Costs of a waterjet cutting machine

WATERJET CUTTING COSTS OF A MACHINE THE BASICS OF THE COST POOLS

Content

INTRODUCTION 3

WHY WATERJET CUTTING 4

COSTS OF A WATERJET 5

THE MACHINE ITSELF (CAPEX) 6

OPERATIONAL COSTS (OPEX) 9

THREE STEPS TO A BUSINESS CASE 11

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Introduction

With this ebook we want to help you find out more about the costs of a waterjet machine and its operation. After speaking to our clients, we noticed that the majority of them had similar questions:

What type of costs do I have to consider? What are costs related to the investment and the operation of the machine? What can I do to make a business case?

ON THE NEXT FEW PAGES, WE WILL EXPLAIN THE BENEFITS OF WATERJET CUTTING AND THE DIFFERENT COSTS YOU WILL HAVE TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN PURCHASING YOUR OWN MACHINE.

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COSTS OF A WATERJET CUTTING MACHINE

Why waterjet cutting Before we get into the costs of a waterjet machine, let’s briefly have a look at why waterjet cutting has become one of the most popular choices in many different industries. There are multiple benefits that waterjet cutting offers, that other methods simply cannot.

Waterjet cutting has no material limitations. While the use of pure water is usually used for softer materials like plastics, rubber etc, with the addition of a granular abrasive, the machines can cut through virtually any material like metal,stone,ceramics and more!

No heat affected zones. When using for example laser cutting, one of the biggest risks to the product is the risk of melting and ruining parts of the material, with waterjets however, this risk does not exist. Waterjet cutting does not only enablesmooth cut edges but it increases the operator’s safety by eliminating the risk of burns.

Environmentally friendly –Any production process generates waste. With waterjet however, one can reuse many resources. For instance, the water used in the process can be recycled. The abrasive itself can also be recycled and used for example as a sand replacement in construction. Waterjet cutting also does not create any hazardous fumes or gases unlike other cutting technologies.

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COSTS OF A WATERJET CUTTING MACHINE

Costs of a waterjet

There are two different types of cost that we will be discussing in this eBook – machine costs (CAPEX) and operational costs (OPEX).

are the expenses the company pays to purchase physical goods or services. CAPITAL EXPENSES (CAPEX) OPERATIONAL EXPENSES (OPEX) are the costs for a company to run their business on a daily basis. In the next pages you will find both types of costs specified for waterjet machines.

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COSTS OF A WATERJET CUTTING MACHINE

The machine itself (CAPEX) When buying a new piece of machinery, it is recommended to have a good understanding of the machine itself and what exactly you are getting for your money. When it comes to waterjets, the machines are complex and have to be tailored to the specific requirement of the application. However, there are components of every waterjet cutting machine. Here we will show you a list of the parts every waterjet needs with brief descriptions of all of them.

IN THE NEXT PAGES YOU WILL FIND A LIST CONTAINING ALL THE KEY WATERJET PARTS AND THE PURPOSE THEY SERVE.

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COSTS OF A WATERJET CUTTING MACHINE

CUTTING TABLE

The cutting table forms the foundation for your cutting. It is where the material is placed and where the whole cutting process takes place. It is important to pay attention to how the table integrates to your production process (for loading and unloading the machine). The length and width of the table are drivers of the cost for the table.

CUTTING HEAD

The cutting head is one of the most important parts of a waterjet machine, the head is the part that guides the cutting process. The high-pressure water from the pump is mixed with abrasive and pushed out through the nozzle. When one requires a Z-axis for bevel cutting, costs for the cutting head are different than for simple X-Y movements that are directed by the bridge. The number of heads on the bridge also influences the investment but can increase the output quantity significantly.

BRIDGE

The bridge creates the link between the table and the cutting head(s). It provides the basic X-Y movements of the cutting head to cut basic shapes. When looking at the drive technology of the bridge, one should be aware that it can have an impact on operational costs. For instance, linear drive technology is known to reduce maintenance costs on the bridge.

WATERJET PUMP

The high pressure pump is the heart of any waterjet cutting machine, the cutting process is made possible by pressurizing water to a high pressure which is accomplished by the pumps. The price of the installation may vary depending on how many pumps are needed for the requirements of the project.

CONTROL PANEL

The control panel is a central element of the user experience of the machine. This is where the operator controls the process, he can choose when to start and end it or make small adjustments if necessary (from the import of the CAD/CAM software). For the control panel, it is important that it is integrated into your workflow and that it provides a comfortable working height for your operator.

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COSTS OF A WATERJET CUTTING MACHINE

ABRASIVE MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS

With good abrasive management one can save on operational costs Abrasive vessel - this is where the abrasive is stored and gets transported pneumatically to the feeder. Abrasive removal system – its function is to remove waste material while minimizing the downtime of the process, it also reduced the need for the manual cleaning of the table’s water catcher. Abrasive continuous supply – this system provides an abrasive flow to the cutting head’s mixing chamber without stopping the cutting process while refilling the abrasive vessel The efficiency and speed with which cutting tasks can be executed is to a great extent determined by proper job preparation. For our machines, we recommend the IGEMS CAD/CAM software package, which is especially developed for waterjet cutting systems. This software allows you to obtain specific information about cutting speed, cost per part, and much more. SOFTWARE

MAINTENANCE TOOLS

ACM toolbox – contains a water hardness test kit, nozzle box, an abrasive tube box and other items that you might need for simple repairs.

ACCESSORIES

Anti-splash screen – keeps the area clean, reduces the splash zone

IF YOU’D LIKE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE PARTS OF A WATERJET MACHINE, CLICK HERE TO GET IN TOUCH WITH OUR EXPERTS.

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COSTS OF A WATERJET CUTTING MACHINE

Operational costs (OPEX) With machinery of this type, buying the machine itself is not the only expense. Operational costs are common to keep the machine running and extending its lifetime. There are certain operational and maintenance costs that you should keep in mind when it comes to waterjet machines.

WATER COSTS

The expenses for water that the machine consumes. The costs for water during cutting depend on the time of usage and the cost of water in your area.

POWER COSTS

To drive the pump, electricity is needed. The costs for the power depend on the time of day that the machine is used and the cost of electricity in your area.

ABRASIVE COSTS

Abrasive cutting uses an abrasive particle (e.g. garnet) that is added to the high-pressure water stream to cut through harder materials like stone. The abrasive will most likely be the largest consumable cost, its flow and the consumption of garnet depends on the size of the pump you purchase and your working hours.

WEAR PARTS

Every part in the machine has a longevity, depending on the part/machine those may differ. After a certain amount of time, a lot of the parts will need changing. This is the case when you place physical stress in the form of pressure on materials. Some indications about the lifetime are as follows*:

Nozzles - about 20-25 hours Mixing chamber - about 400 or more hours High Pressure Seals – about 400 or more hours Low pressure seals – we advise to change them every 2500 hours Orifice – about 25 - 30 hours. *keep in mind that these are the minimum estimated hours and that they depend on the usage of the equipment

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COSTS OF A WATERJET CUTTING MACHINE

Example case: Let’s assume that we have a setup of a 0.35 orifice setup with 1 cutting head, 1 pump and an abrasive setting of 450g/min. Then the following overview of the operational costs per hour can be generated. However, be aware that a specific calculation is always dependent on quality, speed, orifice type, cutting pressure and other variables in the process. Therefore, operational costs can differ significantly between applications.

COST PER HOUR [€]

Cut Energy / 3,77

Abrasive / 10,13

Orifice / 0,53

Abrasive tube / 1,3

Mixing chamber / 0,38

Cut Water / 0,06

In many regions, electricity costs are lower in the night. Why not produce when costs for running your equipment is low? With the ACM machine from Resato, overnight cutting is no longer a myth. Contact our experts to learn more about our electronic-monitoring system (EMS). DID YOU KNOW THAT CUTTING IN THE NIGHT CAN SAVE ELECTRICITY COSTS? EXPERT TIP

www.resato.com/call-me-back

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COSTS OF A WATERJET CUTTING MACHINE

3 steps to a business case For a quality business decision, it is necessary to perform a business case analysis. This can be helpful when asking for financing and supports your business in sustainable growth. A good business case analysis looks at different factors – opportunities, risks and costs. Three steps can be used to see how a waterjet cutting machine can be used for your business.

PROJECT DEFINITION:

1

What is your objective, what does your current process look like, what materials do you need to cut, how much output do you want to create, etc.

OPPORTUNITY AND RISK ANALYSIS:

2

How is your production running right now, is there excess capacity, what are ways that capacity can be added to your process, how can a waterjet influence your delivery time, is speed really your focus or is it quality of your products. which trade-offs are necessary between quality and speed.

FINANCIAL ANALYSIS:

3

Which waterjet cutting machine brings you the best return on investment, what can a waterjet machine add for your business in the future, how can a waterjet grow with your business.

LUCKILY YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DEAL WITH ALL THESE PROBLEMS ON YOUR OWN! WE AT RESATO HAVE THE NECESSARY TOOLS AND OUR SALES TEAM IS PREPARED TO ASSIST YOU! IF YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS MAKE SURE TO CONTACT OUR EXPERTS!

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