KMT introduces pure water jet cutting delivery system for soft materials

KMT has introduced the Baseline BL-I10, a pressurised delivery system for pure water jet cutting applications. It is aimed at OEMs whose customers need relatively low flow rate and pressure for processing soft materials like paper, foam, plastic, rubber, gaskets, textiles and food.

The KMT Baseline BL-I10 is powered by an integral, electric motor-driven, hydraulic pump feeding a high pressure circuit. The intensifier supplies water at 3,500 bar through an accumulator to a single cutting head having a 0.10, 0.12 or 0.15 mm jewel orifice in the nozzle.

Electronic shift design and pressure compensation allow the user's PLC to control, monitor and protect the operation of the pump and stabilise the pressure for high quality cutting. Included in the KMT Baseline BL-I10 package are a heat exchanger to cool the hydraulic oil and water, and a safety dump valve on the pump to relieve system pressure in the case of shutdown.

Pure water jet applications, rather than those involving the addition of abrasive, are the province of the versatile Baseline BL-I10. Typical one-dimensional applications on production lines might include edge trimming or cross cutting.

Adding a second controlled axis allows shapes to be profiled, such as prototype leather uppers for shoes. Large volume production applications are equally cost effective, says KMT – a typical example being cutting of frozen fish into sea horses or stars rather than sticks to make products more attractive.

Water only cutting produces a smaller kerf than when abrasive is used. Compared with some other machining operations, a significant benefit of water jet cutting per se is that no side forces are imparted to the material, so complicated workpiece fixturing is not needed.

Author
Celia Cadwalader

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