At D. Wilson we are here from design to installation for your bespoke staircases. To further improve our services as a staircase manufacturer, we have in-house state-of-the-art waterjet cutting machines and a plasma cutting machine which allows us to create the best bespoke staircases possible for our clients. Here is how these services benefit our staircase design and production. 
Back to blogWhat is waterjet cutting?
Waterjets are fast, flexible and accurate. High-pressure water is fired and concentrates an extreme amount of energy to a small area through a small hole and using a high-velocity jet. The pump used generally pressurises normal tap water at pressure levels high enough to produce the energy required for cutting. The water is then focused into an intense cutting stream which moves at a velocity of up to 3 times the speed of sound, depending on how the water pressure is exerted. At D. Wilson we use specialist 3D & computerised motion control software to help with our staircase design for bespoke staircases. It allows us to use waterjet cutting through up to 200mm of thickness and an accuracy that matches machined tolerances of +/- 0.1mm with a high-quality cut edge finish. As a staircase manufacturer, this allows us to work with metals we use on bespoke staircases such as mild steel, stainless steel, aluminium, copper, brass, bronze and iron.Waterjet cutting advantages
Waterjet cutting can be a preferred cutting method as it allows materials that would be burned, melted or cracked by other methods to be cut with no thermal stress, frayed edges or burns due to the cold cutting quality thus producing excellent edge quality, particularly important on structural works CE Marking BS EN1090-1 & 2. It can also cut virtually any material with the ability to cut in any direction and doesn’t require a starting hole to do so. This means there is minimal fixturing required and it’s faster than many conventional cutting tools. The flexible machine integration is environmentally friendly as it reduces dust and hazardous gases. It saves raw materials as there is a small cutting kerf width and nesting capabilities and this means it allows stress-free cutting.What is plasma cutting?
Plasma is an electrically heated gas system and is very effective at cutting metals. The stream of electricity flowing through the gas is constricted through a small orifice so it becomes dense and moves very quickly. It’s this stream that can melt and blow through most metals easily. The gas is also directed around the perimeter if the cutting area so as to shield the cut.Plasma cutting is useful to us as a staircase manufacturer creating bespoke staircases as it is a faster cutting method for metals we use in staircase design such as stainless steel, mild/carbon steels and aluminium up to 20mm thick.
Plasma cutting advantages
Plasma cutting has many advantages, which leaves it as a popular cutting choice for many organisations and us as a staircase manufacturer, such as the fact that it can cut metal up to six inches thick at very high temperatures. The following will also help to cut production and labour costs and improve the quality of your product:- Plasma cutters are five times faster than traditional, manual torches and can cut up to 500 inches per minute
- They are able to make precise cuts on a range of metals of varying thicknesses. As these cutters use nitrogen it allows them to cut metals such as steel and aluminium
- Marginal training is required which makes them user-friendly
- They are able to multi-task, not just limited to cutting, and can be used as gauges lining up materials perfectly
- As the cutting application uses a gas that isn’t highly flammable, there are fewer safety hazards when cutting than with other gas cutting procedures
- It’s an economical method and is less expensive than laser cutting
- Despite the fact that it operates at high temperatures, plasma cutting systems can keep the surface of materials cool which prevents warping and damage to paint and other coatings