Overview

High Performance Alloys Inc. has added a Dynamic Flow waterjet to our shop with a bed size of 6' 6" x 13'. We will specialize in semi finished 2D parts with tight tolerances and superior edge quality.  We will be able to cut sheet from 0.018” up to 4” plate. Cutting from drawings in DXF, DWG, OR IGS formats as well as many others.  Drawings can also be created based on sketches of PDF files. HPAlloys caters to special requirements including research projects to nuclear orders, and everything in between. No job is too small.

Capabilities

Mach 3 - 4020

• Accuracy = +/- .0015" per 3 feet.*
• Speed Range = 0 – 500 ipm
• Cutting area: 2 meter x 4 meter cutting bed, with longer pieces capable with indexing functionality. (6' 6" x 13' bed for the rest of us).
• Capable of tolerances to +/-0.005" on parts as large as a yard square.
• Several tolerance ranges available for every need and budget:
  Separation cut +0.100" -0
  Rough cut +/- 0.031"
  Medium cut +/- 0.015"
  Fine cut +/- 0.005"
  
• Superior edge quality and tighter tolerances than other more traditional cutting methods. Ability to mix and match edge styles on same part depending on how it will be used.
• More economical because no scrap to deal with.  Less machining required on parts because of tighter tolerances and superior edge quality.
• Dynamic cutting head allows better corner control and the least amount of taper.

• No heat effected region and low edge stress - perfect for High Temp and Corrosion Material requirements.
• Nesting and kitting available.
• Flattening upon request.
• JIT service offered.
• Toll cutting available.

Contact your HPA Sales Associate for a quote on your cutting needs.

 

Applications

AEROSPACE

Titanium bodies | Engine components (aluminum, titanium, heat-resistant alloys)

AUTOMOTIVE

Interior trim (instrument panels, door panels) | Firewall, under-hood, etc | Grille Inserts | Truck bed liners

GASKETS

Automotive, marine, small engine, motorcycle, aircraft | Metal, copper, Teflon | Rubber, corkboard

METALS, EXOTIC & NONTRADITIONAL MATERIALS

Flat stock (aluminum, Stainless Steel, mild steel, titanium, brass, Inconel, tool steel, copper) | Ceramics (green state and final products) | Plastics (high and low density) | Plexiglas | Acrylics

STONE / GLASS / METAL ARTWORK

Flooring / tabletop / wall inlay | Metal artwork | Flat glass (not tempered) | Outdoor stone (pool decks, custom stepping stones, etc.) | Stained glass (crafts, church mosaics, lamp shades, etc.)

(Note: we do not carry all these materials listed - but we will cut them on a toll basis.)

 

Benefits

• Cut parts 25-400% faster than conventional flat stock waterjet cutting machines
• Improve cut part tolerances and geometry at significantly higher speeds
• Virtually eliminate taper; taper is < 1 degree in straight-line geometry
• Reduce part cost
• True part stacking ability with consistent tolerance layer to layer
• No secondary finishing required
• Cut a variety of materials, such as metal, stone, glass, and composites
• Cut parts using virtually any CAD file, or scan a drawing directly into FlowMaster®

 

Processing Overview

DYNAMIC WATERJET® TECHNOLOGY
Produce Precise Parts Faster
The Mach 3 Series waterjet cutting systems feature Flow's patented Dynamic Waterjet technology with Active Tolerance Control giving you unbeatable accuracy, speed, and flexibility. Virtually eliminate taper with our Dynamic technology using angular compensation, and produce tight part tolerances, even at high speeds.

 

A Breakthrough Waterjet Cutting Process
Dynamic Waterjet with Active Tolerance Control produces more accurate parts at significantly higher cutting speeds than parts cut with a conventional waterjet.

This patent-pending system utilizes a newly-developed advanced motion system that incorporates unique mathematical cutting models, which control a small, articulated wrist that is attached to the cutting head.

The wrist allows the cutting head to tilt in any direction, compensating for the stream lag and taper experienced with conventional waterjet cutting machines.

Stream lag and taper are a natural, but undesirable, result of cutting with a beam-type cutter such as a waterjet. The faster parts are cut, the greater the stream lag. Stream lag causes part geometry errors. In addition, as cut speed is increased through a given material, the waterjet beam produces ever-increasing taper.

Conventional waterjets must slow down in order to reduce or eliminate finished-part tolerance errors caused by stream lag and taper. Now, with Dynamic Waterjet, these limitations are overcome.

FlowMaster software dynamically controls the position of the cutting head. It knows the amount of tilt and rotation required at numerous incremental points along a cutting path. For example, at high speeds outside corners require increased tilt to prevent coning.

FlowMaster knows the optimal cutting speed to keep parts within tolerance and taper-free. The faster the cutting speed, the more tilt that is required. In most cases the ability to tilt the cutting head allows for a faster cutting speed. Because of this, Dynamic Waterjet produces superior part features at higher speeds than those resulting from conventional waterjet cutting.

 

Photos and some content are courtesy of Flow International