Page 31 - MetalForming-May-2018-issue

he purchased a Maxiem 1530 JetMa- chining Center from Omax Corp., Kent, WA.
The machine features a bridge-type linear-motion system with a 10 by 5- ft. X-Y-axis cutting area and a software- controlled A-Jet multiaxis cutting head. The machine’s programmable motor- ized Z axis, with 12 in. of travel, permits machining of single sheets or stacks of workpieces to nearly 1 ft. thick. Lin- ear encoders provide 1-micron-reso- lution feedback to the motor-control system.
While Price initially began with cus- tomers in the racing industry, word of mouth in the Indianapolis manufac- turing community caused a sharp rise in RPM’s business. “We primarily cut components of bigger assemblies for material handling, medical, automo- tive, aerospace and heavy equipment,” explains Price, “as well as for racing.” He also offers manufacturing consult- ing for prospective customers who may not know if waterjet is the best method to make their parts.
“They call me up, and if I can help them, I do,” he says. For example, lasers sometimes offer better pricing on thin- ner materials, depending on the prod- uct and any secondary operations that may be required. In other situations, waterjet is the more efficient and eco- nomical choice. Price notes
Inconel and even bulletproof glass,” Price says. “We also have cut Jabroc, a compressed wood used in racecar skid plates.”
In addition, Price says that multiple layers of different materials do not faze a waterjet. For example, RPM Design cuts multilayered steel head gaskets consisting of two or more thin layers of steel sandwiched with sealing material to form a highly pressure- resistant seal for extreme-pressure applications. In fact, the tooling cost for waterjets, according to Price, is about the same regardless of the mate- rial being cut.
“Cutter life doesn’t shorten because you’re cutting carbon fiber like it does with conventional machining,” Price explains. “Consumables costs are much lower with waterjets as com- pared with conventional machining.”
Price also practices nesting strate- gies in which he programs multiple parts on a single sheet or plate of mate- rial, maximizing material utilization and minimizing setup time for different parts. About 80 percent of his work involves nesting—a simple process to learn, he reports. “We set up the machine and the Omax representative spent a couple of days here,” says Price. “In a few hours we were off and run- ning, cutting parts.”
A multiaxis cutting head allows RPM Design to cut angles ranging from 0 to 60 deg. as well as create beveled edges, angled sides and countersinks.
To further ease the waterjet-cutting process and increase productivity, Omax offers a selection of options. For RPM Design, that meant adding an A- Jet multiaxis cutting head to its Max- iem. The head provides 0 to 60-deg.- angle cutting range and facilitates the
machining of beveled edges, angled sides and countersinks. Intelli-Max Software from Omax even enables the A-Jet head to compensate for the nat- ural taper of a waterjet stream, allowing for cre- ation of complex 3D shapes.
The A-Jet head offers high positioning accura- cy, reportedly resulting in cut parts that require no secondary finishing, thus reducing part-production time. “I selected the A-Jet to cut angles as well as for taper control,” Price says.
Fabrication: Waterjet
that this machine can cut essentially anything, but “I try to steer people in the direction that will help them most,” he says.” People remember that, and they come back when they have something else for me to cut.”
Myriad Options
It is difficult to name a material RPM Design does not handle. “I’ve cut felt, wood, cardboard, plastic, phenolic plastic, fiberboard, fiberglass, brass, copper, steel, aluminum, stainless,
Shown here, one of the complex parts RPM Design produces on its waterjet-cutting machine.
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