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collision and height sensing, intuitive and easy-to-use interfaces and advanced software. Anything that can make shops run more efficiently.”
A post to the MultiCam Canada website summarizes the benefits of waterjet cutting:
• Versatility—Waterjet cutting can be used to machine reflective materials such as copper and aluminum as well as heat-sensitive materials. The machines also require little to no setup changes when switching from cutting thin to thick materials.
• No heat-affected zone (HAZ)—
Waterjet-Cut the Most Challenging of Materials
Sugino Corp., Itasca, IL, introduces the Katana2 ultrahigh-pressure water- jet-cutting machine, ideally suited for cutting titanium, stainless steel, car-
bon-fiber reinforced polymers (CFRPs) and other hard materials such as cop- per and glass. Utilizing Sugino’s newly developed extra-fine abrasive nozzle (0.3- to 1.5-mm dia.), the Katana2 can achieve cutting diameters as low as 0.012 in. at pressures as high as 43,500 PSI.
With a footprint of only 57 by 81 in., the Katana2 also is eco-friendly, prom- ising to minimize the consumption of abrasive materials and power. Cutting area: 9.5-in. x axis, and 8-in. y and z axes.
Sugino Corp.: 888/784-4661; www.suginocorp.com
Waterjet cutting does not heat the material nor change its properties, so there is no HAZ and no thermal dis- tortion occurs.
• Environmentally friendly—Abra- sive waterjet systems use garnet, which is a non-reactive biologically inert mineral.
• Safe—Waterjets do not heat or melt the workpiece material, so they produce no noxious fumes nor pose a risk of fire.
• Tight tolerances—On thinner parts, waterjet-cutting machines and lasers offer comparable tolerances,
CNC Cutting Machine Combines Waterjet and Plasma Capabilities
but on parts thicker than 0.5 in., waterjet cutting typically yields tighter tolerances.
• Can machine thicker materials— Shops can waterjet-cut materials to 3 in. thick (or more), while most lasers have a maximum practical cutting thickness of 0.75 in.
• Good edge finish—Waterjet-cut parts typically exhibit fine, sand-blast- ed surfaces because of the way the material is abraded.
Let’s go shopping for some new waterjet-cutting technology.
Esab Cutting Systems, Florence, SC, introduces the Hydrocut LX shapecutting machine, combining waterjet and plasma systems operating on the same gantry. Fabricators can cut precision contours with the waterjet, and noncritical contours with plasma. The machine boasts a heavy-duty gantry with a high-stiffness beam design featuring dual precision linear rails and rack-and-pinion drives. Equip it with as many as four waterjet stations and two high-definition plasma stations (Esab’s m3 Precision Plasmarc). Powering its waterjet action is a KMT 90,000-PSI pump.
At the helm: Esab’s Vision T5 control and Columbus III CAD/CAM programming and nesting software, designed specifically for plasma, oxyfuel, laser and water- jet cutting. The software handles simple to highly complex cuts, multiprocess cuts, labeling and nesting jobs.
Esab Welding & Cutting Products: 888/372-2288; www.esab-cutting.com
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