Liberty Technologies, Inc.

Waterjet Cutting Products Background

The  6012 Integrated Flying Bridge waterjets are also available with non-integrated pumps and can be equipped with automated material handling and dual cutting heads to significantly increase production throughput.

Waterjet cutting systems are the world's most versatile machine tools. Flow systems cut virtually any shape in a single step with edge quality that usually requires no secondary finishing. They're the most productive solution for cutting a wide range of materials from 1/16 inch to over 8 inches thick. And Flow is the only firm in the industry which can offer both ultrahigh-pressure intensifier and HyPlex direct drive pumps, ensuring our customers get the pump that is right for them and their unique application. Whether you machine high volume, short run, or prototype parts, a Flow system is the choice that will keep you competitive. Here's why:

No Other Tool Cuts or Machines
a Greater Variety of Materials
From glass to stones to composites and metals, nothing cuts and machines a greater variety of materials than an abrasive waterjet. Their versatility is unmatched.

Setup and Fixturing Is Complete In Just Minutes
Because side forces are virtually non-existent when cutting with a Flow abrasive waterjet, the time required for setup and fixturing is minimal. So, you can move quickly from job to job — cut 1/2 inch aluminum in the morning, 2 inch glass in the afternoon, and 6 inch stainless steel in the evening.

Different Jobs Don't Require Different Tooling
Abrasive waterjet cutting is accomplished by software-controlled, robotic motion systems — not hard tooling — so there are no costly, time-consuming tool changes required to accommodate an infinite variety of shapecutting.

Cut with Multiple Heads and Increase Productivity
The cool-cutting process of Flow abrasive waterjet systems enables you to increase throughput by stacking raw material and cutting multiple parts in a single pass. Running multiple cutting heads simultaneously further increases productivity.

Edge Quality Eliminates Costly Secondary Finishing
From steel to composites, cut net and near-net parts. Abrasive waterjets cut with erosion, rather than shearing or heat, so they produce exceptional edge quality without inducing heat-affected zones or mechanical stresses. Raw materials maintain their structural integrity; deburring and other secondary finishing are usually not required.

You'll Enjoy Raw Material Savings
Because abrasive waterjets cut with a narrow kerf and produce no heat, you can tightly nest parts to get the most from raw material.

Compliments Existing Technology
Today, there is a trend by many job shops to add waterjets to their operations as a complement to other cutting technologies such as EDM, laser, milling, and plasma. While each shop has its own requirements for cutting projects, most are finding waterjets to be a tremendous asset to their operations — enhancing both productivity and profitability.

Job & Machine Shop Applications

Job and machine shops use the unmatched versatility of waterjets to expand their capabilities beyond what is possible with machining centers, lasers, EDM or mills. When using waterjets you can throw out pre-conceived ideas about what are traditionally considered "difficult applications." Although abrasive waterjets are ideally suited for tough, and lucrative, applications such as titanium, Inconel, brass, tool steel, glass, stone or composites, the most commonly cut materials include aluminum and steel. Abrasive waterjets cut material from 1/16 inch to 8 inches thick, in high or low volume. Typical part tolerances range from between 0.003 and 0.005 of an inch, although tolerances as close as 0.001 of an inch can be achieved as well.

Within every abrasive waterjet is a pure waterjet cutter, and you can switch from abrasive waterjet cutting to pure waterjet cutting in just two minutes. The hair-thin waterjet can quickly cut gaskets, foams, plastics and thin rubber. The dual processing capability of UHP waterjets greatly enhances any shop's versatility. In-house machine shops realize all these same benefits from abrasive waterjets. For machining high volume, short runs or prototype parts, waterjet shapecutting systems are the most versatile machine tools in the world. With Flow's shapecutting systems, you truly get Simply Better Cutting.

According to Frost and Sullivan, waterjets are one of the fastest growing machining processes in the world, and one reason is how few secondary operations are required. Most abrasive waterjet cutting produces net shaped parts, so secondary finishing is eliminated. In applications with a mirror finish or tapped hole, secondary finishing is quick and easy because abrasive waterjets do not produce a re-cast layer as do methods which rely on heat or friction to cut such as plasma or laser.

Flow's waterjet shapecutting systems can cut virtually any material. Because there is absolutely no mechanical stress, heat distortion or heat-affected zone (HAZ), material can be stacked to increase productivity. Setup and fixturing are complete in just minutes. Because waterjets cut with a narrow kerf, parts can be tightly nested or common-line cut so raw material usage is maximized. Abrasive waterjet cutting is maneuvered with software-controlled, robotic motion systems — not hard tooling — so there are no costly, time-consuming changes between jobs. With Flow's exclusive FlowMaster control system, all you do is draw, import, or scan in your part; specify the material type, thickness and edge finish; and then point-n-click on "Start" to cut. FlowMaster's Windows-based software is so easy to run that if you know Windows you can be Trained in a Day, Proficient in a Week on FlowMaster. See what our customers have to say and how Flow Waterjets have changed their businesses.

DEMO Video 01 Introduction to Water Jet Cutting

DEMO Video 02  Introduction to Metal and Other Material Cutting

DEMO Video 03 Introduction to Stone and Tile

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Copyright © 2006 Liberty Technologies, Inc.
Last modified: May 31, 2007