Newbie- Convert Plasma to Waterjet?

[mblock68]

Hello everybody! So glad I found this forum.

I have a Lockformer plasma cutting system that I'd like to convert to a waterjet system.

Has anybody done a similar conversion?

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Marc

[One of Many]

It can be done if you gots the money? Or all the parts from a functional waterjet.....laying around.


For the most part, it is quite unrealistic since the specialized pump, high pressure lines, carbide nozzles with jeweled orifice and valves are very expensive. 12-25kpsi water can be used to cut frozen meat, and some wood products. To cut metals, a minimum of 40kpsi is required along with garnet sand abrasives. The run time cost is rather high with all the consumables short lived too.

The software interface comparison could need some refinements. I have noticed our Omax uses a variable cut rate for curves and straights all built into the program for specific material and thickness. It will calculate the cut time and amount of abrasive in pounds. For example a 54" profile length to cut out an adapter of 1" steel plate I needed, required in excess of 25lbs of abrasive, with a cutting time of roughly 25 minutes. When it was running production 40+hrs/week, the tank needed cleaned and that was no small task.

Between 200hr pump rebuilds and other consumables, just keeping it running good is not cheap. Run out of sand, get a clog in the nozzle or a bad jewel and it stops cutting, but doesn't know it. Restarting on a previous bad cut doesn't always work out so well.

Great to have available for R&D projects I do, but opposite of your idea, I have often thought of adapting our plasma cutter to it due to the above quirks.

DC

[mblock68]

DC, thanks for the reply.

We are a duct fabricator. We have 4 plasma cutters. I'd like to convert one to waterjet for the sole purpose of cutting insulation. Toughest material would be a 2" thick rubber. I am told that I would not even need abrasives.

The Lockformer waterjet uses KMT pumps, etc. I would plan to use the same if I retrofit myself. Just trying to find out how complex the project would be once all of the KMT equipment was available.

Marc

[One of Many]

Can't tell you if you'd need abrasive, although it does give a nicer cut.

I think you can expect around 30 grand to retrofit it. Maybe KMT offers a kit?

Here is a place to start

DC

[daveyddd]

You can contact Dave Bunker @ icubed. He is what I call a waterjet expert. He ran Flow Automation in Canada and he also Invented/Developed the Flying Bridge.


icubed is also a KMT dealer/reseller.

contact dbunker@icubed.biz

[cowleym]

Hi
I heard (some time ago ) that the insulation could be cut with a high pressure pump 20,000 psi rather than ultra high pressure 60,000 psi that the kmt and flow pumps produce. The pump was connected to a standard kmt/flow pure water cutting head, might be worth a bit of experimentation.
I recently bought a Ingersoll Rand (now KMT) pump off ebay for £1,000 to fit on my own machine. Interfacing the pump to the lockformer should be a breeze, maybe 1 relay to switch the pneumatic valve on and produce the false arc on signal.

Have fun

Mike

Techserv

[mblock68]

Thanks Davey!

[mblock68]

Thanks Mike. Some folks at KMT mentioned the same thing to me.

[Signmaker]

Pure water cutting really limits what you can do with your jet.

I wouldn't be confident that a low PSI pump without garnet would be able to do what you want to achieve; not on a commercial basis anyway.

A tiny amount of garnet multiplies the feed speeds and cut quality of lots of "pure water" materials.

Perhaps adding a garnet system from the outset would give you the peace of mind you are looking for- if you can pure water great. If not your retrofit machine is all setup for a garnet solution.

[mirciulica]

Hello.
Besides the part of pressure, it is required a dissipated energy in the form of a basin with water depth minimum 500 mm and of a mixing chamber of water with abrasive. It can work for material thickness and lower pressure of 1500 bar or less. Sincerely Mirciulica