut speed, and media cost for each material stack-up.

• On-Cell Quality Gates: Go/no-go gauges and optical checks verified hole diameters, slot width, and surface finish before WIP moved downstream.

Measured Outcomes After Adoption

• ~30% Lower Production Cost: Tooling savings and reduced rework outweighed energy and media spend.

• Yield Improvement: Composite delamination fell sharply; titanium parts held tolerance without post-machining.

• Shorter Lead Times: Consolidating multi-material cutting into one cell removed queue time between processes.

• Audit Readiness: Parameter logs tied to CAD revisions simplified FAIRs, PPAP-style submissions, and periodic audits.

• Customer Satisfaction: OEM partners cited cleaner edges and schedule reliability as key reasons for award extensions.

Engineering Practices that Drive Aerospace-Grade Results

Pierce, Lead-in, and Start/Stop Control

Off-feature lead-ins and micro-tabs keep witness marks out of functional areas. Staged pierces prevent spall on CFRP facesheets and thin Al-Mg alloys.

Abrasive Granulometry & Flow

Consistent mesh (e.g., 80#–120# depending on finish) with calibrated flow avoids over-consumption while maintaining edge integrity on tight radii and small slots.

Fixturing & Support

Stable backing slats and honeycomb supports limit vibration on thin sheets. Proper drainage keeps spent abrasive away from the cut zone, protecting finish quality.

Nesting & Path Optimization

Common-line cutting and minimized traverse reduce cycle time. For titanium, optimized feed/pressure tables maintain straightness on thick sections.

Waterjet vs. Conventional Methods in Aerospace

• Laser/Plasma: Fast but thermal—risks HAZ, warping, and altered metallurgy; often requires post-process clean-up.

• Milling: Excellent accuracy but high tool wear on Ti/CFRP; longer cycles and costly cutters.

• Waterjet (HEAD): Cold, precise, multi-material, minimal finishing—ideal for qualification, repeatability, and mixed-model cells.

Business Impact for Aerospace Suppliers

• Higher Margins: Less scrap/rework and fewer secondary ops improve contribution per part.

• Bid Competitiveness: Predictable CPM supports sharper, de-risked quotes on long-term agreements.

• Portfolio Expansion: The same cell handles metals, composites, plastics, and honeycomb—broadening addressable work.

• Program Stability: Logged parameters and repeatable results align with OEM quality systems and surveillance audits.

Why HEAD Waterjet

HEAD Waterjet brings 20+ years of waterjet engineering to aerospace, automotive, stone, glass, and advanced composites. For aerospace users, the differentiators are reliability, service, and application know-how:

• Global Installations in 80+ Countries with local training and lifetime technical support.

• Configurable Cells: From compact tables to multi-head and robotic solutions tailored to part families.

• End-to-End Enablement: Sample cuts, parameter playbooks, DOE templates, and CAD/CAM onboarding.

Key Takeaways

• Eliminate thermal damage and composite delam with cold waterjet cutting.

• Achieve ±0.1 mm precision and burr-free edges that reduce or remove secondary finishing.

• Cut metals + composites + plastics in a single qualified cell with full parameter traceability.

• Lower total cost via tooling savings, higher yields, and stable cost-per-part.

• Strengthen audit readiness and program delivery with logged, repeatable processes.

Contact HEAD Waterjet

Exploring a qualified cutting cell for aerospace metals and composites? Share your drawings, tolerances, and target takt time—our engineers will recommend a cell configuration, run sample cuts, and model ROI with your parts.

Website: www.headwaterjet.net
    Email: sale2@hdwaterjet.com
    WhatsApp: +86 15942048409

HEAD Waterjet – Cutting Beyond Limits, Enabling Aerospace Precision.