Ultra-high pressure waterjet systems

Jet Edge, a leading manufacturer of ultra-high pressure waterjet systems, will demonstrate its latest waterjet cutting technology at the Experimental Aviation Association’s Oshkosh AirVenture, at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wis. During AirVenture, Jet Edge sales engineers will showcase the remarkable versatility of waterjet and abrasive waterjet cutting and discuss their many applications in the aviation industry. Jet Edge also will introduce special guest, Pilot Dave Willcock of St Catharine’s, Ontario.

Willcock has built a successful business manufacturing aircraft parts with a Jet Edge system.

His business, Profile Waterjet Cutting, has been featured in Canadian MetalWorking and Canadian Industrial Machinery.

Waterjet cutting is ideal for making aviation parts, Willcock said, noting that aircraft are a compilation of flat, thin parts.

He read a lengthy list of parts he had made for just one customer.

It included 22 items ranging from gussets and flanges to power distribution panels and custom wine racks.

‘There are hundreds or even thousands of parts,’ he said.

‘The number of parts you can make will just stagger you.’ Willcock, who owns 10 aircraft, contends that home-built aviation enthusiasts could greatly increase their productivity by using waterjet instead of conventional cutting tools.

‘Most of the stuff is made with bandsaws, hacksaws and files,’ he said.

‘If you were building an aircraft from scratch, you would save months of work in constructing a project.’ Aircraft enthusiasts also could save money by making their own specialty tools at a fraction of their retail cost, Willcock added.