Page 38 - MetalForming November 2016

Waterjet Cutter Defines Diversity
Born in 1990 as an HVAC
ductwork fabricator, CSM Mechanical has
evolved into a full-blown custom sheet and plate fabricator. The latest tool in its arsenal: a five-axis waterjet-cutting machine used not only to carve up a variety of materials, but also to fabricate
custom press-brake tooling.
and provide high dimensional accuracy to its customers.
CSM’s customer base is just as diver- sified as is its fabrication shop. In addi- tion to fabricating and installing HVAC systems (about 40 percent of its overall business), the company fabricates and installs conveyors, exhaust systems and other custom equipment for power plants, tire manufacturers, food-pro- cessing facilities and similar businesses.
An example of such a recent project: cutting, forming and assembling a wood-pulp mixer for a Cellophane plant. The project represents a full
BY BRAD F. KUVIN, EDITOR
Less cut-edge cleanup, the ability to edge-bevel thick plate and increased precision are just three of the reasons why the decisionmakers at CSM Mechanical, Topeka, KS, decid- ed late in 2015 to add waterjet cutting to their shop’s equipment lineup. They did so after surveying the technology landscape at FABTECH 2015 in Chica- go, seeking a cutting solution to com-
plement the firm’s new plasma-arc- cutting (PAC) machine. Believing that the PAC machine is perfectly suited for cutting lighter-gauge ductwork fittings (1⁄2 in. thick and thinner), CSM viewed waterjet as way to expand its ability to tackle thicker work. Specifically, it wanted to improve its ability to bid on 1- to 2-in. plate work, while also being able to cut steel plate to 6 in. thick,
36 MetalForming/November 2016
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CSM’s new Omax 80X JetMachining Cen- ter bridge-style machine is equipped with a 50-hp pump, linear-drive motion system, Tilt-A-Jet cutting head and a 180 by 90-in. worktable with an 8-in. Z axis.