Thursday 11 September 2008
A focus on waterjet innovations
HARTLEY Henderson has reported on
Techni Waterjet’s contributions to the development of the Australian waterjet cutting market.
The Melbourne-based company has developed a niche in the robotic waterjet market for high speed trimming of automotive components. While waterjet technology is mostly associated with the cutting of metals, the company says it can also be used for virtually any material.
During waterjet cutting, water is taken to ultra-high pressures to form an intense cutting stream routed through a small precious stone orifice. The cutting stream can move at speeds up to three times the speed of sound.
Most cutting processes use water only, while harder materials require fine mesh abrasives such as garnet to be added to the stream.
The waterjet nozzle can be integrated into motion equipment and connected to controllers or computers to cut intricate shapes and designs.
Waterjet is cold-cutting, eliminating burning, melting or thermal cracking. It is also said to be faster, more accurate and less hazardous than other conventional processes.
Techni Waterjet developed and released the PAC55 precision five-axis cutting head with direct drive technology. This provides a 55 degree bevelling capability with continuous rotation.
The company explains this means the cutting head will be able to produce any geometry without having to reposition. This can result in highly accurate parts.
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