WATERJET TECHNOLOGIES
OMAX continues to refine the cutting model to achieve optimal part accuracy, speed, and resource utilization, such as power and abrasive, Bruner said, and the OMAX software supports over 90 different file formats so customers can use a variety of CAD products. Continuous improvement cannot be overestimated on the
software side, noted Jet Edge’s Wirtanen. “After introducing our X-5 beveling capability, the Bevel Zone product for our HMI or controller was critical. Also, additional improvements were necessary to the HMI to handle the complex move- ments when adding two additional axis for a total of five,” he said, adding that partnering with waterjet software developer IGEMS (Borås, Sweden) enables the company to offer cus- tomers the best Jet Edge products. “It is important that the different waterjet computer soft-
ware programs available continue to develop side by side with our equipment improvements to allow our customers to easily operate the system and achieve the results they want quickly with a high degree of accuracy and repeatability,”
noted Jet Edge’s Anderson. “This allows them to make a good profits with their waterjet machine and then they keep coming back to us when replacing or adding additional machines.” Five-axis cutting software continues to improve, he said, as does 3D pipe and tube cutting, laser material mapping, material nesting and placement with the use of a CC camera connected to the cutting software. Software development is extremely important in waterjet cutting, said Arion Vandergon, product application engineer, Hypertherm Inc. (Hanover, NH). “While pump technology can improve water pressure and signal being delivered to the cut- ting head and reduce the cost of pump operation, software is important to provide consistent high-quality parts as fast and efficient as possible,” Vandergon said. Hypertherm recently launched support within its ProNest and Phoenix (CAM and CNC software) to allow the use of E-commands, he noted. “E-commands are used to provide a controlled acceleration or deceleration into and out of corners to provide smooth speed transitions. In the past, speed steps were often used to ramp down speed into cor- ners and ramp up speed out of corners,” Vandergon said. “This method separates a section of the line into and out of a corner into smaller segments. Each individual segment is assigned a speed. The machine acceleration and decelera- tion settings control the ramping between segments. Under certain circumstances, stepped corner ramping can be visible on the part.” E-commands change this method of ramping to a controlled acceleration or deceleration so that the ramping segment and resulting corner has no speed transition marks.
In addition to E-commands, there are other software de- velopments to optimize the delivery of abrasive to the cutting head, he said. “These developments involve timing the abra- sive on-and-off signals to make sure that abrasive arrives at the cutting head at the same time the head is turned on [im- portant when piercing fragile materials],” Vandergon said, “as well as making sure all abrasive is cleared from the head prior to turning off the cutting head [important to avoid clogging].” Hypertherm Phoenix software can automatically calculate the proper timing based on the length of the abrasive feed line and the length of the cutting head air supply line. “Pierce optimization is also important in waterjet software
to provide the fastest pierce for a given profile,” Vandergon said. “ProNest and Phoenix software can utilize four pierce types [dynamic, circular, wiggle, and stationary] depending on the profile of the part or hole being cut.”
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AdvancedManufacturing.org | November 2016
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