Page 30 - MetalForming December 2014

Waterjet-Cutting Machines
Jacquet locations carry more than nine grades of nick- el-alloy plate (0.125 to 2 in. thick) and bar (0.5 to 3 in.), as well as several grades of stainless-steel plate to 6 in.
thick. Shown are two examples of waterjet-cut parts: 1⁄2-in.-thick stainless-steel tubesheet (right), and cut- ting of a 6-in.-thick Type 316 stainless-steel valve body.
increases machine purchase price by just 20 percent or so, making the deci- sion to effectively double output easy to justify, says Engle. “The twin-head design is a must as we strive to increase our speed to market and reduce turn- around time.
“Also, we experience no decrease in traversing or cutting speed with the second head,” Engle adds, “while hold- ing our tight cutting tolerances.”
Jacquet offers customers a choice of three levels of cut quality, with finer cuts or those with tight edge-square- ness tolerances and that run at slower speeds priced at the high end. Less- critically toleranced parts that can be cut at higher speeds are priced slight- ly less.
“The trend,” says Engle, “is toward
the high end.
And that
includes the
ability to pro-
vide beveled
cut edges to
facilitate
welding of cut parts without the need to run the cut edges through a secondary process to add the bevel.”
Three of the firm’s 11 machines have been custom-engineered by Jet Edge to allow them to provide beveled cut edges—machines in Racine, Pottstown and Houston. Applications for this capability include cutting large plates that are then rolled and welded to man- ufacture tanks and vessels for the oil and gas industry, among other end- use applications. MF
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