Enabling growth

Wightman Stewart, the exclusive UK supplier of WardJet waterjet cutting systems, has announced two new customers with installations to follow in the coming months.

The first of these is to CML Alloys, a leading international supplier and processor of nickel alloys, titanium and speciality materials. Continued growth at the company has resulted in the need for increased capacity, so it has invested in a new WardJet ZX-2543 waterjet cutting system with two cutting heads and 100hp pump.

Based in Kingswinford, West Midlands, CML Alloys provides products in all wrought forms for corrosion, heat resistance and other applications where material performance and properties are essential to the application.

Services include the provision of fully machined parts to the most exacting customer specifications. CML now has a production line for the machining of sheet and plate titanium in response to demand from customers from areas as diverse as the oil, gas and pharmaceutical industries.

Rather than relying upon subcontract waterjet cutting, CML Alloys is committed to its own waterjet facility. “The WardJet 100hp cutting table meets our exact requirements,” adds CML Alloys' Richard Ward.

CML Alloys is extending its business into the field of supplying finished machined products in materials such as titanium and nickel alloys and the WardJet machine will provide both the quality and tolerance of cut that is required. It will also provide the capacity for further expansion of the company's waterjet cutting facilities. Installation is scheduled for November 2010.

GNB Corporation, a major US manufacturer of large vacuum valves, has also invested in WardJet machinery to expand its wide range of machining and welding services, including the assembly of customised fabrications. When the company realised that weld preparation and set-up times were higher than actual welding times, the decision was made to invest in a WardJet 5-axis waterjet machine and as a result, production costs have reduced and material utilisation rates have been enhanced.

As part of its fabrication services, GNB was primarily cutting thick stainless steel (up to 12.7cm thick) and needed a method of cutting material with the bevelled weld preps directly onto the net shapes of parts. The goal was to eliminate all machining, bevelling and grinding during the weld preparation process.

One of the manufacturing challenges was presented by the angle valve product line. The body of an angle valve is constructed from two cylindrical tubes that intersect one another at a right angle. In the past, GNB made this body by copying the tubes by hand using a printed paper template – an expensive and time consuming process.

The company can now manufacture the body of the angle valves by waterjet cutting the flat plate with all penetrations prior to rolling. Not only are there penetrations for ports, but there is a large branch port which requires perfect match up. With waterjet, GNB now accomplishes this task quickly and with exacting precision.

The knowledge gained from the angle valve project has resulted in many other benefits achieved by utilising the WardJet's 5-axis cutting head and GNB has virtually eliminated the grinding of weld preparations. This experience now applies to all of its products as it constantly looks for ways to save time and provide the highest quality products to customers.

By now, most engineers in manufacturing recognise the benefits of waterjet cutting. By far the most important is the ability to cut material without interfering with a material's inherent structure as there is no heat affected zone.

Minimising the effects of heat in turn allows metals to be cut without harming or changing intrinsic properties. In addition, waterjet cutting is considered a green technology as it produces no hazardous waste and the garnet abrasive is a non-toxic natural substance that can be recycled for repeated use. Waterjet also eliminates airborne dust particles and contaminants, significantly improving the working environment.

Wightman Stewart
www.wightmanstewart.com

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