Page 36 - MetalForming June 2013

Waterjet-Cutting Machine
tight enough to allow tapping without having to be drilled to size. The shop then quickly and easily taps the holes using a magnetic-base drill.
Further, McGehee boasts of the abil- ity to waterjet-etch part numbers onto each part, using the Omax Intelli-Etch software feature. “This allows us to eas- ily identify parts or produce replace- ment ones if needed.”
Intelli-Etch, part of the Omax Intel- li-Max software suite that also includes programming to optimize cornering and piercing and to control taper, allows a user to recreate images on the surface of the workpiece. The software converts an image’s brightness levels into machine speeds, allowing the waterjet to etch an image from a stan- dard bitmap file into the material.
Quicker Weld Setups
The speed and accuracy delivered by the waterjet-cutting machine allows WaneShear to design its parts with fea- tures that help streamline the shop’s
A WaneShear welder assembles components of the firm’s unique lumber-cutting system. Part thickness ranges from 0.250 to 1.5 in.; parts can be as small as 1 by 1 by 1 in. or as large as 8 ft. wide by 36 ft. long.
welding operations. For example, mat- ing parts include waterjet-cut slots and keyways to enable quick and easy weld fitup. For the shop, cutting these extra features on any other machine could
prove cost- and time-prohibitive.
“It’s not only the waterjet-cutting machine’s speed but also its accuracy that makes this practice feasible,” says McGehee. “With waterjet cutting, we’re
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