Product category:
Machinery and Production Equipment
News Release from: KMT Waterjet Systems | Subject: Aqualine
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 11 November 2003
Waterjet marking maintains structural
integrity
A major Austrian ski-lift manufacturer is using a novel nondestructive waterjet system to permanently mark its components without affecting the integrity of the material being marked.
Public health and safety issues are of paramount importance when associated with the manufacture and maintenance of ski-lifts, and to aid traceability during the long expected service life all components need to be permanently marked for identification purposes A major Austrian ski-lift manufacturer, after carrying out trials on several marking systems, is now employing an innovative nondestructive waterjet system manufactured by KMT Waterjet Systems, formerly known as Ingersoll-Rand Waterjet Cutting Sytems, the leading supplier of waterjet systems
This article was originally published on Engineeringtalk on 20 Jul 2007 at 8.00am (UK)
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It uses just pure water to permanently mark each component without affecting the integrity of the material being marked.
When looking into efficient ways of marking components the ski-lift company carried out trials on several systems including low-powered plasma marking, but research found that this changed the molecular structure of the material - something the highly safety conscious company could not tolerate.
The innovative waterjet system on the other hand, using just pure water pressurised to 3800bar as a marking/cutting medium, gently etches the surface of the component without structurally or chemically affecting the material or surrounding area.
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.
The new marking system is incorporated into a plasma cutting machine supplied by Slovakia based Microstep, and includes a 13.5 x 3m bed and two portals to facilitate different operations.
The first portal carries a drill unit.
This is used to start the production process by cutting small holes and precision slots before moving out of the way for the second portal that incorporates two KMT Waterjet Systems Aqualine waterjet cutting heads.
These carry out the permanent marking process.
A second cutting machine has two portals, the first of which has two plasma cutting heads and the second, one cutting head.
A third machine has four gas cutting heads.
The fully automatic CNC controlled machine uses six cameras to accurately position the start point of each portal prior to operation, and the versatility of the machine is such that it can be used as one, two or three separate machines at any time to suit material flow.
The Austrian based manufacturer has now been using the KMT Waterjet Systems waterjet process of indelible marking for about three months, and already the innovative process has generated a lot of interest for Coventry based Matrix Lasers - the UK agent for Microstep, which is receiving enquiries from a wide range of industries with similar sensitive marking requirements.
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