Waterjet cutting ensures greater flexibility and efficiency

Waterjet cutting has outgrown its connotation of "alternative" for some time now. No coincidence, either, when you look at the ever-widening field of action of the technology. The versatility of this cutting technology is demonstrated once again in this case story, where a machine builder opted in full for a RESATO ACM 3040-1 with DR4 drilling unit. 

We Cut Everything

The company Wij Snijden Alles originated from the existing Richard Versteeg Machinebouw (RIVEMA), and was intended to be able to carry out all the cutting work involved in prototyping in-house. However, with the expertise and know-how it had acquired, Richard's new company also attracted a more specific clientele, so that it has since far exceeded its origins as a support unit, and today also serves third-party clients. 

Why waterjet cutting

Richard Versteeg's company RIVEMA from Gelderland, the Netherlands, was regularly faced with loss of time and efficiency as a result of necessary outsourcing when manufacturing prototypes or product parts. An important item here turned out to be the cutting work, where several weeks could soon be lost because, for example, pieces did not fully meet the requirements, and had to be reworked. Costly time that cannot be made up and which irrevocably weighs on the duration of the overall project.

Intec Leibzig

Versteeg wanted firmer control over its process, which needed both flexibility and efficiency. Specifically, he needed a cutting technique capable of cutting different types of materials with high precision, and, above all, without releasing heat. 

In 2015, Richard Versteeg visited the INTEC trade fair in Leipzig, and had a comparative cutting test done at three different suppliers of waterjet cutting systems. Because of the linear mechanical drive technology, the Dutch character and also the stock of spare parts, the choice finally fell on RESATO. 

Comprehensive options

That same year, RIVEMA purchased RESATO's ACM 3040-1. That waterjet cutting machine offered RIVEMA more clout and efficiency with an ideal table format that allows cutting almost any standard sheet size. "The machine greatly expanded my capabilities. I was able to offer expanded options to my customers and save time and money. It was a significant leap forward in terms of response and switching capability," said Versteeg. After expanding his machinery with the RESATO waterjet cutting system, Versteeg decided to set up the new company "We Cut Everything" to also offer specialized waterjet cutting services to customers.

Materials

We Cut Everything mainly receives requests for cutting stainless steel, but regularly the bar - with metals such as titanium, bronze and layered materials - is a lot higher. To be prepared for the increase in requests for different material types, Richard Versteeg also chose a DR-4 drill unit: "Especially then for cutting layered materials such as aluminum sheets with plastic, the drill unit is an important, defining option. After all, the drilling unit takes care of the pre-drilling of the starting hole so that the water jet can do the further cutting." 

Direct piercing of the material through the water jet could cause damage such as delamination and the like. Pre-drilling is also a necessity for cutting materials such as Trespa and Plexiglas, for example. 

KNOWLEDGE BASE

Moreover, a major asset of the RESATO system is its knowledge base. It is a clear and convenient platform where the user can find maintenance-related information of the entire machine. Versteeg: "Very user-friendly! The first time I had to replace the pump seals, I had my laptop at the ready, with the information from the knowledge base on the screen. The task was done quickly and tightly."