Page 40 - MetalForming November 2016

Waterjet Cutter Defines Diversity
“We’re beveling flanges for welding,” he says, “and using the five-axis head for countersinking of holes. We used to bevel and countersink as sec- ondary machining opera- tions. Again, we’re much more competitive now that we can do all of that work in one setup on the waterjet, and there’s no cleanup needed to finish the holes and plate edges; it’s a huge timesaver.”
CSM consistently processes 3⁄4- to 1.5-in.-thick steel on the JetMachining Center. It’s also cut 2.5-in, UHMW plastic (top right) and even fiberglass floor grating on the machine, as well as tile, concrete and glass. Also shown here are 1⁄4-in.-thick floor-drain grates (above), with countersunk holes beveled on the waterjet machine using the five-axis head.
issue—its Terrain Follow- er,” says Brewer. “And, we may invest in that tech- nology down the road. For now, I’ve devised a proce- dure to inspect the work- piece material at several locations as it sits on the cutting table awaiting pro- cessing. We’ve found cre- ative ways to hold down the material and keep it flat during cutting. And we make sure to set the cut- ting-head standoff dis- tance appropriately to avoid collisions and pre-
As far as continuing to
grow the application of
five-axis cutting, Brewer says that he continues to learn new ways to pro- gram the machine in order to better optimize its five-axis capabilities. He has, though, learned plenty in less than one year of operating the JetMachining
Center. Among the most important les- sons learned: developing a process to avoid cutting-head collisions resulting from wavy material, which initially led to shortened consumable life.
“Omax does have a solution for that
vent damage to the mixing tube.”
The Omax Terrain Follower, accord- ing to Omax literature, directly attaches to the Omax A-Jet cutting head. A high- resolution magnetic encoder senses changes in material height to trigger adjustments in nozzle standoff to avoid contact with the workpiece surface and protect the nozzle and related hardware. Ideal applications are when cutting large parts on uneven or warped sheets, as sometimes is the case at CSM, as well as when cutting materials that stress-relieve and warp during cutting. “We experience the warping issue typically on material 3⁄8 in. and thicker,” says Brewer. “Then, on thinner work- pieces, we’ve learned where to place clamps and weights to hold down the sheet during cutting, without interfer- ing with the waterjet. The goal always is to reduce setup time while minimiz- ing scrap.” MF
A somewhat unique application for the 80X JetMachining
Center: cutting 1.5- in.-thick steel plate to fabricate custom press-brake dies that CSM uses to form Hastelloy blanks, shown, into saddle brackets.
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MetalForming/November 2016
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