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News Release from: KMT Waterjet Systems | Subject: Streamline SL-IV intensifier pump
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 25 July 2003
Pump provides powerful waterjets
Waterjet cutting technology is being employed at British Gypsum's two main production sites for cutting the coving into lengths, and is proving a highly successful solution.
The popularity of ceiling coving for installation within new and existing buildings never seems to fall, and to cater for ongoing demand British Gypsum produces the paper wrapped plaster coving around the clock at several UK installations In order to meet the challenge posed by cutting the semi-cured material while it is travelling along the production line at 70m/min the company has turned to Ingersoll-Rand waterjet cutting technology
This article was originally published on Engineeringtalk on 20 Jul 2007 at 8.00am (UK)
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The ultra-high-pressure water cutting technique reduces water consumption considerably.
Intensifier upgrades waterjet performance
A Streamline SL-V 50hp intensifier and an AMS I abrasive management system have been retrofitted to a waterjet cutting table at AquaCut.
It is being employed at British Gypsum's two main production sites in Leicestershire and Yorkshire for cutting the coving into lengths and proving a highly successful solution.
During the production process, warm liquid gypsum is wrapped in paper and formed into the coving profile.
This then passes along a continuous production line half a kilometre long, during which time the additional ingredients in the gypsum mixture give an exothermic reaction to partly cure the material ready for cutting.
Further reading
Waterjet cutting explained
A guide to the technology and benefits of the waterjet cutting process has been introduced by KMT Waterjet Systems.
Waterjet intensifiers perform at the cutting edge
A world leader in the manufacture and supply of specialised machinery for the worldwide plasterboard cutting industry has come to rely on waterjet intensifier technology from KMT Waterjet Systems.
Ingersoll-Rand, the market leader in waterjet cutting systems, provides the power for the cutting process.
A 15hp Streamline SL-IV intensifier pump produces the 2000bar pressure used for cutting the coving.
This is ejected through a nozzle of just 0.17mm diameter housed within the Aqualine cutting head to give a clean cut with no burrs and without distorting or damaging the surrounding material.
As the material being cut is continually moving, the cutting head is servo driven on a slide that crosses the production line at an angle of 45 degrees.
A digital encoder measures production line speed and passes on the information to a PLC that controls the cross-cut speed to precisely match the speed of the conveyor belt, resulting in a 90-degree cut on the product.
Around 1800 cuts are performed every hour, the cut lengths being passed on to a faster conveyor for final curing and packing.
Electronic Control Specialists of Heanor, Derbyshire installed the Ingersoll-Rand powered machine at British Gypsum's East Leake site just over a year ago.
Since then, the machine has performed over 5,000,000 cuts.
"It hasn't missed a beat", said Pete Donohoe, Works Engineer at British Gypsum.
The working pressure of the intensifier pump is reduced to match the needs of the process.
The Ingersoll-Rand pump had its first annual service recently and the seals were still in perfect working order.
"Since it was installed we haven't really done anything to it.
We do stop the production line for regular maintenance of serviceable parts but the waterjet pump just keeps going without any intervention", continues Donohoe.
The installation at East Leake has proved so successful that British Gypsum has just installed a similar system using a new Streamline SL-IV 15 high-pressure pump at its Sherburn, Leeds site to provide the same benefits there.
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