http://www.thefabricator.com/WaterjetCutting/WaterjetCutting_TechCell.cfm The Waterjet Cutting tech cell is packed with specific links to help you find product information, suppliers, technical articles, case studies, seminars and conferences, as well as books, software, and videos on metal fabricating-related topics. en-us http://www.thefabricator.com/RSS/images/thefabricator_rss.gif http://www.thefabricator.com Copyright 2007 FMA Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. official publication date Tue, 21 Aug 2007 11:14:20 AM CDT Vicki Bell Laurie Harshbarger http://www.thefabricator.com/WaterjetCutting/WaterjetCutting_Article.cfm?ID=1699 Many shops today, from R&D companies that make a few parts per week to production shops that run 24/7 making hundreds of parts per day, use waterjet cutting. Part sizes range from a fraction of an inch to many feet. These shops have differing needs, so they need different accessories Abrasive-Handling Accessories The occasional jet user moves garnet to the hopper by hand and once in a while shovels out the tank that collects the spent garnet. Capital expenditure is usu... John H. Olsen, Contributing Writer Wed, 08 Aug 2007 12:00:00 AM CDT http://www.thefabricator.com/WaterjetCutting/WaterjetCutting_Article.cfm?ID=1655 Figure 1 Jet Lag at High Feed Rate Software serves two functions in abrasive waterjet machining. First, software generally referred to as CAD/CAM is used to transform the design intent into a tool path. This type of software has improved rapidly, and multiple vendors serve this market. Although it is important for easily inputting geometry, this software has little effect on part production cost. The second function of software is to move the cutting jet to achieve the... John H. Olsen, Contributing Writer Tue, 12 Jun 2007 12:00:00 AM CDT http://www.thefabricator.com/WaterjetCutting/WaterjetCutting_Article.cfm?ID=1624 As you descend the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia south into sunny Huntersville/ Mooresville, N.C.—so-called Race City USA—you can almost feel the ground rumble. Eateries have names like "Pit Stop," and service stations are called "Raceways." Diehard race fans fan the area, taking two-wheeled corners while clutching cartoon tour maps and Lowe's Motor Speedway souvenirs. The locals here are as hospitable as Southern folk are, but their drawl is ... Kate Bachman, Senior Associate Editor Tue, 08 May 2007 12:00:00 AM CDT http://www.thefabricator.com/WaterjetCutting/WaterjetCutting_Article.cfm?ID=1597 Editor's Note: This article is a modified version of the article that appeared in the May 4, 2004, issue of thefabricator.com. "Has Taper Sidebar" Thinking ahead during the design stage of a fabrication always saves manufacturing costs later. This is also true for the parts cut with a precision waterjet—part production time, assembly time, fixturing, and weld preparation time all can be saved. Even design time can be saved by following drafting standards that perm... Dr. John H. Olsen Tue, 10 Apr 2007 12:00:00 AM CDT http://www.thefabricator.com/WaterjetCutting/WaterjetCutting_Article.cfm?ID=1545 The purpose in buying machinery is to make money with it. Buying nothing costs nothing, but makes no money. A premium jet cutting machine costs more than a standard machine, but the better machine usually is designed to enhance productivity. The equipment must match the work it is intended to do. When deciding which machine to purchase, a buyer must strike the balance between price, productivity, and machine capability. Matching the Machine to the Work A job shop and a manu... John H. Olsen, Contributing Writer Tue, 13 Feb 2007 12:00:00 AM CST http://www.thefabricator.com/WaterjetCutting/WaterjetCutting_Article.cfm?ID=1487 Successful fabrication shops understand how to maximize the productivity of their waterjet machines. Peak performance of the waterjet system and its components improves cutting rates and, therefore, generates higher profitability. A waterjet system comprises an ultrahigh-pressure pump, CNC machine, and one or more cutting heads. How these components are set up and optimized determines the waterjet system's performance. Waterjet Basics Waterjet cutting pumps range in size ... Eric Chalmers Tue, 07 Nov 2006 12:00:00 AM CST http://www.thefabricator.com/WaterjetCutting/WaterjetCutting_Article.cfm?ID=1464 Figure 1 Lathe Screw Cutting Drive Train An article published previously on thefabricator.com,  How one shop benefited from abrasive waterjet technology, presented novel construction techniques that can be implemented effectively with an abrasive waterjet machine to lower the costs of building fabricated structures. But abrasive waterjet machines can be used to make components, too, such as gears and parts with gear segments; sprockets and cha... Dr. John H. Olsen, Contributing Writer Tue, 10 Oct 2006 12:00:00 AM CDT http://www.thefabricator.com/WaterjetCutting/WaterjetCutting_Article.cfm?ID=1353 This tale from the O.C. doesn't involve beautiful people and cutting-edge music. It's about Orange County's very own Pacific Metal Cutting—in Placentia, Calif., to be more exact—and it's a 24-person team dedicated to cutting a variety of specialty metals for its metals distributor and machine shop customer base. Mark McWhirter is the company's president and owner. His favorite sound usually is the high-pitched wail of his many horizontal and vertical... Dan Davis, Executive Editor, The FABRICATOR® Tue, 13 Jun 2006 12:00:00 AM CDT http://www.thefabricator.com/WaterjetCutting/WaterjetCutting_Article.cfm?ID=1333 Abrasive and waterjet cutting equipment operates at pressures up to 60,000 pounds per square inch (PSI). Most shops have no other equipment operating at such high pressures and little experience working with high pressure. This article explains the unusual physical phenomena that affect high-pressure equipment and then shows how these phenomena affect design and maintenance of high-pressure systems. The most unusual aspects about ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) systems are: The water is compress... Dr. John Olsen, Contributing Writer Tue, 09 May 2006 12:00:00 AM CDT http://www.thefabricator.com/WaterjetCutting/WaterjetCutting_Article.cfm?ID=1314 What do you give one of the world's most recognized entertainers who owns a collection of 84 cars and 73 motorcycles? A waterjet sounds appropriate. Of course, the waterjet won't help Jay Leno with his "Tonight Show" monologues, but it has done wonders in terms of keeping his car and motorcycle collection up and running. That's pretty much the raison d'etre for Leno's Big Dog Garage, located in a Burbank, Calif., industrial park. Bernard Juchli runs the ga... Dan Davis, Executive Editor, The FABRICATOR® Tue, 11 Apr 2006 12:00:00 AM CDT