Abrasive water jet centre cuts complex parts

An abrasive water jet machining centre produces complex parts out of any material, in high-volume, short run, or 'few-off' prototype parts.

Jet Edge, a leading manufacturer of ultra-high pressure waterjet systems, will demonstrate its latest waterjet cutting technology at the Experimental Aviation Association's Oshkosh AirVenture, July 23-29, 2007, at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, USA.

Look for Jet Edge in Fly Market Booth 770.

During AirVenture, Jet Edge will demostrate its versatile Abrasive Machining Center (AMC) and discuss water jet's many applications in the aviation industry.

Jet Edge's AMC produces complex parts out of virtually any material.

It is ideal for producing high-volume, short run, or prototype parts.

Jet Edge also will introduce a special guest, pilot Dave Willcock of St Catharine's, Ontario, Canada.

Willcock has built a successful business manufacturing aircraft parts with a Jet Edge waterjet system.

His business, Profile Waterjet Cutting, has been featured in 'Canadian MetalWorking', 'Modern Application News' and 'Canadian Industrial Machinery' magazines.

Waterjet cutting is ideal for making aviation parts, Willcock said, noting that aircraft are a compilation of flat, thin parts.

"There are hundreds or even thousands of parts," he said.

"The number of parts you can make will just stagger you." Willcock owns 10 aircraft.

He contends that home-built aviation enthusiasts could greatly increase their productivity by using water jet instead of conventional cutting tools.

"Most of these parts are made with band saws, hacksaws and files," he said.

"If you were building an aircraft from scratch, you would save months of work in constructing a project." Aircraft enthusiasts also could save money by making their own specialty tools at a fraction of their retail cost, Willcock added.

* About Jet Edge Waterjet - Jet Edge water jets can cut virtually any material with supersonic stream of water.

The stream is so powerful it can cut through material in one pass without shredding or crushing it.

The Jet Edge water jet is created by pressurizing water up to 60,000 lb/in2 with a Jet Edge intensifier pump.

In many applications, an abrasive material such as garnet is added to the water to create an abrasive waterjet that can cleanly cut through hard surfaces.

* Advantages of Jet Edge water jet cutting machines - Jet Edge water jets offer many productivity and flexibility advantages over traditional cutting methods including: no sharpening, no burrs requiring secondary finishing, and a hygienic method for cutting food.

Waterjets completely eliminate heat-affected zones, toxic fumes, recast layers, work hardening, and thermal stress.

Jet Edge waterjets can hold a repeatability of 0.001in (0.013mm) over the entire work envelope.

They have been known to cut materials up to 15in (380mm) thick.

Water jets are environmentally friendly and produce no hazardous waste, and so reduce waste disposal costs.

They can cut off large pieces of reusable scrap material that might have been lost using traditional cutting methods.

Parts can be closely nested to maximize material use, and the water jet saves material by creating very little kerf.

Water jets use very little water (a half gallon to approximately one gallon per minute depending on cutting head orifice size), and the water that is used can be recycled using a closed-looped system.

Waste water usually is clean enough to filter and dispose of down a drain.

The garnet abrasive is a non-toxic natural substance that can be recycled for repeated use.

Garnet usually can be disposed of in a landfill.

* About Jet Edge - Jet Edge is an ultra-high pressure waterjet technology company with a global presence.

Jet Edge's primary business includes designing, engineering, manufacturing and servicing ultra-high pressure intensifier pumps, precision waterjet and abrasive waterjet cutting systems, surface preparation and coating removal products, as well as high-pressure cutting heads and related products, parts and components.

Jet Edge products are used in a wide range of industries, from the world's leading airlines to automotive, aerospace and industrial manufacturers and machine and job shops.

Headquartered in St Michael, Minnesota, USA, the company has distribution partners throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East and serves customers in over 100 countries.

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