Waterjet mill add-on information
Posted by
Graham Stabler
on 2005-10-10 14:13:00 UTC
I emailed the people at Wardjet asking them for information about
their system for everyone on the forum. I am not connected with
them in any way, just thought it was a nice system after someone
posted a few weeks ago about it. Essentially it is a bolt on
waterjet cutting system for your CNC bridgeport or similar.
Here is what they wrote:
Thank you for your email and interest in the WARDJet M-Series
waterjet. I apologize for not replying to your email sooner.
We are really excited about the M-Series waterjet system. It is
undoubtedly going to change who can use waterjet cutting as a tool.
The whole point of the WARDJet M-Series waterjet is to make it
possible for anyone with virtually any CNC motion system, be it a
wood router, a robotic arm, a laser, plasma, oxy fuel cutting
system, a milling machine as a waterjet system.
WARDJet has been involved in retrofitting various very large CNC
systems over the years to operate as waterjets in highly specialized
applications where both waterjet and milling and machining of some
kind were required. It is this experience that ultimately led
WARDJet to build and patent the M-Series waterjets that make it
possible to use a mill as a waterjet too.
Why has this not been done before?
If you think about it, one of the reasons no one has used an
existing CNC system as a waterjet is the fact that the waterjet
stream is so powerful that it would cut all the way through the part
being cut, and then continue to cut into the support underneath the
part. This is what happens in every traditional waterjet system
where the support grates are considered to be consumable items.
Then to dissipate the energy further, the grates are suspended over
about 30" of water. Even still, it is not unusual for the water
stream to cut through a part, eat into the supporting grate system,
travel through the 30" of water and then etch the bottom of the tank
or even pierce a hole into the floor of the tank.
Another reason CNC equipment has not been used for waterjet cutting
is the process is inherently incompatible with most CNC machinery.
When cutting with waterjet, we have a mixture of water traveling at
over 2000 mph mixed up with garnet abrasive a product that is made
to destroy everything in hits path. During the cutting process, at
times it is quite likely that the stream may for one reason or
another, kick up and not cut all the way through the part. This
could occur for many reasons, and the idea is to limit this, but
when it happens, you get a mixture of water and abrasive being shot
into the air at over 2000 mph. This in turn translates into what
could best be described as taking a mixture of abrasive and water
and tossing it all over your treasured machine. A totally
unacceptable situation.
So, what we did at WARDJet was address both these issues in a
compact and proven manner.
What WARDJet did to make the M-Series work
In a nutshell, we have compensated for the 30" depth of water needed
to dissipate the energy with a layer of between 3.5" and 8" of ball
bearings. A greater depth of balls is needed if you are going to
cut thicker materials. So if you are cutting say ½" and ¾" steel or
1" to 2" aluminum, the 3.5" depth of balls should be fine. On the
other hand if you want to cut 4" thick steel, you would need a
greater depth of balls.
The second issue to address is the containment of the overspray of
abrasive and water. Here we have a rugged "tent" that will keep
everything inside. The tank is designed so that the bulk of any
kick back or overspray will hot hit the tent, but rather an
extension of the tank itself.
What then makes the WARDJet M-Series waterjet successful are
the `other' things that are built into the tank. A visit to
www.wardjet.com will show that WARDJet builds larger waterjets
from the Z-45 which is a 4' x 5' unit, all the way to the R-4013 a
40' x 13' unit - one of which is being used to make parts for the
new Boeing Dreamliner 787. WARDJet also build the patented WARD 1
and WARD 2 (Waterjet Abrasive Recycling Dispenser) abrasive
recycling systems allowing the abrasive used in waterjet cutting to
be used up to 9 times.
This vast experience gained in waterjet cutting, along with the
experience shared from RICHEL, Inc., ( see www.richel.com for more
information on waterjet cutting) a waterjet consulting company is
what makes the M-Series successful.
The M-Series tank comes with a self-flushing system that removes the
water, abrasive and any kerf material from inside the tank. This
waste material is then flushed through a built-in filter that is
mounted on the M-Series frame.
One of the issues with a ball bearing tank is that you still need to
be able to support the parts and hold them flat. On a traditional
waterjet parts could be clamped down onto the grates with the clamps
going under the grates and into the water. On the other hand, the M-
Series tank has a grate that the balls actually fit in-between and
under while still providing a flat grate to clamp parts to. WARDJet
then built an integrated clamping system mounted above the balls
that allows parts to be `pushed' down onto the grates to hold them
securely in place.
The tank has many practical features like lifting lugs, a large
clear window in the tent to load parts into the tank and clear
windows on the top of the tent for lighting.
Mounting the cutting head onto a tool changer
What really makes the WARDJet M-Series tank so versatile is the way
the waterjet abrasive cutting head is mounted in the tent. What
WARDJet has done is literally have the cutting head mount into a
tool changer which can be a CAT 3, 4 or 5 or easily adjusted to
mount onto any kind of mounting bracket. The cutting head, high-
pressure tubing, abrasive hose and air hose to activate the cutting
head are all attached to the plate attached to the top of the tent.
To switch out from using a drill on a mill, one simply places the M-
Series tank onto the mill, clamp it down, then reach into the tent,
hold onto the head mounted onto the plate with the tool changer on
the top of the tent, and lift it up into the mill. And hey presto,
the mill now has a waterjet cutting head in the place of a drill or
whatever else could be there. So to change out from a milling bit
to a waterjet cutting head only takes minutes.
Hijacking a signal to the on / off solenoid
In order to automate the waterjet turning on and off, an electrical
box with built in solenoid is provided on the M-Series frame. All
that is needed is to hijack a signal going to something that is
controlled by the CNC controller, and connect it into the solenoid.
A simple switch that redirects the signal is all that is needed.
The control box on the M-Series stand has a `quick connection' to
plug the signal cable in.
The A-20K waterjet intensifier pump compressed air powered
In WARDJet's efforts to open the doors to nearly every company that
has a 15 hp compressor or larger, the A-20K intensifier pump was
developed to run at 20,000 psi. Although 20,000 psi will cut
material slower than other pumps WARDJet sells, for example the 25
hp D-40K (40,000 psi) direct drive pump or the 50 hp I-60K (60,000
psi) intensifier pump, the A-20K pump does make it possible to cut
parts and get into waterjet cutting at a minimal cost. If the M-
Series is to be to be used to provide waterjet cutting ability at a
moments notice to cut test parts, or those custom pieces, the A-20K
could be ideal. If however you are looking to make the M-Series
waterjet a production unit, a 40,000 psi or 60,000 psi pump should
be considered. There is no reason why the M-Series waterjet should
not be used in full production as opposed to purchasing a larger
waterjet system.
Could parts and pieces be sold so others could put this together
themselves?
Not really. The success of the M-Series tank addresses all the
characteristics that make up waterjet cutting. To build a box and
fill it with ball bearings will negate the 10 years it took to make
this project a success. The pump can be sold separately, and the M-
Series tank can be sold without a pump, but bits and pieces are not
sold. The whole system along with the process, concept and actual
construction is also being patented. If it was as easy to
accomplish this years ago, without spending millions of US $ to get
it to work, one would think someone would have done it!
Pricing of parts
A quick summary of pricing of the key items follow:
M1-35 waterjet system with frame, water filters, quick disconnects
for water in, air in, actuator air, connection to abrasive waterjet
cutting head, M1-35 series tank, ball bearings including
approximately 100 lbs of spare balls, waste abrasive and kerf
flushing system, electrical box, solenoid, waste water filter system
with filter, all hosing and tubing, 40,000 psi high pressure tubing,
tent on tank, plate for tool changer and tool changer, abrasive
gravity fed hopper, 500 lb of new abrasive if sold in the USA and
lifting chain for forklift: $15,000
The A-20K 20,000 psi intensifier pump driven by compressed air
including pressure gauge, high pressure tubing, hand on / off valve,
4 air mufflers and heat tape (to stop any freezing of the mufflers
in operation), but NOT mounted onto the M1-35
frame: $9,000
The D-40K 40,000 psi pump costs $29,000 and has a 25 hp motor.
Options
Only a few options are offered on the M1-35 as we have made the
system as fully functional as possible negating the need for
options. Some options are available like wheels, a spare parts
package and additional balls. The wheels do make it easier to move
the waterjet into tight corners, but they can be added at any time.
The frame has a set of fork lift tubes built-in which allow the
frame to be moved and picked up from all 4 sides. Another option is
a pressurized abrasive feed system with patented mini hopper. This
is exactly the same that is provided with all the larger WARDJet
waterjet systems. If the M1-35 is to be used in full production
it is suggested that the pressurized hopper and mini hopper are
purchased to provide a continuous method of delivering the abrasive
to the cutting head for up to 24 hours of non-stop cutting.
Shipping
The M1-35 including the A-20K pump is shipped and easily moved
around using the built in fork lift ready tubes.
More information
We will be posting a video on the M1-35 waterjet on Friday Oct 14th
on the web at www.wardjet.com showing parts being cut with them-
Series waterjet.
For more information please contact us by email, phone, fax or
mail. We would be happy to send out a package including photos and
video of the M-Series waterjet system.
WARDJet can be reached at:
www.wardjet.com
sales@...
their system for everyone on the forum. I am not connected with
them in any way, just thought it was a nice system after someone
posted a few weeks ago about it. Essentially it is a bolt on
waterjet cutting system for your CNC bridgeport or similar.
Here is what they wrote:
Thank you for your email and interest in the WARDJet M-Series
waterjet. I apologize for not replying to your email sooner.
We are really excited about the M-Series waterjet system. It is
undoubtedly going to change who can use waterjet cutting as a tool.
The whole point of the WARDJet M-Series waterjet is to make it
possible for anyone with virtually any CNC motion system, be it a
wood router, a robotic arm, a laser, plasma, oxy fuel cutting
system, a milling machine as a waterjet system.
WARDJet has been involved in retrofitting various very large CNC
systems over the years to operate as waterjets in highly specialized
applications where both waterjet and milling and machining of some
kind were required. It is this experience that ultimately led
WARDJet to build and patent the M-Series waterjets that make it
possible to use a mill as a waterjet too.
Why has this not been done before?
If you think about it, one of the reasons no one has used an
existing CNC system as a waterjet is the fact that the waterjet
stream is so powerful that it would cut all the way through the part
being cut, and then continue to cut into the support underneath the
part. This is what happens in every traditional waterjet system
where the support grates are considered to be consumable items.
Then to dissipate the energy further, the grates are suspended over
about 30" of water. Even still, it is not unusual for the water
stream to cut through a part, eat into the supporting grate system,
travel through the 30" of water and then etch the bottom of the tank
or even pierce a hole into the floor of the tank.
Another reason CNC equipment has not been used for waterjet cutting
is the process is inherently incompatible with most CNC machinery.
When cutting with waterjet, we have a mixture of water traveling at
over 2000 mph mixed up with garnet abrasive a product that is made
to destroy everything in hits path. During the cutting process, at
times it is quite likely that the stream may for one reason or
another, kick up and not cut all the way through the part. This
could occur for many reasons, and the idea is to limit this, but
when it happens, you get a mixture of water and abrasive being shot
into the air at over 2000 mph. This in turn translates into what
could best be described as taking a mixture of abrasive and water
and tossing it all over your treasured machine. A totally
unacceptable situation.
So, what we did at WARDJet was address both these issues in a
compact and proven manner.
What WARDJet did to make the M-Series work
In a nutshell, we have compensated for the 30" depth of water needed
to dissipate the energy with a layer of between 3.5" and 8" of ball
bearings. A greater depth of balls is needed if you are going to
cut thicker materials. So if you are cutting say ½" and ¾" steel or
1" to 2" aluminum, the 3.5" depth of balls should be fine. On the
other hand if you want to cut 4" thick steel, you would need a
greater depth of balls.
The second issue to address is the containment of the overspray of
abrasive and water. Here we have a rugged "tent" that will keep
everything inside. The tank is designed so that the bulk of any
kick back or overspray will hot hit the tent, but rather an
extension of the tank itself.
What then makes the WARDJet M-Series waterjet successful are
the `other' things that are built into the tank. A visit to
www.wardjet.com will show that WARDJet builds larger waterjets
from the Z-45 which is a 4' x 5' unit, all the way to the R-4013 a
40' x 13' unit - one of which is being used to make parts for the
new Boeing Dreamliner 787. WARDJet also build the patented WARD 1
and WARD 2 (Waterjet Abrasive Recycling Dispenser) abrasive
recycling systems allowing the abrasive used in waterjet cutting to
be used up to 9 times.
This vast experience gained in waterjet cutting, along with the
experience shared from RICHEL, Inc., ( see www.richel.com for more
information on waterjet cutting) a waterjet consulting company is
what makes the M-Series successful.
The M-Series tank comes with a self-flushing system that removes the
water, abrasive and any kerf material from inside the tank. This
waste material is then flushed through a built-in filter that is
mounted on the M-Series frame.
One of the issues with a ball bearing tank is that you still need to
be able to support the parts and hold them flat. On a traditional
waterjet parts could be clamped down onto the grates with the clamps
going under the grates and into the water. On the other hand, the M-
Series tank has a grate that the balls actually fit in-between and
under while still providing a flat grate to clamp parts to. WARDJet
then built an integrated clamping system mounted above the balls
that allows parts to be `pushed' down onto the grates to hold them
securely in place.
The tank has many practical features like lifting lugs, a large
clear window in the tent to load parts into the tank and clear
windows on the top of the tent for lighting.
Mounting the cutting head onto a tool changer
What really makes the WARDJet M-Series tank so versatile is the way
the waterjet abrasive cutting head is mounted in the tent. What
WARDJet has done is literally have the cutting head mount into a
tool changer which can be a CAT 3, 4 or 5 or easily adjusted to
mount onto any kind of mounting bracket. The cutting head, high-
pressure tubing, abrasive hose and air hose to activate the cutting
head are all attached to the plate attached to the top of the tent.
To switch out from using a drill on a mill, one simply places the M-
Series tank onto the mill, clamp it down, then reach into the tent,
hold onto the head mounted onto the plate with the tool changer on
the top of the tent, and lift it up into the mill. And hey presto,
the mill now has a waterjet cutting head in the place of a drill or
whatever else could be there. So to change out from a milling bit
to a waterjet cutting head only takes minutes.
Hijacking a signal to the on / off solenoid
In order to automate the waterjet turning on and off, an electrical
box with built in solenoid is provided on the M-Series frame. All
that is needed is to hijack a signal going to something that is
controlled by the CNC controller, and connect it into the solenoid.
A simple switch that redirects the signal is all that is needed.
The control box on the M-Series stand has a `quick connection' to
plug the signal cable in.
The A-20K waterjet intensifier pump compressed air powered
In WARDJet's efforts to open the doors to nearly every company that
has a 15 hp compressor or larger, the A-20K intensifier pump was
developed to run at 20,000 psi. Although 20,000 psi will cut
material slower than other pumps WARDJet sells, for example the 25
hp D-40K (40,000 psi) direct drive pump or the 50 hp I-60K (60,000
psi) intensifier pump, the A-20K pump does make it possible to cut
parts and get into waterjet cutting at a minimal cost. If the M-
Series is to be to be used to provide waterjet cutting ability at a
moments notice to cut test parts, or those custom pieces, the A-20K
could be ideal. If however you are looking to make the M-Series
waterjet a production unit, a 40,000 psi or 60,000 psi pump should
be considered. There is no reason why the M-Series waterjet should
not be used in full production as opposed to purchasing a larger
waterjet system.
Could parts and pieces be sold so others could put this together
themselves?
Not really. The success of the M-Series tank addresses all the
characteristics that make up waterjet cutting. To build a box and
fill it with ball bearings will negate the 10 years it took to make
this project a success. The pump can be sold separately, and the M-
Series tank can be sold without a pump, but bits and pieces are not
sold. The whole system along with the process, concept and actual
construction is also being patented. If it was as easy to
accomplish this years ago, without spending millions of US $ to get
it to work, one would think someone would have done it!
Pricing of parts
A quick summary of pricing of the key items follow:
M1-35 waterjet system with frame, water filters, quick disconnects
for water in, air in, actuator air, connection to abrasive waterjet
cutting head, M1-35 series tank, ball bearings including
approximately 100 lbs of spare balls, waste abrasive and kerf
flushing system, electrical box, solenoid, waste water filter system
with filter, all hosing and tubing, 40,000 psi high pressure tubing,
tent on tank, plate for tool changer and tool changer, abrasive
gravity fed hopper, 500 lb of new abrasive if sold in the USA and
lifting chain for forklift: $15,000
The A-20K 20,000 psi intensifier pump driven by compressed air
including pressure gauge, high pressure tubing, hand on / off valve,
4 air mufflers and heat tape (to stop any freezing of the mufflers
in operation), but NOT mounted onto the M1-35
frame: $9,000
The D-40K 40,000 psi pump costs $29,000 and has a 25 hp motor.
Options
Only a few options are offered on the M1-35 as we have made the
system as fully functional as possible negating the need for
options. Some options are available like wheels, a spare parts
package and additional balls. The wheels do make it easier to move
the waterjet into tight corners, but they can be added at any time.
The frame has a set of fork lift tubes built-in which allow the
frame to be moved and picked up from all 4 sides. Another option is
a pressurized abrasive feed system with patented mini hopper. This
is exactly the same that is provided with all the larger WARDJet
waterjet systems. If the M1-35 is to be used in full production
it is suggested that the pressurized hopper and mini hopper are
purchased to provide a continuous method of delivering the abrasive
to the cutting head for up to 24 hours of non-stop cutting.
Shipping
The M1-35 including the A-20K pump is shipped and easily moved
around using the built in fork lift ready tubes.
More information
We will be posting a video on the M1-35 waterjet on Friday Oct 14th
on the web at www.wardjet.com showing parts being cut with them-
Series waterjet.
For more information please contact us by email, phone, fax or
mail. We would be happy to send out a package including photos and
video of the M-Series waterjet system.
WARDJet can be reached at:
www.wardjet.com
sales@...