SheetMetalWorking
Mr Maurer’s approach, to cut high-quality parts quickly and also to deliver at short notice pays off.
www.equipment-news.com
The correct production facilities and approach, in which the focus is on industrial solutions, have allowed the company to become the leading waterjet cutting shop.
Michael Meier
spectrum ranges from what is currently the largest waterjet cutting system in Switzerland, a Byjet L 8030 with an 8 x 3 m cutting table, through to several Bystronic machines for standard formats that are predominantly equipped with two cutting heads. Running A Tight Ship In the shop, although overcapacities exist on paper, the machines are used efficiently. With personnel costs running at 60 percent, the objective is to produce as much as possible with only a few people. The work force is used optimally. This starts with a sort of clocking of the order processing, so that the work steps of the employees and the cutting times mesh with each other. This means that two operators can control three machines. They are supported in part through process automation components. For example, one 50
metalworking equipment news October 2012
Michael Meier
Byjet 3015 is equipped with a shuttle table, and the Byjet L uses a concept consisting of separate cutting zones. With it, cutting can take place in one zone of the cutting table, while in another, loading or unloading is carried out. Furthermore, exchangeable cassettes that can be lifted out using a crane facilitate the removal of the cut parts. Above all, during the night and at weekends, the capacity of the waterjet machine, in spite of its vast cutting area, is not only used for large parts. At these times the machine is loaded with several different sheets and operated in the lightly-manned mode. If an unexpected problem should arise, the process monitoring reliably switches the machine off. Furthermore, auxiliary devices are used, with which the cut parts are held in place in the skeleton using dots of easily removable
glue. As a result, there is no longer a need for micro tabs, which would subsequently have to be ground away. Mr Maurer thinks in terms of industrial solutions and these are aimed at the continuous improvement of the processes. One example: ‘clogging’, which refers to the accumulation of abrasive in the cutting head. This cannot be completely eliminated with waterjet cutting — but it can be minimised. Mr Maurer uses high-quality abrasives and clean water and carries out regular maintenance on the high-pressure pumps. The fact that the cutting nozzles are changed every two days ensures additional reliability in the work processes. Keeping Things Fresh M r M a u r e r m a ke s r e g u l a r investments in new machines. “From a commercial point of view,