Elasto Proxy has installed a new water jet cutter at our Montreal-area headquarters that is faster than the machine it replaced. This high-speed, pure-water equipment is designed to fabricate rubber and plastic materials for seals, gaskets, and insulation. For customers, the benefits include rapid fabrication with no tooling costs. Keep reading to learn more and contact Elasto Proxy for waterjet cut parts produced at our facilities near Montreal, Canada or in South Carolina (USA).
New Water Jet Cutter Combines Speed with Exactness
Made by WARDJet, Inc., Elasto Proxy’s new J-106 pure waterjet combines speed and accuracy with repeatability and precision. According to the manufacturer’s website, speeds for this gantry-style machine range from 0.01 in/min to 2500 in/min (0.25 mm/min – 63.5 min). The linear positional accuracy is ±0.010” (±0.25) per axis, the repeatability is ±0.005” (±0.01), and the rack and pinion drive mechanism supports a high degree of precision.
Water Jet Cut Parts in Large and Small Sizes
Elasto Proxy’s new water jet cutter features a generous cutting table for the quick and efficient fabrication of both large and small parts. With a footprint of 36.25’ x 11.3’ (11 m x 3.4 m), our J-106 pure waterjet has a one carriage X-Y cutting area of 72.25” x 139” (1.84 m x 3.53 m) and a Z-axis travel of 10” (0.25 m). In addition to sheets and extrusions of solid rubber and plastic, our new equipment can cut sponge and foam rubber along with cloth, leather, and fiberboard.
Pure Water Jet Cutting vs. Die Cutting, CNC Cutting, and Laser Cutting
Pure water jet cutting uses a highly pressurized stream of water to cut softer, thinner materials like rubber and plastic. Unliked die cutting or CNC cutting, there’s no tooling to wait for or pay for. In addition, water jet cutting has faster setup times because there’s no clamping or fixturing. This makes it a fast, cost-efficient choice for projects ranging from iterative prototypes to low-to-medium volume production. Plus, water jet cutting won’t burn part edges like laser cutting can.
Digital Manufacturing vs. Manual Cutting
Elasto Proxy’s new water jet cutter is computer-controlled, so we can use your computer-aided design (CAD) file to create a computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) file that controls the machine. This minimizes the risk of human error associated with manual cutting processes. As a form of digital manufacturing, pure water jet cutting also supports real-time monitoring and supports data-driven decision making.
Parts Nesting for Less Waste and Greater Yields
Among it advantages, water jet cutting supports parts nesting for more parts per sheet, less material waste, and faster fabrication overall. By arranging multiple cutting patterns onto a single flat sheet, Elasto Proxy can cut your parts in the most efficient way possible. Algorithms in the CAM software that we use determine the optimal arrangement of various part shapes and account for factors such as part geometry, material size, and cutting tool paths. Elasto Proxy can also cut multiple sheets at a time.
Water Jet Cut Part Features
Water jet cutting is valued for its ability to produce smooth joints, clean edges, chamfers, dovetail cuts, holes, notches, and angled corners. With finished gaskets, smooth joints and clean edges support strong, reliable bonds and improve gasketing bonding efficiency. Chamfer cuts create flat, sloped edges and dovetail cuts feature interlocking components that also support assembly. In addition, waterjet equipment cut holes and notches for fasteners and achieve angled corners for complex geometries.
Put Our New Water Jet Cutter to Work for You
Do you need rubber or plastic parts for prototyping or in low-to-medium production volumes? Ask Elasto Proxy how we can put our new water jet cutter to work for you. In addition to water jet cutting and gasket bonding, our fabrication services include adhesive lamination and taping. We can also provide you with value-added services such as warehousing, kitting, and custom assembly.
