The History of Water Jet Cutting Machine

The History of Water Jet Cutting Machine

Water jet cutting machines first came to the surface during the early 1800s. This is the point in time when New Zealand and the Soviet Union made use of pressurized water, which they diverted from nearby streams, so as to help in removing loose coal and debris. This principle was also taken advantage of during the Gold Rush period in the mid-late 1800s in California. They made use of pressurized water in order to extract gold from soft soil and rock, then afterward directed this to the pan-wielding miners.

While hydraulic mining may not be the primary function of the waterjet machines we have today,  this has actually paved the way for a series of inventions which has lead to the current role of water as an indispensable industrial cutting device.

It was during the 1930s that waterjet technology found a purpose in cutting materials like that of a paper. They made use of the jet-stream technique as designed and created by Elmo Smith and Leslie Tirrell. Sometime later they began to see how beneficial it would be to put some abrasives to a waterjet stream, in an effort to try cutting through harder materials.

During that time, the lifespan of nozzles of abrasive waterjet was too short and thus making it non commercially viable. With the new designs came the creation of new kind of mixing materials and tubes, purposefully designed to help in making waterjet machining much stronger than ever and more reliable, too.  

High-Strength Water Jets and Their Evolution

In the post-war era, manufacturers and researchers from around the world continued on their quest to find new ways to efficiently cut materials. When the 1950s came, Dr. Norman Franz, a forestry engineer made some experiments with high-pressure water systems to help him cut down trees for lumber. His efforts paid off because he realized that abrasive waterjets are very much efficient in cutting down tough materials.

When 1960s cam, G.L. Walker and S.J. Leach made furthered their research on traditional waterjet cutting. The highlight of there was determining the ideal shape that waterjet nozzles should have. The invention of crystal waterjet orifices came about in the 1970s, created by Bendix corporation. The company spearheaded the development of the first ever mainstream system of waterjet cutting, this time around things would be done on a commercial level.

This new breed of waterjet system is capable of reaching pressures of up to 60,000 PSI. This signifies that if you have a jet of water about 0.1mm in diameter, it is powerful enough to slice and dice through just about anything, from paper to food products and everything in between.

While it is true that this type of waterjet cutting machines often come with a high price tag and would necessitate maintenance every now and then, we can still qualify as cost-effective when compared to the traditional cutting methods.  

Waterjet Cutting Today

During the last quarter of the 1980s, Boride corporation took the opportunity to develop mixing tubes comprised of tungsten, ceramic and carbide compensate. The tubes were carefully designed so they are able to withstand erosive pressure brought about by abrasive waterjets. This development helped a lot in transforming the 1930s unreliable process to what we consider today as a viable solution to help the future of the manufacturing sector.

The first ever company that sold a Water jet cutting machines to an automotive firm is Flow International Inc. After which many others followed suit. Over time, manufacturers developed intensifiers in order to come up with even more consistent pressure from the waterjet devices. The new components, though, gave the experts a good opportunity to measure the amount of abrasives they are using.

Each and every time the waterjet cutting sphere undergoes a certain kind of innovation, it always made the technology even more affordable, more accessible and more reliable for the manufacturing sector. This significantly helped the industry to further grow and blossom.

What Materials Can a Waterjet Cut?

Aside from metal, what other materials can a waterjet cut? When you need to cut metal, shape it to something else, or fabricate it to a certain fashion so it can become suitable for your project, you know that there is a manifold of ways that you can do to accomplish that task.  Some of the traditional ways to cut metal are simple, while others can be described as crude like the use of a hack saw.

What Materials Can a Waterjet Cut?

There are also cutting techniques that are technical in nature such as the use of plasma and laser cutting tools. Regardless of the method of choice you want to apply to your project, there are a couple of downsides, too, and it’s inevitable not to have any of them. Waterjet cutting machines were introduced about 10 years ago. This is the reason why this cutting-edge technology still remains up to this day as not the method of choice among the vast majority of small scale metal fabrication companies.

While the major players in the industry have been utilizing the technology in their operations and works, the smaller firms which comprise the vast majority of them have much caught up to do in terms of learning about this technology and how it can help in advancing their business interest. Here are some of the types of metal that you can work with using waterjet cutting machines:

Stainless Steel

There is a handful of different kinds of stainless steel, and you can handle them all with waterjet cutting technology. When handling metals, what you need to veer it away from is to keep it from overheating (acquired friction from cutting). If this happens, the heat affected zone will put the integrity of that area into compromise. Eventually, this can pave the way for failure.

The absence of HAZ in the waterjet cutting process makes it the preferred method of choice for companies involved in the food processing business. The same is true with the aerospace industry as well as the handling equipment sector. Reflective surfaces or polished objects are not known to have any kind of adverse impact to a waterjet cutting process the way that it does affect a laser cutting method.  

READ: Water jet cutter how it works

Hardened Tool Steel

A waterjet cutter can seamlessly cut through tool steel even if it is in a fully hardened state sans causing any alteration in the material properties. There is an increasing number of die and metal fabrication shops that are now seeing the valuable help that this technology can bring, at 10 times the speed of traditional cutting methods.  

Aluminum

Aluminum may well qualify as the most favored metal to be used in waterjet cutters. Reason being that this machine can seamlessly cut through it cleanly and quickly, minus any kind of thermal distortion.  There are also increasing numbers of specialty shops that are integrating the use of waterjet method to their array of used laser cutting methods so that they can effortlessly and accurately cut aluminum regardless of how thick they are.  

Different Types of Alloys

Even the superalloys like the Hastelloy and Inconel are no exemption for waterjet cutters. You can utilize these machines to cut through them without having to worry about distortion or heat.  

Copper

You can cut all grades of copper, cleanly and quickly with a waterjet cutter sans any thermal distortion. The reflectivity issue that is normally encountered in most laser cutters is taken out of the picture with the use of waterjet cutter. Aside from this, waterjet cutting machines also eliminates the issue of “gumming”, which is considered as a normal occurrence when using instead a conventional mechanical cutting system.  

Glass

Glass cutting has never been so promising with the use of waterjet cutting tools. It can perfectly handle even the ultra-thin panels being used for smartphones as well as the bulletproof, thick and multi-layered glass panels used in buildings and vehicles down to the panels that are intended for stained glass windows. When it comes to glass cutting, the only exemption there is for waterjet systems are the tempered glass panels. This type of glass is manufactured in such a way that they will shatter into a handful of tiny pieces if they are broken or cut.  

Spill Kits Australia: How to Choose the Right One

Spill Kits Australia: How to Choose the Right One

In Australia, spill kits have become very common in the market which makes it a challenge to buy the best one. It is very important to know the factors and features that you need to look into when choosing one. So, below are some tips that serve as your guide so you can get the best one.

Identify Liquids that have the Tendency to Spill

When looking for spill kits in Australia, it is a must that you consider the type of liquid that is likely to spill in the facility and choose a response kit accordingly. There are some companies that provide a response kit for various types of liquid spills and color code kits for easier identification. With this, you can choose the right kit and avoid expensive accidents that could happen in case a wrong type of kit is utilized in spill response.

If you are working with solvents, water, coolants, or oil every day, then a universal kit will be the best choice. This type of kit is often colored-coded with a blue label on its container and has a grey colored absorbent inside. There are also oil-only kits that are intended to absorb oil-based spills. This type of kit is ideally used to clean up oil on water or during a response to oil-based spills in the snow or rain.

Related: Fire Cabinets for industrial use

Determine the Volume of Liquid that could Spill

As soon as you know the type of kit you need to buy based on the liquid type in the facility, you have to make sure that you choose the right size for your kit. This needs to be determined based on the worst scenarios. Response kits in the market are available in different sizes you may choose from depending on your needs.

In addition, it is also important to know the maximum amount of liquid that could get spilled from the tank or the container. You can have a large kit to deal with a spill or you may choose smaller ones to absorb the amount. This will be dependent on how easy they have to be transported to a spill.

Identify the Best Container for the Facility

Ideally, a spill response kit needs to be available in spill-prone areas within the facility. It is available in different containers that you may choose from, like small grab bags that come with handles, making them easier to be carried during a spill. There are also wall-mounted kits used in spill response stations near the spill areas, and of course, large portable kits.

It is very important to take into consideration the physical limitations of the spill response team and the terrain that the kit should cover in order to get to a spill when selecting the best spill kit for the facility.

Office Catering Sydney: Saving you from Stress


Office Catering Sydney: Saving you from Stress

If it is your first time to organize an event in your workplace, you might be under a lot of stress as it is not an easy thing to do. One of the most important aspects of any event is the food and drink. But we also have to admit that it can be challenging to prepare such. If you think you can’t handle it on your own, then the best thing to do is hire an office catering.  This kind of catering is very popular in Sydney and other parts of Australia.

Now, the challenge is to hire the best one that can deliver the best services and ensure that your event will be a success while saving you from stress.

Consider your Budget

Budget is one thing that you should never miss out. A part of it will go to the food and drinks so you may want to have some additions when it comes to your nibbles and refreshments. To make sure that your budget will fit, you need to discuss it with a catering company for your event.

The theme of the Event

If you have a specific theme in your mind that will be interesting for everyone in your company, then you can work with your catering company and make your idea a reality. A good and cheap catering company in Sydney will always be willing to extend some help in ensuring that everything in your event will be as smooth as possible.

Since the majority of parties are done for leisure and recreation, you can ask the people in your company if they want to have a themed party. Having a theme will allow everyone to be creative with what they have to wear. In addition, for a themed party, finger foods would be great. You can also ask the catering company if they also offer finger foods.

Location

In Sydney, a big part of any office catering is the location. The catering company that you hire can also help you choose a good location. As you will be spending most days at work, they can assist you in finding the best place where to have the event. It would be best if you hire a company that is experienced in different kinds of catering and have proven success rates as they would definitely know what to do and in what way they can be of help.

The idea of pleasing everyone and making sure that they will enjoy can be very stressful. But if you have the right people to help you, everything should be all right. Go for a catering company that has been in the industry for a long time and their past clients have the best words to say about them.

Benefits and Applications of Waterjet

Benefits and Applications of Waterjet

One of the most ingenious technology that can cut through a wide array of industrial materials are what is known as waterjets. With the presence of a high stream of highly pressurized water, it is built to cut through any material from ceramics to metals. If tools that have lasers or blades have difficulty with cutting certain materials, waterjets can be used to achieve the task.

In order to sculpt a variety of manufacturing materials, waterjets are normally involved in the manufacturing sector.  If used properly, they can result in adding a positive result to the production process.

Benefits of Waterjet Technology

A waterjet cutting machine does not impede or change the material properties that needs to be cut. Since this tool does not interfere with the properties of the material from where it is to be cut, the integrity of the material is not changed at all. The end result has accurate and precise cuts, having the most spotless and unblemished edges. Not only do the drilling and mining industries use resources like marble and glass, nearly all the other industries and the manufacturing sector prefer using waterjets for detailed cutting.

Waterjets do not make use of any type of harmful gases for operation is another distinguished benefit of the tools. You won’t have to worry about this matter because waterjet cutting is very safe, eco-friendly, and easy to use. Due to this equipment not creating any dangerous waste, they are viewed as eco-friendly machines. They offer an ideal work environment for the users and the industry they belong.

It simply takes a minimal amount of energy to use a waterjet cutting machine. Thus, this tool serves as a way to conserve energy. Once you have tried using this cutting technology, you can witness how accurate it is, to the highest degree, and how fast its manufacturing process is.

Applications and Operation of Waterjet

Stones can be used for complex cutting of some materials. Normally we can use these equipment in simple and numerous ways, resources like stone, rubber, plastic, carpet or even wood are taken to various machine shops for waterjets to cut out intricate designs on them.  At times, the tool is simply used together with other abrasive materials in order to achieve a neater finish in certain types of applications in numerous industries. Most of the time, you will find that mining industries and manufacturing of machinery parts use the waterjet technology. Other uses for the tool include sectors like automotive, aerospace industry, gasket and fabrication, and many more. All of these waterjet applications and uses validate the high chances of usability of waterjet even in those industries that have high expectations.

This particular tool’s cutter is affixed to a high-pressure water pump. For the tool to cut materials successfully, a pressurized water stream is ejected through the nozzle of the pump at high velocity that enables it to work well. The waterjets make use of almost one half gallon of water each minute, which later on, can be recycled using a closed loop system.  Furthermore, materials that are even as thick as 18 inches or 45 cm can be cut easily by these waterjets.

Tags: water jet cutter

Lighting Stores: What to Consider when Buying Online

Lighting is one of the major purchases that one can make for the home. A new fixture can be expensive. This is why it’s important to get it right. This means that this is not the easiest one to buy. You may see something you love that you think will be perfect for you. However, the material used in it would make you feel like it’s a gamble if you buy it.

 

To be sure about your purchase, especially when it’s done online, here are some tips to consider when visiting different lighting stores.

 

Learn more about the Company

There is a limitless list of online lighting stores to shop for lights. But as much as this is a good thing, there are a lot of sites that are not legitimate. You need to make sure that the company that you plan to work with has a good reputation and track record. Their website is a good indication of this. Always look for online seller certifications and industry standard. These are usually displayed on their website.

 

Ask for Help

Sales folks and customer service people are always there to help. One sign of a good online retailer is the one that gives enough details on their item pages. But if there are a lot of details that you can’t find, contact them via chat, email, or phone to find out more information about them, to inquire, or to ask for help.

 

Plan and Visualize

When you already have an idea and the kind of fixtures that you like, take it slow before clicking the checkout button. In some instances, impulse buying is good and fun, but may not be an effective choice.

Always consider the materials. For instance, you may want to have a crystal chandelier in the kitchen, but consider the fact that cleaning the crystals after cooking in the kitchen can be troublesome. Also, temperature is another important thing to consider.

If you are not entirely sure of what you really need, choose a few bulbs in the color temperature that you are looking at and give them a try in your floor or table lamp. This way, you can determine if they will work in the space where you want them installed.

 

Timeline

This may be the biggest one. All of us have shopped online and for sure, we have our own share of delays and disappointments. When buying lights online, invest the right amount of time to make sure that you are on schedule. While there are items that can be shipped out in just a week or two, there are made to order ones which means longer timeframe is needed.

If you happen to have a critical timeline, be sure to work with a salesperson that can help you find something that will work within your schedule.

Shopping online can be very exciting. But always take your time in finding the right store and looking for the right lighting fixtures that you want.

 

electrical wholesaler

 

Ensure the Safety of Your Gas Bottle Storage Cage

To guarantee the safety of everyone in the workplace is a top priority. Not only will it save lives, but it will also protect the equipment and the facility as a whole. One of the most common causes of accidents and danger is improper storage of dangerous chemicals. Also, compressed gas kept in a cylinder can cause a range of hazards. One of the most important parts of managing the risks that come with it is to store them in a gas bottle storage cage.

Below are some tips that you can apply in your facility and how to make the most out of your gas cylinders.

Store the Gas Cylinder in the Right Location

If possible, a compressed gas cylinder should never be stored indoors. A cylinder store should have proper ventilation that can keep the oxygen at safe levels and escaped gases within their explosion limit. Thus, outdoor will always be the best place.

Any leaked gas immediately becomes a hazard and when kept outside, it will disperse safely to the atmosphere.

When choosing the best place at your workplace for your gas bottle storage cage, make sure that the area you have chosen is not exposed to production or plant operations that generation ignition and heat sources. At the same time, the area should have a 3-meter clearance from vegetation, combustible materials, and refuse. Lastly, opt for a location that is far from building doors, windows, ducting and air vents.

 

Properly Restraining Cylinders

The majority of gas cylinders come with a long slim design and they are awkward and heavy. Therefore, there is a great chance for them to be knocked over or fall. It is recommended that they should be securely restrained in a way that will not cause damage to the regulator or valves.

One of the best ways to do this is to install a reliable gas bottle cage that is made from heavy-duty materials. This cage should have safety straps, racking systems, and bump rails. Aside from restraining the cylinders, the cage could be locked to secure the cylinders inside from unauthorized access.

 

Correct Grouping of Cylinders

The cylinders should be grouped according to their (hazard) class. They should also be segregated from hazardous chemicals and incompatible gas. Different types of gases such as non-flammable, flammable, toxic, and oxidizing gases should be at least 3-meters away from each other.

The same thing is also applicable to empty cylinders that need to be separated from full cylinders. They should also be labeled and stored at different location point. For empty cylinders, they should be treated in the same way as full cylinders.

By considering all these things, you lessen the risk of accidents and danger that might be caused by chemicals and gases.

 

Concrete Formwork and its Different Uses in Construction

A concrete formwork means using moulds and other support structures in order to be able to create a structure out of concrete which is then poured into moulds.

A formwork comes in numerous types that are being used in constructions. They often differ according to the requirements, as well as the challenges that are needed in the building. In addition, a form is utilized by creating moulds that can be out of aluminum, steel, wood or prefabricated forms where the concrete is poured. It should be left to harden and set. It will then be stripped or can stay in place as a part of the structure.

With the help of formwork, contractors would be able to cast and construct all the main parts of a building that needs to be strong, as well as support structures like walls and floors, and even smaller parts of a building like the stairs.

 

The Different Types of Formwork

A concrete formwork comes in various types that we often see in the construction industry. For instance, a timber formwork is made up of plywood and timber to form a mould for pouring. This process is more cost-friendly when compared to other available methods. Although it is not as strong as steel or metal, in complicated sections of buildings, timber formwork is preferred.

In the case of an engineered formwork system, a prefabricated mould is used. This is made from a metal frame which can either be aluminum or steel. This type of formwork is also much cheaper and very easy and quick to use than the traditional ones. The frames are also very strong and seldom need replacing, which means reduced cost. Since the formwork has been engineered, the construction is a lot faster and does not need so much manpower, which is another way to save money.

The next one is the stay-in-place type of formwork. This one is often used to support the parts of a structure. This consists of insulating concrete forms that are filled with reinforced concrete. This is left to set and is just left in place.

 

Concrete: What to Know about It?

Concrete could be made to various qualities. This would depend on the amount of water, the mould’s shape, type of water, type of cement, and how long the cement has been hydrating for. The cement’s quality will be greatly reduced if there is too much water as it causes the cement to separate from other structures which actually make up the mixture.

Today, formwork is very much used and there are so many types available, any building project can be easily achieved using various methods to achieve the desire results. When it gets reinforced, concrete becomes a virtually indestructible materials making it a perfect material to be used in the construction industry

Finding and Buying the Best 3D Printer

Today, 3D printers have greatly become an essential part of the human lives. If you need one and you have plans of purchasing, you should know the factors that you have to consider as you search for the best 3D printer.

 

First off, you have to decide what the printer is for and why you need to produce 3D prints. If you happen to be a consumer, perhaps you need to print different household things. Or if you are a teacher, you would want a printer that will be installed in the classroom. Engineers, designers, and architects often need it for them to create prototypes and models of new products. These and more are some proof that indeed, we need this printer in our daily lives.

 

3D Printer: Object Size

 

After you have decided the purpose of the printer, the next thing to do is to take into consideration is the size of the object that you want to get. Selecting the best 3D printer will guarantee that the build size will be suitable to the desired size of the object. In most cases, the build area is the largest object that could be printed.

 

3D Printer: Surface

 

One more important question when it comes to choosing the right printer is the surface that you are going to build on. At first glance it may seem like the building platform is not very important. However, this may change after you begin printing. With the right kind of platform, the object would be able to adhere to the process. When the printing is over, it would be so much easier to remove the ready object. One of the most commonly used building platforms is a heated glass that is covered with a blue painter tape.

 

3D Printer: Filaments

Another vital point is the kind of material that you need to print with. In this case, most printers make use of FFF/FDM technology. The plastic filament is melted and then extruded until it solidifies to make the object. Some of the most common types of filament would include PLA and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene. These two have their own set or properties. Filament comes in various diameters. A lot of printers make use of smaller diameter. Be certain that the filament that you are using is suitable for the diameter of the printer.

 

3D Printers: Connectivity and Open/Closed Frames

It is important to bear in mind that printers have different ways to be connected to the computer. Most of them use USB-cable connection, while come machines have their own internal memory so they can keep printing even after the cable has already been disconnected. There are also some printers that have wireless connection which is a peer to peer link. There are also those that have USB ports or SD-card slots so it’s easy for users to load and then print the files.

3D printers can be of open or closed-frame. Closed-frame printers feature walls, a door and a lid, whereas open-frame printers have none. Open-frame printers provide better visibility of printing process and easier access to the extruder. Closed-frame printers are safer, operate quieter and prevent odor if you print with ABS.

 

3D Printers: Resolution and Software

When it comes to choosing a three dimensional printer, you need to give attention to the resolution that is needed for your printing. The same goes for the software. Opt for software as a download or the one in CD. This is because they are more likely to work with Windows, OS X, and even Linux.

By considering these things, you will for sure end up with the right printer that can deliver the expected job with the best quality.

 

Reducing Machine Repair and Maintenance Cost

Machine repair and maintenance is often overlooked in different industries. Many fails to see that it can actually be a possible source of savings. If they only know the strategies to be employed, their efforts will yield great savings. On the other hand, there are some companies that employ strategies so they can save on maintenance but turn out to be counterproductive as time passed by. An example of strategy they use is to let their machines run excessively, reaching the point of failure, using cheaper parts and upgrade materials, and bargaining for lesser prices of spare parts. But they can always avoid these things to turn into a problem by employing the right and effective strategies such as the following.

 

The Right Strategies and Tips

 

Monitored Spending Patterns

Tightly monitoring the spending is one of the most important things to learn and this should be done in order to save. At the same time, doing so will let you see how much money you are spending from the beginning so you can find ways how to lessen it and save.

 

Culture of Saving in the Workplace

It is very important that everyone in the company is committed to saving money. In order to encourage this, the employees should feel that it is part of the process. They can be asked on how much money are they going to spare for savings.

 

Rectify Chronic Machine Failures

It in inevitable that some machines fail persistently. When this happens, look for the cause of the problem instead of immediately replacing it. With the help of maintenance worker or engineer, they can troubleshoot the problem and employ corrective actions so you can avoid buying a new one which can be very expensive. This is why machine repair and preventive maintenance is very important to reduce unnecessary costs.

 

Expert Staff is an Investment

Instead of outsourcing the maintenance work, it would be best if you can hire trained staff who can do the repair without needing outside help. Hire staff that have specialized knowledge on the equipment and provide them training on how to troubleshoot future problems.

 

Invest in Failure Prevention Technology

This technology is designed to detect any possible flaw in the equipment that can cause your machine to automatically shut down. With this, the staff will be alerted so immediate action can be taken.

Predictive Maintenance

This kind of machinery maintenance is similar to failure prevention technology. As the name implies, it will predict problems even before they happen. This will involve the use of advanced technologies that have detailed analysis of the different aspects of the machinery. Any possible inconsistency and flaw with the regular patterns will be detected immediately.

With these tips and strategies, you will not only be able to maximize the use of the machine and use it for a long time with quality results, but you will also enjoy the profit that a well-maintained and high-functioning machine can offer you.