Page 37 - MetalForming June 2015

machine. Then it added a larger-format machine (6.5 by 24 ft. Model 7320b Dynamic), “to better complement our 20- and 30-ft. press brakes,” says Alandt. “That large machine brought in work we previously had to turn away, such as cutting large conveyor rails.”
Alandt cites one example of such a job—a 3-in.-thick steel part measur- ing 14.5 in. wide by 96 in. long. The customer needed 1⁄2 in. trimmed from the entire length of the part.
“Waterjet cutting proved the per- fect process for this job,” he says, “but it challenged our operators in precise- ly positioning the part under the cut- ting head. With the part positioned, we then set the machine to low pres- sure and switched off the abrasive, to
Today the waterjet area of the plant
houses four of the smaller machines
and two of the 24-ft. machines; all
employ 94,000-psi pumps as well as
all of the Flow bells and whistles. These
include three-side loading with four-
sided operator access; the Paser 4 cut-
ting head that enables orifice-assembly XU2 changeout without having to replace TM the entire cutting head; and the
etch a cut line to check alignment before cutting.”
For another unique job, cutting stair- way railings from 1⁄2-in. hot-rolled steel for an architectural firm, “the customer wanted very sharp corners,” says Alandt. “While we could have laser-cut the parts, heat buildup in the corners would have required us to round the corners, which would have been unacceptable. Water- jet cutting allowed us to cut the sharp- er corners.” MF
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Adjusting to smaller lot sizes has led to other operational changes.
“We’re stocking more material types and plate sizes than we had in the past, and we’re doing more quoting,” Alandt says. “And we have to be aggressive— and accurate—on pricing. We upgrad- ed our quoting process to take a more scientific and mathematical approach.”
Stack Cutting and Other Unique Jobs
Integrating waterjet cutting into its operations came relatively easy to the Central Cal Metals team, Alandt says. But the learning curve and real trick to optimizing the return on investment has come with learning to handle the com- plex and challenging jobs that come in the door.
One technique the firm has become quite adept at is stack cutting, to opti- mize throughput. “We can stack large, heavy work,” says Alandt, “to cut two parts at a time. We’ll typically stack material 16 to 7 gauge thick, provided the blanks are larger than 12 by 12 in. With smaller work there’s a chance vibration could impact cut-edge qual- ity and accuracy.
“We also quote a lot of odd-shaped and difficult profiles that require pre- cise positioning under the waterjet head,” Alandt continues. “We’ve even brought in parts that were previously and incorrectly cut by other shops, and we were able to salvage the work.”
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