Process Information Abrasive Waterjet Cutting
Application Process: Robotized Abrasive Waterjet Cutting
This method, abrasive particles (usually Garnet or Oli- Robotized waterjet cutting offers the great advantage vine) are entrained and accelerated in the high of constant quality when deburring and cutting pressure waterjet in the mixing chamber. The abra- complicated three-dimensional cast and forged parts. sive waterjet can cut any material (by micro erosion). In addition to enhanced quality and efficiency, The water stream does not cause a heat effect on the automating the process with robots avoids hazardous kerf edge and hence the material is not subject to and dirty work in foundries, improving employee heat distortion or stress. health and safety. Any material such as steels, alloys, titanium, alumini- um, brass and copper as well as composites and fibreglass can easily be cut in three-dimensional shapes.
Typical industrial applications • Deburring and grinding of castings. • Cutting feeding gates and runners on castings. • Removing sand core from castings. • Cutting titanium parts, ex. fan blades and other jet engine components. • Rimming composites and fibreglass parts. Benefits • Cutting large metal tubes, including welding • No heat affected zone, hardening or stress in the preparation material. • Efficient material utilisation, small kerf width. Abrasive waterjet cutting is now a widely accepted • Omni-directional cutting of contours. process in industry for machining metals, alloys and • Limited cutting force on the part, only simple and composites. cost effective fixtures. • Rapid and easy prototyping. Limitations of abrasive waterjet cutting • Simple design changes. As with any other process, there are limitations that • Flexible process allowing just in time affect the peak efficiency of abrasive waterjet cutting: manufacturing. • No secondary finishing is needed. • The jet starts to break up when cutting hollow profiles. • Multi-layer parts with softer material in between will be “washed out”. • The jet can not drill blind holes or mill flat surfaces on the work piece. • Machining medium-sized tubes requires a special “catcher” design. www.drsrobotics.com
2014_rev.01_eng Designing the system around the part. Criteria such CAD simulations give a competitive edge in the as the dimensions and geometry of the part, location development stage to complete reach studies, path and shape of the contour to cut, access for the programming and cycle time estimation. Simulation cutting head, cycle time limitation, fixture interface, saves time and checks costs to see if a standard handling operations, running costs, etc… need very solution is suitable or if any optimization is required. close attention in order to propose the best possible solution to a customer.
Designing the system The major system components
Abrasive cutting is a demanding environment for the • Cell with sound insulated walls mechanical and electrical components of the system. • Robot(s): 1, 2 up to 3 in each cell Dynamic Robotic Solutions has great experience in • Robot control and Teachpendant building high quality waterjet systems and we • Optional track motion (7th + 8th axis) exclusively use robots that meet the IP67 standard. • Worktable with catcher system Other critical issues such as the operator’s safety, • Part fixture noise levels, part handling, ventilation as well as • Safety devices collecting the water, abrasive and waste material • Ventilation system must be properly addressed to supply the best • Abrasive cutting head and abrasive feeding cutting solution for each individual application. system Dynamic Robotic Solutions only offers closed cell • Water and abrasive collecting system solutions. • High pressure pump and tubing • High pressure gauge and safety valve
Cutting Box Abrasive Stationary. This flexible cutting Cutting Box Abrasive DT. This system is specially solution equipped with a hanging robot and a station- designed to cut very large parts such as tubes, ary worktable offers economic cutting of most parts. vessels and large composite components. The It is especially suitable for the foundry industry and hanging robot is mounted on a gantry equipped with for jobshops requiring small to medium capacity two linear axes to provide a large work envelope. The production. It is also ideal for research and develop- front and the top of the sound insulated enclosure ment applications such as rapid prototyping and open wide to allow access to load large parts onto the destructive testing fixture mounted above the “catcher” tank.
Cutting Box Abrasive DT (Dual Track) Cutting Box Abrasive Stationary
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Dynamic Robotic Solutions Europe AB Dynamic Robotic Solutions, GmbH DRS France, S.A.S Box 529 Schanzenfeldstraße 14b BP 30 - ZI Les Casernes S-372 25 Ronneby, SWEDEN D-35578 Wetzlar, Germany 55400 ETAIN Phone: +46 (0)457 345 00 Phone: +49 (0) 64 41/4 45 96-0 Phone: +33 (0) 329.859.276 Fax: +46 (0)457 345 99 Fax: +49 (0) 64 41/4 45 96-66 Fax: +33 (0) 329.879.824