Tips & Tricks
MEDIA CENTER
OMAX 25th Year Anniversary
25 years ago, the founders of OMAX believed that a company could thrive in manufacturing with a focus on abrasive waterjets. Their mission, to provide precise, easy-to-use, cost effective, standardized, reliable, high quality abrasive waterjets with superior after-sales service, has endured to mold OMAX as the leading company in the waterjet industry. We celebrate our milestone, not by listing our accomplishments but, by celebrating our customers and the employees that made it possible. Read
Taper Compensation
Depending on the cutting conditions, geometry of the cut, the material and other parameters, the cutting edge can take on different shapes that are commonly referred to as taper. A V-shaped cutting kerf will produce a part with a top width smaller than the bottom width. The reverse can also be true, where the bottom width is smaller than the top width. Read
5 Tank Tips for Better Abrasive Waterjet Cutting
Successful shops understand that a clean and well-maintained workspace is key to maximizing productivity. The workspace extends to the machinery. With abrasive waterjet machines, it extends to the tank. We’ve gathered five best practice tips to keep your abrasive waterjet tank in top condition and your production running at peak efficiency. Read
12 Tips for Cutting Glass with Abrasive Waterjet from OMAX
It’s important to support the glass work piece from the bottom with something that provides even support, yet is soft enough so the jet doesn’t ricochet back into the glass and frost the bottom surface. Waterjet brick is a great option for this. Read
Do I Need To Treat The Water For My Waterjet?
For the great majority of waterjet owners in the U.S. and Canada, the answer is “no”. More than 90% of the water than comes from a city’s water supply in these countries can be used in an abrasive waterjet without any treatment. For those areas that fall into the exception, waterjet owners can save significant time and money by conditioning the water, no matter what brand of waterjet machine they’re running. Read
Fixturing for Abrasive Waterjet Cutting
Fixturing refers to holding work material in place while the waterjet cuts parts from it. For most jobs, it's critical that the material doesn't move during cutting, as any movement will affect the precision of the part and can mar the surface. Compared to other cutting methods, the sideways forces of abrasive waterjet cutting are low and the downward force is concentrated to a small area. Read
How to Make Good Part Drawings for Abrasive Waterjets
One of the great things about computer-controlled waterjet systems is that you can draw a part on your computer, or even import a scan or photo, and quickly turn that image into reality. This also introduces opportunities for mistakes. A nice two foot part you drew could be cut as a mini two inch part because you have the units of measure incorrect. The better your drawing, the better your part will be. Follow these tips to create great drawings and to minimize the chances for mistakes. Read
EnduroMAX Pump Saves You Money
The OMAX EnduroMAX pump is more efficient than older intensifier-type pumps, but what does that really mean in day-to-day operations? At the core, it means that the EnduroMAX pump delivers more nozzle horsepower, or JetPower, versus intensifier designs. At the same time, the higher water requirements of the intensifier design means that you will need more input water to deliver less horsepower. The difference is significant, as this infographic shows. Read
Direct Drive Efficiency: Doing More with Less
The muscle behind waterjet technology is a high-pressure pump that converts electric motor horsepower to nozzle hydraulic horsepower. The more nozzle horsepower, the faster you'll cut. However, with two different pump types used in waterjet cutting systems - hydraulic intensifier pumps and crankshaft-driven direct drive pumps - how do you know which type is actually more effective? Here are a few key differences. Read
