Waterjet cutting systems, including waterjet cutting systems having light alignment devices, and associated methods

Abstract

Various embodiments of waterjet cutting systems are described herein. In one embodiment, a waterjet cutting system includes a high-pressure water source and a waterjet cutting head coupled to the high-pressure water source via a high-pressure water supply. The waterjet cutting head has an orifice and a mixing tube. The orifice forms a waterjet from the high-pressure water. The mixing tube has an inlet aperture through which the waterjet enters the mixing tube, an exit aperture through which waterjet exits the mixing tube, and a passage between the inlet and exit apertures. The waterjet cutting system further includes a light alignment device operably coupled to the waterjet cutting head. In one aspect of this embodiment, the light alignment device is configured to generate a light beam that enters the mixing tube through the inlet aperture, passes through the passage, and exits the mixing tube through the exit aperture.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.