Page 32 - MetalForming February 2015

Waterjet Cutting–
Many a metal fabricator enters the precision cutting market banking on plasma- and laser- cutting machines. Each technology has its niche, balanced on factors such as workpiece material type and thickness, part complexity, edge-condition requirements and dimensional toler- ances. Those choices become even more complex when deciding between CO2 and fiber lasers, and standard and high-definition plasma.
Making sure it uses the right tool (or technology) for the job at hand is exactly why metal fabricator Cupples J&J has one of the longest equipment lists I’ve ever seen. We’re talking 15 laser-cutting machines, 24 press brakes, three CNC punching machines, 17 robotic-welding cells and three stamping presses. And, the list goes on and on, including a fully
The lengthy equipment list of job-shop fabricator
Cupples J&J Co. recently became even longer, with the addition of a twin-head waterjet-cutting machine. It furthers the growth philosophy of vice president Jeff Cupples,
who says, “There are no challenges, just opportunities.”
BY BRAD F. KUVIN, EDITOR
equipped machine shop and quality department. One of the latest additions to the shop came late in 2012—a waterjet- cutting machine.
Adding waterjet-cutting capabili- ties to an established metal-fabrica- tion shop “often is the next step in the life of a fabricator that already has expertise in laser and plasma cutting, to increase thickness capacity,” says Tom Price, regional manager for Bystronic, a manufacturer of waterjet-cutting machines and other types of metal-
fabricating-equipment. “We see this often, including at Cupples J&J, where (vice president) Jeff Cupples always is looking for the next big thing. He saw what other fab-shop managers see— that waterjet cutting promises to open doors to new markets.”
Nourished by Pringles
Cupples J&J operates a pair of man- ufacturing plants—a 120,000-sq.-ft. main fabrication plant in Jackson, TN, and a 55,000-facility in nearby Dyers-
“Compared to other waterjet machines we’ve seen, the ByJet Smart (shown) cuts with a shorter distance between the cutting head and the workpiece, around 0.060 in.,” says Jeff Cupples. “This minimizes the amount of waterjet-stream divergence and optimizes cut quality—edge straightness and kerf width.”
30 MetalForming/February 2015 www.metalformingmagazine.com