October 2007 Edition

WATERJET

Rock, Paper, Scissors, Waterjet!

Creating precision gaskets once involved paper templates and knives and kept a shop from reaching its full potential. Waterjet systems solved the problem.

As a manufacturer of precision gaskets and packings, AP Services processes more than 50 rush orders each day to meet the 24/7 demands of power generation, chemical, and waste-water treatment industries worldwide.

The company was started in 1991 in Freeport, PA. Owners Jeff and Kenny Hemphill entered into the global market and expanded their production facility to two plants totaling 48,000 ft2.

Until 2002, AP Services used clicker presses, "circle cutters," and knives to hand-cut gaskets from hundreds of customer paper templates kept on file. It took three to four hours to cut a single gasket. As global demand skyrocketed, the company struggled to maintain its inventory.

"We needed to increase our productivity exponentially," Mike Ehrlich, AP Services plant manager, said. "After research, we decided a waterjet system was the way to go."

Private Investigator

Ehrlich investigated two major waterjet manufacturers before deciding on a 6'×10' High Rail Gantry manufactured by Jet Edge, Inc., St. Michael, MN. He specified two cutting heads on the gantry, capable of cutting with straight water or abrasivejet, and powered by a 50 hp Jet Edge intensifier pump.

"With the Jet Edge, we cut gaskets in 10 to 15 minutes that took us hours using our old methods."

Ehrlich said he selected the Jet Edge system for its high rail design, which preserves drive components by keeping the ballscrews and drives away from airborne particulates, as well as providing easy access to the cutting surface from all four sides.

The addition of cutting heads on Jet Edge's High Rail gantry extended the overall reach. As a hydraulics expert, Ehrlich examined both systems he was considering, and determined Jet Edge's hydraulic system better fit his needs. The Jet Edge uses an intensifier pump rather than direct-drive pumps, which Ehrlich said made an impression on him. He said the intensifier pumps produce higher, more consistent, pressure with less maintenance than direct-drive pumps.

He emphasized the reliability was important for a service-oriented business, such as AP Services, that must meet the demands of the power generation industry during its high cycles.

"Our business revolves around service, service, service — 24/7, 365 days a year," Ehrlich said. "When a rush order comes in during the morning, we have to have it shipped that afternoon."

Planned Obsolescence

The company's initial Jet Edge system, purchased in 2002, was intended to supplement the company's production line, but its productivity, cut quality, and adherence to tolerances made the old clicker presses and circle cutters obsolete. The paper templates also became outdated, replaced by CAD files capable of shapes more complex than the paper drawings.

"With the Jet Edge, we cut gaskets in 10 to 15 minutes that took us hours using our old methods," Ehrlich said. "In fact, we transferred five clicker press operators to the shipping department just to keep up with the stacks of parts coming off the waterjet."

AP Services bought a second 6'×10' High Rail Gantry in 2003 and offered abrasive waterjet cutting services for machine, fabrication, mold, and die shops. It equipped the second machine with three cutting heads and powered it with a 50 hp Jet Edge intensifier pump. The payoff for this investment was so lucrative that in 2006, the company bought a third — and larger — 12'×10' High Rail Gantry system.

The third system has six cutting heads and is powered by a 100 hp intensifier pump. The Jet Edge High Rail Gantry has a 6' spreader bar for a 12'×16' reach, critical for some of the large parts AP Services produces. With the increased capacity, the company now takes on work otherwise impossible using past methods.

Able to Cut Steel in a Single Pass

For one order, the company used its Jet Edge system to cut a 12' diameter circle from 1" stainless steel. The circle had round holes throughout its interior. Using a special fixture, the company employed the waterjet's first cutting head to start around the perimeter and the second cutting head to finish the perimeter. It used both heads to cut the interior holes.

For another customer, AP Services cut 14 2.125" squares from each side of a 10'-long, 304SS pipe, that had a wall thickness of 5/8", and 6" in diameter. The squares were cut 180˚ apart to ±0.010" positional accuracy. The company used special fixtures also cut on the waterjet. It also employed two cutting heads to produce the product in half the time, meeting tolerances.

Ehrlich said he is getting thousands of hours from the diamond orifices in the waterjet's cutting heads and experienced 800- to 1,000-hour intervals between seal changes on the intensifier pumps.

He said he was also pleased with Jet Edge's service following the sale.

"While service calls are infrequent," he said, "Jet Edge's response and expertise has been exceptional."

He also said the systems were easy to learn and operate. He originally trained two operators and they, in turn, trained six more. Jet Edge

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