World of Waterjets: A Cutting Edge

Whether the application requires high precision and tight tolerances or cutting a wide variety of materials at high speeds, abrasive waterjet technology has proven up to the task. These two diverse shops show how these capabilities can be strategically positioned to gain a competitive business advantage in demanding markets.

IGNORING BUNKER MODE
Abrasive waterjet capabilities have enabled this shop to achieve AS9100 certification and increase sales by 57 percent since 2007 in the military, marine, automotive, architectural and aerospace markets.

The “Great Recession” was no match for Pegasus Northwest, Inc. (Kent, WA), a Boeing-certified industrial waterjet cutting shop that increased sales by 57 percent since 2007, keeping its five waterjet cutting machines from Jet Edge (St. Michael, MN) humming 20 hours a day on weekdays and 12 hours a day on weekends.

Established in 1970, Pegasus Northwest has built a thriving business using computer-controlled 60,000 psi waterjets to cut parts from virtually any material up to 14 in thick for a wide variety of industries, including military, marine, automotive, architectural and aerospace. The shop counts Boeing among its major longtime customers and credits the aerospace manufacturer for inspiring it to enter the precision waterjet cutting market back in 1997.

Ron Palstring, the general manager of Pegasus, attributes his company’s stunning success throughout the recession to its decision to invest in its quality program and greatly increase sales and marketing efforts. While other businesses went into bunker mode, Pegasus took the initiative to become the first AS9100-certified company in Washington and hired a full-time sales and marketing manager to drum up new business. As a result, the factory is running at 70 percent capacity and has even installed two additional waterjet cutting machines to keep up with demand.

“Currently we are the only AS9100-certified company in the state of Washington,” smiles Palstring. “Boeing is a big part of our business and we knew if we could become certified it would be to our advantage. The price tag for such certification was over $30,000, plus a lot of hard work from our quality manager and the entire staff. We have to pass annual audits and follow strict rules and procedures.” The commitment to this quality program, along with experience meeting stringent aerospace industry performance requirements, have helped Pegasus grow into one of the largest waterjet shops in the Pacific Northwest.

However, the company adheres to the same quality control practices for all of its customers, just as it does for Boeing. “We are known for our quality and three-day turnaround,” emphasizes Palstring. “We can hold tight tolerances, ±.005 in most of the time, and sometimes even tighter, depending on the material. We can cut thick materials and only leave +.060 in excess per side. We also have drills mounted on our waterjets so we can pre-drill sensitive materials, such as composites. We also invest in diamond waterjet orifices because the diamond heads last us approximately six months and gain us efficiency, accuracy and increased nozzle life.”

Palstring is quick to point out that his company’s decision to invest in consistently accurate waterjets has not only given them an edge on quality, but also has won them Boeing’s confidence to calibrate their own machines. “Boeing approved and qualified our machines because of their consistency in accuracy,” he explains. “We did this by collecting data for quarterly ball bar and laser calibrations over the past two years. Now we have authorization to ball bar and laser our own machines per our quality procedures. This is a huge time and cost saver.”

The accuracy of the waterjets helps the shop keep pricing competitive because it is able to cut parts net to customers’ specifications. “We can offer this because of our machine accuracy and skilled machine operators,” adds Palstring. “All of our waterjet operators control their cutter compensation and manage the tool wear (nozzle life).”

The waterjet systems used by the shop include a 12 ft x 14 ft table with two heads and a drill, a 12 ft x 8 ft table with two heads and a drill, a 6 ft x 10 ft table with four heads and a drill, a 8 ft x 10 ft table with four heads, and a 6 ft x 10 ft with two heads. Some of its machines have seen more than ten years of service, including the 18-year-old 6 ft x 10 ft system. The waterjets are powered by a 50 hp, 100 hp and three 150 hp waterjet pumps. All five machines are plumbed to each pump to prevent downtime.

“I would purchase another machine from Jet Edge if needed,” responds Palstring. “I like our waterjet systems so much that I even offer tours of our facility to their prospective customers who are not direct competitors. These machines have excellent machine accuracy and reliability, as well as pump and seal life. That’s not all. These systems also have main Z and sub Z motors for individually controlling each waterjet nozzle.”

Pegasus Northwest, Inc., 7404 South 262nd Street, Kent, WA 98032, 253-854-5451, Fax: 253-854-5608, sales@pegasusnw.com, www.pegasusnw.com.

LARGE PARTS, BIG TIME
This diversified metal fabricator and machine shop installed a massive waterjet system capable of processing virtually any material up to 50 percent faster than most other waterjet shops.

China Steel (Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario), a custom fabrication and machine shop, recently added a massive 90 ksi waterjet cutting machine from Jet Edge that is capable of cutting virtually any material up to 24 ft x 13 ft. With its 100 hp 90 ksi X-Stream powered system, China Steel (pronounced “keena”) can cut parts up to 50 percent faster than waterjet shops with standard 60 ksi waterjets. They can also cut large parts twice as fast with dual abrasivejet cutting heads with mirroring capabilities.

Established in the late 1950s, China Steel continues to be owned and operated by the China family, which traces its proud metalworking heritage back to early 19^th century blacksmiths and metalworkers in Friuli, Italy. Under the direction of president Fred China and brother (vice president) Carlo China, this company has grown to become a diversified and technologically advanced metalworking plant with worldwide sales.

The multi-disciplined ISO 9001:2008-registered shop offers many metalworking services, including CNC and conventional machining, milling, turning, boring, bending, cutting, rolling, pipe processing, robotic welding and much more used to manufacture a wide range of custom products, including fabricated plate products, structural steel, decorative metalwork and machined parts. Diverse projects have included everything from decorative staircases to locomotive underframes, to dozens of parts for the U.S. Army Stryker armored vehicles, to stainless steel dewatering wheels for steel mills in the Ukraine and India.

Carlo explains how China Steel has always kept a sharp competitive edge by diversifying their products and services and by continually investing in the latest technology. “In order to stay in business, you must be diversified and keep up with technology,” he says. “If you don’t keep up with technology, you might as well put a lock on the door.”

It was this belief in diversification and technology that compelled them to purchase not just a traditional waterjet system, but to invest in one of the largest and most powerful waterjets available. “We were looking at lasers and plasmas, but the waterjet is more versatile,” recalls Carlo. “It has higher precision and is capable of cutting thicker diverse materials, plus it is environmentally friendly and there’s no heat distortion. You cut a part and it fits. Oxyfuel, plasma and laser limit what you can cut. Waterjet, on the other hand, is open-ended.

“We went with the 90,000 psi system because it gives us the cutting horsepower that we need, and we went with the large table because we have a diversified shop and many of the parts we cut are of significant size,” continues Carlo. “One of the parts we cut is 22 ft. That’s why we went with 24 ft. Our machine can also cut very small parts, and that really impresses people when you can hold up a tiny part. They say, ‘wow, you cut that on that big machine.’”

The Chinas decided to buy the massive waterjet system after meeting and taking an instant liking to representative Robert Miller of Elliott-Matsuura Canada, the exclusive Canadian distributor for Jet Edge. “We looked at other manufacturers, but we really liked him,” says Carlo. “He’s got a personality and he’s very knowledgeable. He has owned a machine shop, so we speak the same language.”

Only a week after installing their new machine, China Steel was already busy processing parts and contemplating more and more diverse applications for their waterjet system. “The waterjet opens up a whole new world for us because there are so many things you are able to do,” states Carlo. “You start thinking ‘wow, we could do this or we could do that.’”

China Steel Inc., 164 Industrial Park Crescent, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada P6b 5p2, 705-942-3200, Fax: 705-942-7313, carlo.china@china-steel.com www.china-steel.com.

Jet Edge  Inc., 12070 43rd Street NE, St. Michael, MN 55376-8427, 763-497-8700, sales@jetedge.com, www.jetedge.com.