Morning boost med Dr. Anders Jönsson
At Shape Process Automation in Karlshamn, we love starting the day with new knowledge. Our recurring Morning Boost is a relaxed internal mini-lecture where we dive deeper into the technology behind our solutions. This time, Dr. Anders Jönsson and Senior Sales Manager Mikael Schröter took us on a journey through the world of waterjet technology – from the forces of nature to today’s high-tech waterjet cutting.
And yes, the session really did involve rivers, orangutans, the U.S. Gold Rush, the JAS Gripen fighter jet, and Felix Baumgartner’s world-record jump.
It All Starts with a River
How does a river actually work?
Water flows from higher to lower ground, converting potential energy into kinetic energy. A simple principle that nature uses every day – and the very foundation of modern waterjet cutting.
In our systems, sunlight and mountain peaks are replaced by electric motors, hydraulics, and intensifiers. By generating extremely high pressure inside a closed system, the water is forced through a microscopic nozzle. The result?
A waterjet moving at 800–1000 meters per second.
That’s actually faster than a JAS Gripen in full flight.
From the Gold Rush to High-Tech Engineering
During the Gold Rush in the 1800s, people used the force of water to wash away rock material in search of gold. Anders showed how the same natural principles, refined and technically controlled, are used today in our advanced waterjet systems.
The difference? We’re not looking for gold – we’re cutting everything from hard plastics to thick metals with extreme precision.
Orangutan Hair vs. Waterjet
Did you know that a single orangutan hair is about 0.15 mm thick?
Our waterjet varies between 0.08 and 0.35 mm.
This means the stream that cuts through industrial materials is thinner than an animal hair.
The combination of extreme speed, pressure, and precision makes waterjet cutting one of the most gentle yet powerful machining methods available.
Baumgartner, Water Columns and Extreme Pressure
When Felix Baumgartner jumped from 39,000 meters in 2012, he set several world records.
But if you tried to create the same pressure as our pumps using a natural column of water?
You would need a water column 30,000–60,000 meters high – almost the same altitude as Baumgartner’s jump.
That really puts our system pressures into perspective. Handling forces like this requires top-tier engineering.
The History of Our Systems
In the second part of the boost, Mikael took us through the company’s waterjet history:
It all started in 1972, when puzzle manufacturer Kärnan requested a special system to improve production.
The solution became a machine capable of making children’s puzzles so small that they ended up in the Guinness World Records.
From this system, the first robotized waterjet solutions were developed.
By 1986, the first export order was delivered.
We built our first waterjet cutting cell for Volvo’s interior components.
And today, we have delivered more than 1,000 systems worldwide.
We supply complete solutions – from waterjet machines and robots to pumps, programming, support, and aftermarket services.
Why Can Water Cut Through Thick Material?
One audience question concerned the difference between waterjet cutting and laser cutting. Anders explained it clearly:
Both methods use beams, but a laser has a fixed focus.
A waterjet has its highest concentration right after the nozzle and loses power over distance if allowed to spread.
So how can you cut, for example, 400 mm thick material?
The secret is that the material itself becomes a channel. Once the cut begins, the walls of the material help keep the waterjet concentrated all the way through.
The result is surprisingly straight and precise cuts.
A Boost That Energized Us
The Morning Boost offered laughter, aha-moments, and a deeper understanding of the technology that makes Shape Process Automation unique. By combining nature’s principles with engineering excellence, we continue driving innovation forward – with power, precision, and curiosity.
Want to learn more about waterjet technology?
Whether you’re trimming 3D-shaped components, dashboards, carpets or composite panels, our systems provide clean, cold cuts without heat or distortion….