RE: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Re: Waterjet project - access to

responses intermixed---Dave L.

>>If you have access to one of these can you satisfy some curosity ?

sure

>What pressures do they run and why ? seems like pressure would
>increase with thickness and or material and or speed. but is there a
>minimum ?

I think the pressure intensifier here is about 50K psi, i can check with the
guys int he shop at some point
pressure does change, but not that much, mostly you need to adapt your
cutting speed for the thickness, or you get a really ugly cut near the
bottom of the plate.

>obviously the pressure would help determine pump size.

not sure what the terminlogy really means, but all the docs call it a
preasure intensifier, not a pump, per-se...

>Do they run a pump direct or pump and intensifier ? and what is the

maintenance schedule?

oh, ok... see above, im guessing there is a pump somewhere... probalby
submersed in the well... (see below)

>>this would also help to narrow down the best choice to achieve that

pressure.

a little more info for you:
the system runs an intensfier in the corner, with a long, semi-flexible
copper (or brass, not sure) tube. i remember one of the guys out in ths hop
saying that it is a very special tube, when it broke, we tried to replace
part of it with normal copper water hose, and it exploded, (noone hurt
luckily) it connects to the cutting head in a big parabola, suspended from
the ceiling. there is a preasure guage on the back wall, and when it drops
under a certain level, they ahve to shut the machine off and let the pumps
catch up, doesn't happen very much.
another side note, we had to get a well to power this thing, and the cutter
ran the well dry last year, and we had to drill another!
abrasive: we use garnet. we don'nt recycle it even though i think that we
should (not in control of that) it feets to the cutting heat through another
pump system, all VERY HEAVY duty!
the nozzles are saphire, and last quite a while, but are very expensive, you
can tell when they go bad because you no longer get a focused beam, just a
cone.
the table is a giant water tank, with metal slats over it like a plasma
table, it has 'rain gutters' on the sides, and drainage system. ive got
alot of ideas for a better system in regards to the table itself, let me
know what you think----dave L.