Page 28 - MetalForming December 2015

Waterjet Machine
allowing for precise motion con- trol of the abrasive-jet, and enabling rapid machining, according to Omax officials. The software, running on the Win- dows 7 Ultimate operating sys- tem, automates most program- ming and tool setup.
Perfection also opted for the Omax Terrain Follower, an acces- sory designed to automatically and accurately cut parts from materials with irregular or warped surfaces without the need for spe- cial programming.
New Technology Cuts Machining Workload, Enables More Assembly
Perforated metal is just one of the materials that Perfection Fabri- cators runs through its new waterjet-cutting machine. Besides met- als, the company uses the machine to cut glass, plastic and more.
concrete out to install a 3⁄4- in. water line, and leveling required only a digital level, two technicians and 20 min.
After brief introductory training, Perfection unleashed operators on it to perform regular duties and test new parameters and capabilities, aided by the company’s experi- enced laser technician.
“Besides production, we employ the waterjet machine for fixtures and other items we use inhouse all of the time,”
“The laser machine probably took 60 to 70 percent of the work from our machining operations, and what we still had been machining, the waterjet machine took at least 20 percent,” says Gerken. “Using just standard cutting and machining, we may only be able to produce 10 parts/day, but with water- jet cutting, we can do 200. As the machining workload backs up, we are pressured to relieve that backup and improve production. When this would happen, we’d face fourth and 10. Do we punt or go for the first down. With the waterjet and laser machines combined, we get the first down.
“By using the laser and waterjet machines on those secondary process- es,” he adds, “production goes up, cost goes down, and customers keep knock- ing on our door.”
Today’s fabricators must work with a variety of materials if they are to become preferred suppliers of assem- blies, which always is Perfection’s goal. The mix of inhouse technologies, keyed by the waterjet-cutting addition, allows the company to reach that goal.
For example, Perfection picked up a large order where it had been shearing polycarbonate, then taking it to a sep- arate drilling operation, using a tem- plate to place holes.
“If needed, with the waterjet-cut- ting machine, we can cut any type of material that won’t dissolve in the
bed,” Gerken says. “So with the poly- carbonate, we just program the job and everything is done there. It cuts out transport and added machine time, and frees that machinery for other work.”
Perfection’s new ability to fabricate varying materials also helps it with assembly, a value-added process that finds great favor with customers look- ing for a one-stop provider.
For example, the company supplies one customer with high-pressure tanks for valve testing. Perfection can fabri- cate the metal tanks, then insert sight glass, cut on the waterjet machine, into tank holes, thus providing a finished tank. That capability keeps this busi- ness with Perfection, claims Gerken.
“Now we can perform jobs from A to Z,” he says, “not just welding and ship- ping, but actually supplying complete assemblies finished and painted and ready for use by the customer right out of the box.”
Up and Running Quickly and Efficiently
Once Perfection purchased the waterjet-cutting machine, fitting it into the company’s production environ- ment was a somewhat simple affair, according to Gerken. Power for the new equipment posed no challenge, since the company had already upgraded that service to bring in the laser cutter. Crews simply cut a 4 by 4-ft. slab of
Gerken says. “If a cutting job takes 3 hr., our operator can be creative and figure out ways to increase production.”
That creativity has paid off in ways big and small. For example, to reduce cutting time, if an outside part edge is slated for welding, the machine is set to cut quickly even though doing so dimin- ishes edge quality. Then again, for pre- cision, say a hole must hold a 0.005-in.
Perfection Fabricators uses its capabilities in laser and waterjet cutting, machining, bending and painting to produce finished parts for automotive, industrial and other customers. The addition of waterjet and laser technology has cut the use of time- and cost-intensive machining and other secondary processes.
26 MetalForming/December 2015
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