Frequently Asked Questions About High Velocity Cutting
Question. What production rates should we expect?
Question. Can non-circular profiles be cut?
Question. What is tool life?
Question. How long does it take to change tooling?
Question. Can tube or pipe be cut?
Question. Everything sounds great, but what are the limitations of high velocity cutting?
Question. What production rates should we expect?
Answer. Production rates are a function of 1) the length of the cut workpiece, 2) the diameter of the workpiece, 3) the length tolerance, and 4) the type of feeder employed. Hydropulsor cutting machines can be equipped with either a mechanically-positioned hydraulic feeder or a sensor-positioned hydraulic feeder compatible with a bar magazine. Small wire pieces — less than 25mm (.98 inches) length — can be cut at rates exceeding 700 pieces per minute. A 35mm (1.38 inches) diameter bar, under 75mm (2.95 inches) in length may be cut at a rate of 120 blanks per minute. See individual machine specification sheets for more information.
Question. Can non-circular profiles be cut?
Answer. Yes, this can be done in most cases depending on profile geometry. Please consult Hydropulsor to ensure that your profile can be cut.
Question. What is tool life?
Answer. It depends on the material, diameter and required quality of the cut. One set of tools can be rotated to employ eight different cutting positions. When all positions are worn, the tools can be ground and used again. For example, one of our customers is cutting bars 43mm (1.7 inches) in diameter, and requires minimal deflection, which is why each position is used for only 20 000 cuts, times 8 positions makes 160 000 cuts. The tools are being re-ground 25 times which indicates a tool life of 4 million cuts per set of tools. Another customer with lower deflection requirements, cuts 1.5mm (0.06 inch) diameter workpieces with up to 100 million cuts per set of tools.
Question. How long does it take to change tooling?
Answer. To rotate the tool (to get a new cutting edge) takes only a few minutes. To exchange the set of tools with retained length and diameter, takes 5-10 minutes. However, if the workpiece length and diameter need to be changed, it can take longer. Changeover speed is also dependent on the type of feeder used.
Question. Can tube or pipe be cut?
Answer. Yes, tube and pipe can be cut. There will be more deflection and a lower quality surface, compared to when solid bars are cut. But as long as quality is acceptable, High Velocity Cutting can be used. Please contact Hydropulsor for further information.
Question. Everything sounds great, but what are the limitations of high velocity cutting?
Answer. The main limitation of the adiabatic softening process is that it is generally designed for high volume operation. Each new size of wire or bar to be cut requires its own set of tooling. When adiabatic softening is done properly, though, the result is a precision cutoff blank that is burr-free, with minimum pulldown and end distortion. In addition, it eliminates angular variations and crack formations, and maintains flatness and squareness.
