Have you watched the video, seen the stats, and wondered to yourself how can that possibly be true? Is it really possible for an abrasive waterjet pump operating at a lower pressure to cut a part faster and use less garnet than a higher pressure option?

It turns out that not only is it possible, it’s extremely common. Many people hear “ultra-high pressure” and immediately assume this equals the fastest cut speeds, but that’s often not the case. What matters more than the force of the jet is the ability to control the jet. Having advanced software makes all the difference. OMAX Intelli-MAX software has been developed by a team of waterjet engineers with the highest level of experience in the industry. Thousands of hours of real world testing on the OMAX systems has created precision control over the jet’s movements. Well beyond the capabilities of anyone else in the industry, the OMAX software gets the most out of the abrasive waterjet.

Accurately controlling the movements of the jet reduces the time wasted ramping up and down around corners, it can reduce the time spent piercing, and can maximize the cut speed while maintaining the desired edge finish. All of this can result in as much as 40% reduction in part cut time. Often times the geometry of the parts severely limits the usefulness of ultra-high pressure, but the more complicated the geometry the better for the Intelli-MAX software suite. In addition, the OMAX software includes free upgrades for the life of your waterjet. Every time OMAX comes out with an improvement that increases your cut speeds or decreases your cost you’ll simply download it from our website, no annual maintenance contract required. Controlling the jet is free, but increasing cutting pressure results in higher costs of operation. When the cutting pressure goes up the consumables cost increase dramatically and certainly using more abrasive will also drive up the cost of operation.

There are certainly applications where 94,000 psi of cutting pressure can result in faster cutting speeds and we encourage every potential waterjet owner to do their homework. There comes a point of diminishing returns with higher pressure where even a part with limited geometry that may cut faster at higher pressure still becomes more expensive to cut with this type of pump. The best way to determine which machine set-up is right for your application is to run some test cuts. Brooks Associates has an OMAX demo machine at their facility available anytime for test cutting. Call today to set-up a time to run parts. Let us prove to you the value of having cutting pressure backed by the most powerful software in the industry and see for yourself which achieves the best results for your needs.

Software is the key!