Omax JetMachining Center 2626 Operator'S Manual Download

Page: 45 / 144

Operation

OMAX JetMachining® Center Operator’s Guide

400433D-EN

3 - 9

If too much garnet accumulates on a part while machining, wash away the deposits with a hose while the
OMAX makes the cut.You should also consider purchasing the OMAX Solids Removal System. For
more information on this product, contact your OMAX distributor.

Tips for Effective Cutting

•

Use an abrasivejet nozzle standoff of less than 0.060" (1.5 mm)

The closer the abrasivejet nozzle is to the material being cut, the less the taper. The ideal distance
from the end of the nozzle to the material (standoff) is as close as possible without actually touching.
Increasing this standoff increases the taper. Lower standoff distances increase the likelihood of
plugging the nozzle during piercing. You can avoid this problem by pre-piercing holes using a higher
standoff.

Note:

The default standoff is set for 0.060" (1.524 mm). The software uses this value to determine how to cut a
part. If a different standoff value is used, change it using “Motion Preferences” (Setup/Motion
Preferences...).

•

Keep contaminants out of the abrasive

Contaminants in the abrasive material clog the mixing tube. Contaminants include drops of water,
bits of paper, metal shavings, dirt, etc.

•

Measure the tool offset regularly

The tool offset (half the width of the abrasivejet kerf) will gradually increase as the mixing tube in the
abrasivejet nozzle wears. Frequently measuring and adjusting the tool offset helps maintain a high
degree of accuracy in your parts.

•

Make sure the slats have a uniform height

If the height of all slats is not uniform, the part can rock up and down as it is machined, affecting
accuracy.

•

Avoid machining along a slat top

To minimize excessive tank spray, try to place the material so the abrasivejet is not cutting along a
slat. Cutting along a slat also shortens its life.

•

Rotate slats regularly

Most parts are cut in the same area of the machine. Slats located in this area tend to wear out first.
Rotating slat placement distributes their wear and extends their usefulness.

•

Orient the short direction of a part parallel to slats

Try to arrange drawings so that the shortest dimension runs parallel to the slats (up and down). This
keeps the finished part from slipping between the slats and to the tank bottom.

•

Be careful of parts that tilt

—the cutting nozzle could crash into them.

• Cut parts so they’re supported by as many slats as possible

•

Position parts with the longest dimension perpendicular to the slats

This minimizes the risk of tilting.

• Be wary of parts with heavy ends that may tilt even when supported by many slats

•

Raise the nozzle before running Auto Home

If your OMAX machine is equipped with X- and Y-axis hard stops, you can use the Auto Home
feature to automatically set the home position. Before you do this, make sure you raise the nozzle
high enough to avoid hitting anything (such as fixturing). In general, it’s a good idea to move the
nozzle close to the home position, both to avoid collisions and to speed up the Auto Home process.

•

Reposition weights during a traverse

Wait until the OMAX reaches a rapid traverse (green line on tool path) before you stop machining
and reposition weights. This is easily done by right-clicking on the “pause” button in Make and
choosing “Pause at Start of next traverse,” or “Pause at end of next traverse.”

•

Don’t precut material

Big sheets of material are easier to clamp into place and weight down. Small pieces of material can
be difficult to weight properly; there may not be enough room for both the part and the weights.

•

Sandwich sensitive material between sacrificial material

When cutting parts that are sensitive to scratching, sandwich the part between pieces of a sacrificial