Cnc Machines

Creative Water Jet is using a Waterjet Sweden (WJS) NC 3015 profiler to extend its business scope to new applications of the water jet process.

The NC 3015 is being used in applications ranging from profiling training knives for martial arts devotees to making carbon-fibre nuts and working with materials as diverse as bamboo, through iron balustrades to up to 200mm-thick titanium.

In one application, a requirement for cutting out a small 3D panel in automotive roofs, to permit the insertion of an optional extra for customers posed a problem.

This was because it meant cutting through a radius and from one plane to another.

In spite of not having the benefit of WJS’s Beveljet five-axis option on its profiler, Creative Water Jet combined the use of the equipment’s programmable nozzle height with a way of presenting the component to the water jet, thus providing a solution to the problem.

Often one of the first questions prospective customers ask of a water-jet sub-contractor, especially those in the engineering sector, is: ‘What accuracy can you provide?’ Richard Miles, owner and manager of Creative Water Jet, could readily quote the basic +/- 0.1mm offered by the WJS equipment, but prefers instead to simply offer to meet customer’s requirements whatever they may be, since rarely do customers require accuracy to this level.

He asks only that the customer lets him have the drawing for the part and a quotation will then be provided.

In the event of a required tolerance being tighter than can be achieved solely by use of the waterjet profiler, Miles will take responsibility for supplying the part to the specification regardless.

This is achieved by involving a suitable ’strategic partner’ company to carry out any necessary machining or finishing operation and saves the customer from having to deal with more than one service provider.

Some post-profiling operations are now carried out in-house.

In this way, the customer still gets the benefits of the cost savings offered by utilising the waterjet process for what often accounts for 90 per cent of the total work involved.

Although the NC 3015 has a cutting table capable of accepting sheet as large as 3 x 1,5m, the small nuts are fashioned from short narrow bars of material, and yet can be produced at a price attractive enough to satisfy both the customer and the provider.

Another development of this theme has been to supply complete sets of parts, largely produced on the NC 3015, in bespoke tote bins all presented ready for instant assembly into the customer’s product.

Full advantage of the waterjet’s advanced control system capabilities has been taken by having two pairs of heads fitted, each pair comprising of one pure waterjet and one abrasive head.

Not only does this duality permit the production of parts on a two-up basis for routine higher productivity, but a switch from one mode to the other can be made instantly should the workload require, introducing much greater flexibility.