Author Archives: Steve Milne

OEM VS AFTERMARKET PARTS FOR YOUR WATERJET MACHINE: A COMPREHENSIVE DECISION GUIDE

Water jet cutting systems are high-precision tools engineered to produce the most complex cuts with the best first-cut edge finish in the largest number of materials. The old saying, “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts,” definitely describes water jets. Yet, the quality and characteristics of each part impact how much greater the sum will be. Change the quality of a part, and the sum (performance in cutting systems) changes.

ALL ABOUT WATERJET BRICKS – WHAT THEY DO AND WHEN YOU SHOULD USE THEM

Waterjets cut the widest variety of materials of any cutting tool while consistently delivering superior precision and flawless first-cut edge finishes. The material being cut is usually purchased in sheets and laid directly upon metal slats that are supported above the catch tank.

However, the spacing between the slats may be too wide to catch small parts, the material being cut may be soft and prone to sagging, or the steel finish of the slats may mar the material’s surface finish during loading or via backsplash that occurs during the cut.

LASER CUTTING VS. HIGH-PRESSURE WATER JET CUTTING

Lasers (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation) are a popular cutting technology within the metal fabrication industry. To oversimplify, the laser cutting process uses a beam of amplified light to rapidly melt a cut line through materials creating the cut in a process referred to as “thermal separation”.

IS ‘MADE IN AMERICA’ IMPORTANT FOR WATER JET SYSTEMS?

“Made in America” claims are back in a big way these days. Not that they ever went away entirely, but the political, economic, and pandemic realities of the 21st Century have encouraged American companies to claim they are making their products on American soil and take steps to do so. And the same influences have more Americans asking for home-grown choices.

A BLOG ABOUT OUR BLOG

The word blog is a combined version of the words “web” and “log” or “web logging.” At their inception, blogs were simply an online diary where people could keep a log about their daily lives on the web. They have now expanded to include informational websites run by an individual, group, or corporation that offers regularly updated content (blog post) about a topic.

WATER JET SYSTEM PRODUCTIVITY ENHANCERS PART 1: MULTIPLE CUTTING HEADS

For most water jet buyers, the “fun” begins when they reach the point of specifying features to meet their specific application needs. When you have completed the first three steps in the process above, it’s time to dial in your system specs.

WHAT IS ROBOTIC WATER JET CUTTING AND IS IT RIGHT FOR MY OPERATIONS?

obotic water jet cutting is just what it sounds like, the integration of the water jet’s unique and flexible cutting characteristics with the productivity and precision capabilities of robotics. Pairing these two technologies creates a cutting, finishing, material handling, and/or cleaning solution that enables you to produce complex parts and/or processes across a wide platform of operations both accurately and efficiently.

WHAT’S IN A WATER JET CUTTING SYSTEM? A COMPLETE OVERVIEW

Abrasive water jet cutting offers a broader range of cutting options than any other single machine tool. No competing technology cuts as many material types in as many thicknesses to the precision of a water jet cutter.

HOW MUCH HORSEPOWER DOES YOUR WATER JET CUTTING SYSTEM NEED?

It’s not an overstatement to call the intensifier pump the heart of a water jet cutting system. Just like the human heart pumps blood to keep the body operating at peak performance, the intensifier pump powers the water or water/abrasive mix your water jet cutting system needs to deliver the high-precision cuts the systems are known for. Of course, this analogy only goes so far, as the intensifier pump operates at exponentially higher pressures than the human heart.

WHAT ARE CLOSED-LOOP WATER JET SYSTEMS?

In some regions, water supply is taken for granted. In others, not so much. Additionally, to keep your CNC water jet cutter and ultra-high pressure pump performing at its peak, the water needs to be maintained at a core temperature.