Success Story

Recent SBIR investments by the National Science Foundation (NSF) have helped OMAX to harness a sought-after technology to make high-pressure jet machining more available, affordable, and easy to use. Currently, the company’s waterjet technology can cut 10 times faster than even the best lasers on the market when heat-induced damage must be minimized. OMAX has its eye on the medical field, particularly in the orthopedic and prosthetics sector where micro machining has the ability to revolutionize the industry by making the manufacturing process more precise and affordable.

Although using water as a cutting tool has been around for close to a century, micromachining virtually any material with water is a recent innovation, led by OMAX Corporation, with the help of the SBIR program. With global emphasis on meso-micro technology, micro abrasive-waterjet technology provides a means to meet this demand by enabling automated machining features as small as 250 micrometers.

OMAX recently launched its newest product, the MicroMAX® JetMachining® center (2016 Finalist of R&D 100 Awards), which utilizes advanced high-precision optical linear encoders, innovative vibration isolation, and proven software control systems. The MicroMAX is capable of a positioning accuracy of less than 15 microns while retaining all the advantages of the company’s patented abrasive waterjet machining. The machine can power through stainless steel, titanium, carbon fiber, glass, graphite, copper and more, with high precision and smooth finishing, for a wide range of applications.