What Makes WaterJet Cut Machine Distinct from Laser Cutting in Sheet Metal?

waterjet cut machine

For people who are not particularly fond of using water jet cutting technique in their metal fabrication works, it would benefit them to know their best features first. When working on a project that necessitates the use of metal, perhaps what can be considered as the most challenging part of it has something to do with cutting. Things can even come to the worst-case scenario when the metal sheets come in plates with 1” thickness level or sometimes even more.  

You can cut metal sheets to come up with delicate and intricate patterns. You can use either a waterjet cut machine or a laser cutter instead. Note that both of these 2 material cutting methods come with their own set of strengths and limitations. Knowing what these 2 are can make a whole world of difference in deciding which of them would work best for you and your material cutting project at hand. 

Water Jet Cutting

If you happen to have no idea how a waterjet cut machine work, it is comparable to the erosion of, say, a waterfall. Gradually, a waterfall would wear away even the hardest rock on a cliff. Perhaps, their main difference is that, water jet cutting is carried out in warp speed. It also comes with a higher level of precision. 

These jet cutters will make use of high-pressure water. At times, depending on the material you are intending to cut, abrasive particles like garnets or aluminum oxide can be added to the water itself. This measure will further intensify its cutting power a thousand times more. 

The pressured water ejected by the machine can reach a maximum 60,000 psi. This explains the reason why it is ideal for use in thicker sheets of metal, where the use of laser cutters would not practical anymore or would not be viable enough to use.

Even if you try your best effort with a laser cutter to cut through a thick metal sheet, chances are high that what you will have in the end is of poor quality. Something you will not be so proud to present to your customers. 

Metal fabrication centers that are leaning towards the use of water jet cutting machines are doing so due to one of the following four points: 

  1. It is normal for them to work with thicker metal sheets, sometimes with patterns that have large tolerances. 
  2. They want to veer away from the heat produced by the laser cutter, knowing for a fact that this can get in the way of the cut they are trying to make. 
  3. They are handling a wide array of materials. Water jet cutting technology allows you to handle a manifold of materials too, from stone, ceramic, steel, reflective metal and many more.  
  4. With waterjet cut machine, you can work on cutting the metal sheet while remaining flat throughout the whole process whereas, in laser cutting, you may sometimes need to observe leveling. 

Laser Cutting

Even though laser cutters are qualified modern material cutting method, it is unfortunate though that it comes with one major drawback. Laser cutting machines are limited to cut through ⅝” thickness. Going beyond this thickness level, and what you can anticipate having is a poorly executed cut quality. Gives you the impression that, is it a laser cutter that did the cutting? 

laser cutting machine

Although the key selling point of laser cutting are its high level of precision and fast cutting speed, it has its own share of drawbacks, too. It just so happens that it can only handle cutting  ⅝” thickness level, and going beyond might run the risk of compromising the quality already. A custom software application or a bundle computer program that can handle and process a CAD file will initiate and carry out the cutting process within several seconds only. The vast majority of metal fabrication shops in the country employs this strategy for their prototyping requirements. 

Laser cutting machines that comes with a stackable material tower feature is also highly recommended for large production runs. Perhaps, the only thing that is considered manual labor here is the loading of the said material and subsequently unloading of the finished parts. There are also several hundreds of companies that handle long cutting runs overnight, and leaving the machine in their facility unattended.  The laser derives its energy from nitrogen or CO2. Sometimes it would be a combination of gases, transmitted via a beam and under the direction of mirrors.  The beam may offer an output of 1500 to 2600 watts on some laser cutting machines may reach 4,000 watts up to a maximum of 6,000 watts on other pieces of laser cutting equipment. Plexiglass, plastic, wood, and all metals can be efficiently and conveniently handled by laser cutting.

The Advantages of Interactive Touch Screen Displays

The availability of touchscreens systems has greatly revolutionized the way how we communicate today with a range of electronic devices like cellphones, retail kiosks, and computers. While interactive touch screen displays are becoming very common and are utilized almost everywhere, their significance in a business setting could not be undermined. On the other hand, in a corporate setting, displays and monitors are used as entertainment centers, interactive video conferencing systems, and presentation tools.

The mere use of these systems is one reason why it is easy to find a range of touch screens in the market for business purposes. Below are some reasons why such technology is important for modern businesses.

The Importance of Interactive Touch Screen Displays

Fast and Easy to Use

We can never deny that touchscreens are very easy to use. Also, they allow users to navigate through the details without having to continuously click buttons just to change pages or go through the menus. In the case of a presentation, the very last thing that you would want is to wait while the presenter shuffles through a keyboard or mouse. With the help of a touch screen monitor, the presenter would be able to keep going with the presentation without interruptions. In addition, touchscreens help increase the speed of the presentation as there is no need to pick up the computer mouse to locate the pointer on the screen.

touch screen display

Reduces the Size of a Device

With the use of a conventional computer and system, the presenter would need to work on equipment that includes a mouse, computer monitor, keyboard, and presentation tools. On the other hand, the interactive display is an all-in-one-system. Furthermore, there is a wide range of touch screens so choosing the most suitable one is easy.

Reduces Cost of Operations

Presentation equipment like a mouse, keyboards, desktops computers, and projectors need maintenance. A projector needs so much maintenance by regularly cleaning the air filters, as well as replacing the bulbs. On the other hand, touch screen displays do not need a lot of maintenance and they can even operate longer without issues. You also must factor in components such as a projector, along with other things. It is a must that relevant issues should be considered when deciding.

Based on LED and LCD technologies

Just like with the touchscreen display that is found on a smartphone, there is a variety of touch screens that can be found in the market that utilize LED and LCD technologies. This gives a very clear, sharp, and rich image. Such high definition and high-resolution displays ensure that during presentations all members would be able to focus on intricacies that are discussed without having to lose track of what is going on because the display is not clear.

With all these things, it is no wonder why our lives are becoming so much more convenient, fast, and easy in today’s time. With this technology, the use of gadgets has become very user-friendly and we can expect to see more developments in the next years to come.

5 Reasons Why You Should Use A 3D Scanner

The use of a quality 3D scanner has transformed a range of industries, from designing shoes to car manufacturing. A structured light scanner works very well and accurately. At times, they are referred to as blue or white light scanners. This type of scanner can scan objects multiple times from each angle. It then turns a tangible product in a matter of seconds to virtual designs. Below are some reasons why you should consider the use of a three-dimensional scanner in manufacturing.

digital scanner

3D Scanner Benefits

Saves more Time in the Design Stage

If for instance, your product needs a new part that should be designed based on the pre-exiting object, a high-quality scanner. As there’s a need to reverse engineer, the new object could align perfectly with the capabilities that the scanner can offer. The scanner could get into each nook and cranny of the current product and offers precise dimensions where the new part needs to fit.

The use of a scanner can save more time when alternations need to be made to the current design. If there is a need to change the thickness of an automotive part or a ring, the scanner works faster compared to hand-drawn calculations.

Makes the Creation of Prototypes Faster

Making an accurate prototype needs multiple attempts. Good thing that with the help of a structured light scanning, such a process is expedited. What is more interesting is the fact that 3D scanning can lessen the number of prototype cycles during the design and production process. The scanner will not just measure cross-sections but will also identify areas where the objects have been warped. Moreover, it saves data that are related to the scan.

Better Quality Control

A three-dimensional scanner is so accurate and has been a big help to the biggest world museums. They have started to rely on it when preserving their famous artifacts from various cultures. In addition, it checks the material composition, as well as the volume of the object.

Remanufactured Parts Without the Need for CAD

When you need to remanufacture a part that originated from CAD or computer-aided design, the scanner makes it possible to create accurate reproductions. You just have to scan the old part and make use of reverse engineering software. The scanner could be used to compare the newly created prototypes to the scan of the previous part to check its accuracy.

Compare Designs Easily

One more advantage of using such a scanner is its ability to compare your designed models. Aside from quality control, being able to compare designs to the manufactured products will ensure that the manufactured product would fit as needed, just like in automobiles. At the same time, the cross-check can tell a jeweler whether a piece of jewelry would fit inside a ring or pendant.

Indeed, 3D scanning is a precise and efficient means of manufacturing products. Whether you need an engineering prototype or artistic restoration, the products that are used in scanning needs accuracy and quality. These are exactly what the scanner can offer and many other benefits. Click right here for scanning benefits.

Is UHF Antenna a Better Choice than VHF?

Is UHF Antenna a Better Choice than VHF?

Knowing the differences between these two will help recognize the best signal frequency to use for a two-way radio. For example, a UHF antenna doesn’t travel as far as very high frequency, but it has a higher bandwidth.

Different wireless communications systems like two-way radios and cell phones operate operating frequency. It is the government that regulated the frequencies, as well as equipment that is used to communicate. It is a given that various kinds of radio signals, thus different wireless equipment is needed to satisfy the needs. Below are some more information you need to know about UHF and VHF.

VHF Antenna

VHF is often used for long-range communication, marine communication, long-range data communication, two-way land mobile radio system, and FM radio broadcast. It includes radio waves that are from 30Mhz-300Mhz.

VHF wave should not be over the local radio horizon to 100 miles. The frequencies are not likely to be disrupted by any issues with any electrical equipment, atmospheric noise, and other types of interferences. As it has a lot of different users, the low-band VHF is not very much recommended to be used for serious applications because of the level of radio noise that is present in these frequencies. In spite of the possibility of background noise, this remains a great choice because of being a low cost. Its transmission power is restricted to below 50mW, unless you will be functioning an assistive listening system that should be in 72-76MHz range. At the same time, a big antenna booster is needed, measuring as much as 3ft, thus limiting its portability.

UHF Antenna

Indoor UHF antenna radio waves are shorter when it comes to length compared to VHF, measuring at around 12-24 inches. This results in antenna length and radio range that is reduced. Anything from a human body to a building can disturb the transmission. Interferences and dropouts are more possible, but larger bandwidth occupation is allowed. This results in a broader frequency range and a wider scope of audio signals. Ut to 250mW is allowed, surpassing 50mW power restrictions.

In addition, UHF radio waves could only go as far as the line of sight. Anything that could get in the way of your eyesight would interfere with the frequency range, like tall trees, buildings, and other obstructions. For its transmission, it is high enough to be able to infiltrate through the walls of buildings, thus making the reception inside to be possible. The line of sight broadcast range is what makes the UHF incompatible in some cases. On the other hand, VHF offers a bigger broadcast range, the reason why it is preferred in some industries.UHF radio signals are utilized in many aspects of life including Wi-Fi, cellphones, cordless phones, walkie-talkies, television broadcasting, GPS, Bluetooth, and satellite communications. A large benefit of UHF transmission is its short wavelengths that are produced by high frequency. The radio wave size relates immediately to the transmission length and the reception antenna. Generally, UHF antennas are wide and short. Click this link to learn more about these two types of antennas.