Patent Grant
11045969
This disclosure relates to a catcher tank assembly of a waterjet cutting system, and in some embodiments, is directed to a catcher tank assembly having a particularly versatile form factor to enable the construction of catcher tank assemblies of divergent sizes and capabilities.
High-pressure fluid jets, including high-pressure abrasive waterjets, are used to cut a wide variety of materials in many different industries. Systems for generating high-pressure waterjets and abrasive waterjets (collectively “waterjets”) are currently available, such as, for example, the Mach 4™ 5 axis waterjet system manufactured by Flow International Corporation, the assignee of the present invention. Other examples of waterjet cutting systems are shown and described in Flow's U.S. Pat. No. 5,643,058, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In such systems, high-pressure fluid, typically water, flows through an orifice in a cutting head to form a high-pressure jet, into which abrasive particles can be combined as the jet flows through a mixing tube. The high-pressure abrasive waterjet is discharged from the mixing tube and directed toward a workpiece to cut the workpiece along a designated path.
Workpieces are generally supported on a platform or held by a fixture for processing by the high-pressure jet. During processing of the workpiece, some energy of the high-pressure waterjet is absorbed by the workpiece itself while other energy is absorbed by a volume of water underlying, partially submerging or completely submerging the workpiece. A catcher tank is typically provided to hold water for this purpose. Conventional catcher tanks include unitary steel weldments having integral support structures for supporting a workpiece platform. Conventional catcher tanks are robust structures which can be particularly burdensome to fabricate and/or transport, and which are limited in their ability to adapt to changing conditions and new applications.
Embodiments described herein provide catcher tank assemblies and waterjet cutting systems having particularly versatile form factors to enable the construction of catcher tank assemblies and waterjet cutting systems of divergent sizes and capabilities. Components of the catcher tank assemblies may include modular units to facilitate shipment and enhance assembly of the catcher tank and related systems.
In one embodiment, a catcher tank assembly for a waterjet cutting machine may be summarized as including a catcher tank having a plurality of tank sections detachably coupleable together in a side-by-side manner to collectively define an internal tank cavity. The catcher tank assembly may further include a workpiece support system detachably coupleable to the catcher tank within the internal tank cavity. The workpiece support system may be formed of a plurality of workpiece support modules arrangeable in an array to support a workpiece platform when the catcher tank assembly is assembled. The workpiece platform may include, for example, a series of slats, mesh plates or other structures that form an upper work surface of the tank upon which a workpiece may be supported for processing.
The catcher tank may be configured such that a first row of the array of workpiece support modules is detachably coupleable to a first tank section and a second row of the array of workpiece support modules is detachably coupleable to a second tank section. The tank sections of the catcher tank may include two tank end units and an intermediate tank unit, wherein the end tank units are configured to detachably couple together to form a first tank configuration and detachably couple to opposing sides of the intermediate tank unit to form a second tank configuration. Each of the plurality of tank sections of the catcher tank may include a floor, opposing sidewalls and a flange extending across one of the opposing sidewalls, along the floor and across the other one of the opposing sidewalls to define a u-shaped mating interface for selectively assembling the tank sections in the side-by-side manner.
Each of the tank sections of the catcher tank may include an upstanding flange offset from an abutment edge, and the catcher tank may further include a cord configured to be compressibly disposed between the upstanding flanges of two adjacent tank sections when the two adjacent tank sections are coupled together. The abutment edges of the two adjacent tank sections may be configured to cooperatively control a degree of compression of the cord. The catcher tank may further include at least one spacer configured to be disposed between the upstanding flanges of the two adjacent tank sections to control a degree of compression of the cord. When two adjacent tank sections are coupled together, the abutment edges, the upstanding flanges and the at least one spacer may combine to define a box-like cavity to captively receive the cord.
The workpiece support system may further include a plurality of adjustment devices for selectively leveling the workpiece support modules when the workpiece support system is in an assembled configuration. The workpiece support system may further include a plurality of elongated support columns detachably coupleable to a floor of the catcher tank to support the workpiece support modules at a height above the floor. Adjacent sets of the elongated support columns may be configured to support opposing ends of a respective workpiece support module when the workpiece support system is in an assembled configuration. At least one set of the elongated support columns may support an end of each of two adjacent workpiece support modules when the workpiece support system is in an assembled configuration. When the workpiece support system is in an assembled configuration, a load capacity of the elongated support columns supporting a first one of the workpiece support modules may be at least twice the load capacity of the elongated support columns supporting a second one of the workpiece support modules.
The catcher tank assembly may further include a waste removal system, the waste removal system configured to span an interface between adjacent tank sections to transport a flushing fluid from a first one of the tank sections to at least a second one of the tank sections. The waste removal system may include a plurality of nozzles configured to generate flushing jets directed into areas of each of the plurality of tank sections. When the catcher tank assembly is in the assembled configuration, a first set of the nozzles in one region of the catcher tank may be selectively operable independent of a second set of the nozzles in another region of the catcher tank. The catcher tank assembly may further include a water level control system at least partially integrated into one of the tank sections, the water level control system configured to selectively control a height of the volume of water in the catcher tank during the cutting operation. The catcher tank may include a plurality of armor plates detachably coupled to interior sidewalls thereof.
According to another embodiment, a waterjet cutting system may be summarized as including a catcher tank and a cutting head movably coupled to a multi-axis machine and operable to process a workpiece via a cutting operation. The catcher tank is configured to hold a volume of water for absorbing the energy of a jet generated by the cutting head of the waterjet cutting machine during the cutting operation, and includes a plurality of tank sections detachably coupled together in a side-by-side manner to collectively define an internal tank cavity. The waterjet cutting system may further include a workpiece support system detachably coupled to the catcher tank, the workpiece support system including a plurality of workpiece support modules arranged in an array to support a workpiece platform on which to support the workpiece during the cutting operation. The tank sections of the catcher tank may include two tank end units coupled together in an abutting relationship or at least one intermediate tank unit sandwiched between tank end units.
According to another embodiment, a method of constructing a catcher tank may be summarized as including: detachably coupling a plurality of tank sections together in a side-by-side manner to form a catcher tank which collectively defines an internal tank cavity to hold a volume of water for absorbing energy of a jet generated by the waterjet cutting machine during a cutting operation; and detachably coupling a workpiece support structure to the catcher tank such that a plurality of workpiece support modules are arranged in an array to support a workpiece platform on which to support a workpiece to be processed during the cutting operation.
The method may include detachably coupling two tank end units together in an abutting relationship or sandwiching at least one intermediate tank unit between tank end units. The method may further include compressing a cord between adjacent tank sections. Detachably coupling a workpiece support structure to the catcher tank may include coupling a first row of the array of workpiece support modules to a first tank section and coupling a second row of the array of workpiece support modules to a second tank section. The method may further include attaching a plurality of elongated support columns to a floor of the catcher tank to support the workpiece support modules at a height above the floor with adjacent sets of the elongated support columns positioned to support opposing ends of a respective workpiece support module. The method may further include leveling the workpiece support modules such that the workpiece platform is substantially level.
In the following description, certain specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various disclosed embodiments. However, one of ordinary skill in the relevant art will recognize that embodiments may be practiced without one or more of these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures associated with waterjet systems and catcher tank assemblies may not be shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring descriptions of the embodiments. For instance, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the relevant art that a high-pressure fluid source and an abrasive source may be provided to feed high-pressure fluid and abrasives, respectively, to a cutting head of the waterjet system to facilitate high-pressure abrasive waterjet cutting of workpieces supported by the catcher tank assemblies described herein. As another example, well known control systems and drive components may be integrated into the waterjet cutting system to facilitate movement of the cutting head relative to the workpiece to be processed. As still yet another example, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the relevant art that conventional welding techniques and conventional fastening devices (e.g., threaded bolts of appropriate grade and size) may be employed to construct the various embodiments of the catcher tank catcher tank assemblies described herein. In addition, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the relevant art that a variety of materials may be used for the various components described herein, such as, for example, metals, plastics and composites of different strengths, grades and other material properties, based on numerous design factors including, for example, operating and loading conditions.
Unless the context requires otherwise, throughout the specification and claims which follow, the word “comprise” and variations thereof, such as, “comprises” and “comprising” are to be construed in an open, inclusive sense, that is as “including, but not limited to.”
Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.
As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the content clearly dictates otherwise. It should also be noted that the term “or” is generally employed in its sense including “and/or” unless the content clearly dictates otherwise.
Embodiments described herein provide catcher tank assemblies and waterjet cutting systems having particularly versatile form factors to enable the construction of catcher tank assemblies and waterjet cutting systems of divergent sizes and capabilities. Components of the catcher tank assemblies may include modular units to facilitate transport and enhance assembly of the catcher tank and related systems.
A waste removal system 30 may be coupled to the catcher tank assembly 12 to receive and process waste collected from the interior of the catcher tank assembly 12 during operation. Other well known systems associated with waterjet cutting machines may also be provided such as, for example, a pump for supplying high-pressure fluid to the cutting head 22 and/or an abrasive hopper for feeding abrasives to the cutting head 22 to enable abrasive waterjet cutting. These other well known systems, however, are not shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring descriptions of the embodiments.
Further details of the catcher tank assembly 12 of the example embodiment are shown in
The catcher tank assembly 12 further includes a workpiece support system 50 detachably coupleable to the catcher tank 40 within the internal tank cavity 46. The workpiece support system 50 may be formed in some embodiments to include a plurality of workpiece support modules 52 arrangeable in an array to support a workpiece platform 54 when the catcher tank assembly 12 is fully assembled. The workpiece platform 54 can include a series of slats 56, mesh plates, grates or other structures that form an upper work surface 58 of the workpiece platform 54 of the catcher tank 40 upon which the workpiece 14 may be supported for processing. The workpiece support modules 52 may be supported at a height above the floor 48 of the catcher tank 40 by one or more underlying support structures 64. In the illustrated embodiment of
The catcher tank assembly 12 may include at least one tank section 44 having a dedicated region or volume 68 for optional accessories of the waterjet cutting system 10. For example, in one embodiment, the tank section 44 may include a region 68 adjacent the end wall 49 sized to contain therein a water level control system 69 to control a height of the volume of water within the internal cavity 46 of the catcher tank 40 during operation. In some embodiments, the region 46 may be sized to hold a bladder of the water level control system 69 having a capacity of at least 250 gallons, for example, to selectively raise and lower the water level at least four inches. In this manner, the water level in the catcher tank 40 may be quickly adjusted to maintain the water level just below the workpiece to be processed or at a level to partially submerge or completely submerge the workpiece during a cutting operation. This can advantageously reduce operating noise and enable cleaner cuts. The region 68 may also contain, in some embodiments, components of the waste removal system 30 when the catcher tank assembly 12 is provided with such a system, including, for example, waste pickups 132 and portions of a conduit routing system 122.
As shown in
In some embodiments, when the two adjacent tank sections 42, 44 are coupled together, the abutment edges 72, the upstanding flanges 74 and the spacer 80 combine to define a box-like cavity to captively receive the cord 76. In this manner, the degree of the compression and effectiveness of the seal between the tank sections 42, 44 can be controlled by the structure of the tank sections 42, 44 interoperating with each other and the spacer 80. In addition, the cord 76 or other seal device may be protected by the spacer 80 from an overhead environment that could otherwise deteriorate the seal during operation. The box-like structure of the example embodiment thus provides a sealing mechanism that is particularly robust and reliable. Of course, it is appreciated that other sealing arrangements may be used in connection with the tank sections 42, 44, such as, for example, a generally planar gasket or gaskets between directly abutting faces of the tank sections 42, 44. The illustrated seal arrangement characterized by the enclosed box-like structure, however, performs exceptionally well in a relatively compact form factor. This is particularly the case when providing threaded fastener assemblies 78 in regular intervals (e.g., six inch intervals) along the entire length of the mating interface 70, as shown best in
Devices to facilitate transfer of the tank sections 42, 44 or substantially completed subassemblies including the tank sections 42, 44 may be provided. For example, pockets 86 (
As shown in
As further shown in
Each of adjacent sets of the support structures 64 may be removably coupled together by one or more cross members 65. The cross members 65 may be, for example, stock angle iron, bars, plates or other structural members having a variety of shapes. As discussed earlier, the support structures 64 may be removably coupled to the floor 48 of the catcher tank 40, such as, for example, by bolting the support structures 64 to upstanding flanges 66. The upstanding flanges 66 may be, for example, stock angle iron welded or otherwise secured to the floor 48. The support structures 64 are also removably coupled to the workpiece support modules 52. In this manner, the workpiece support modules 52, support structures 64 and cross members 65 can be broken down and setup quickly and efficiently to reconfigure the workpiece support system 50 within the interior of the catcher tank 40 and thereby adjust or adapt to changing conditions. For instance, the waterjet cutting system 10 may be used to process a first type or class of workpieces (e.g., lightweight, planar materials) in one application and then be reconfigured with different support structures 64′ or specialized fixtures to process a second type or class of workpieces (e.g., heavy slab materials or substrates having complex curved surfaces) in another application. For example, a relatively higher capacity support structure 64′ having, for example, thicker or more rigid support columns 60′ may be provided as discussed in more detail further below with reference to
The intermediate tank sections or units 43 may be configured to accept additional rows of workpiece support modules 52, such that, when the catcher tank assembly 12′ is fully assembled, the workpiece support modules 52 are arranged in a two-dimensional array having a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns to collectively support the workpiece platform 54′ within the confines of the catcher tank 40′. For example, the catcher tank assembly 12′ may include a 4×3 array of workpiece support modules 52 as illustrated in
In some embodiments, each of the tank sections or units 42, 43, 44 may be sized to fit within the confines of a standard 40 ft shipping container such that the tank sections or units 42, 43, 44 may be conveniently shipped to remote locations in shipping containers and assembled on site to construct a catcher tank assembly 12, 12′ having a footprint far in excess of the footprint of the shipping container itself (e.g. two to three times larger).
Further details of the workpiece support system 50 are described with reference to
The entirety of the workpiece support system 50 can be removably coupled to the interior of the catcher tank assemblies 12, 12′ described herein, and more particularly, without any connection to sidewalls 47 or end walls 49 of the same. In this manner, the workpiece support system 50 can be a freestanding, self-supporting comprehensive workpiece platform support structure separate from the catcher tanks 40, 40′ altogether. The workpiece support system 50 may be bolted or otherwise removably secured to the floor 48 of the catcher tanks 40, 40′, and more particularly, a row or more of the workpiece support system 50 may be bolted or otherwise removably secured to the floor 48 within a respective tank section or unit 42, 43, 44. Of course, in some embodiments, the workpiece support system 50 could be fixedly secured to the floor 48 of the catcher tanks 40, 40′, for example, by welding the support structures 64 thereto; however, fixedly joining components of the workpiece support system 50 reduces the versatility of the system 50 to adapt to changing conditions and diminishes the ability of the catcher tank assemblies 12, 12′ to accommodate a wide variety of processing activities.
With reference to
As best shown in
Each foot 99 is positioned to align with an upper end of a respective support column 60 of the workpiece support structure 64 when the workpiece support system 50 is assembled. Each support column 60 of the support structures 64 may include a mount plate 102, flange or other structure with mounting apertures 104 therein for receiving fasteners to attach a respective foot 99 thereto. While the workpiece support modules 52 may be bolted or otherwise joined flush to an upper end of the support structures 64, in some embodiments, height adjustment devices 106 may be provided intermediate the workpiece support modules 52 and the support structures 64 to enable leveling adjustments of the workpiece support modules 52. For instance, a threaded adjustment bolt 108 or other adjustable stop may be provided on each foot 99 to selectively set a height of a gap between the foot 99 and the respective support structure 64 to which it is joined during assembly. Adjustments may be made to the gap by turning the adjustment bolt 108 prior to securing the foot 99 to the support structure 64 by tightening other threaded fasteners received in the mounting apertures 104 in the mount plate 102, for example. By selectively adjusting each gap, the upper work surface 58 (
The overall adjustability of the workpiece support system 50, according to one embodiment, is illustrated in
The longitudinal platform support members 90′ of the workpiece support modules 52′ may include a series of upstanding fingers 97′ and corresponding slots 98′ to selectively receive slats 56 (
Like the previously described workpiece support modules 52, the workpiece support modules 52′ of the relatively higher capacity workpiece support system 50′ may further include feet 99′ for mounting the workpiece support modules 52′ to upstanding support structures 64′. The feet 99′ may be secured to the workpiece support modules 52′ in a removable manner similar to that discussed above. For example, a tab portion 100′ of each foot may extend through another component of the workpiece support modules 52′ and receive the wedge-shaped fastener 96′ through an aperture in the tab portion 100′. Again, it is appreciated that in other embodiments conventional fastening devices, such as, for example, threaded bolts, may be used to join components of the workpiece support modules 52′. In addition, in some embodiments, the feet 99′ may be formed integrally in the longitudinal platform support members 90′ or cross members 92′.
Each foot 99′ is positioned to align with an upper end of a respective support column 60′ of the workpiece support structure 64′ when the workpiece support system 50′ is assembled. Each support column 60′ of the support structures 64′ may include a mount plate 102′, flange or other structure with mounting apertures 104′ therein for receiving fasteners to attach a respective foot 99′ thereto. While the workpiece support modules 52′ may be bolted or otherwise joined flush to an upper end of the support structures 64′, in some embodiments, height adjustment devices 106′ may be provided intermediate the workpiece support modules 52′ and the support structures 64′ to enable leveling adjustments of the workpiece support modules 52′. For instance, a threaded adjustment bolt 108′ or other adjustable stop may be provided on each foot 99′ to selectively set a height of a gap between the foot 99′ and the respective support structure 64′ to which it is joined during assembly.
Some differences between the workpiece support modules 52′ of the relatively higher capacity workpiece support system 50′ include relatively taller longitudinal platform support members 90′. In addition, the thickness and/or grade of the components may be such that the workpiece support modules may support a considerably larger static load (e.g., two or more times the load) without experiencing permanent deformation. For example, in one embodiment, the relatively lower capacity workpiece support system 50 may be configured to support a static load of about 1500 kg/m2 without permanent deformation and within a generally accepted safety margin. In contrast, in one embodiment, the relatively higher capacity workpiece support system 50′ is configured to support a static load of about 3000 kg/m2 without permanent deformation and within a generally accepted safety margin. In some embodiments, the workpiece support system 50′ may be configured to support a static load of about 4000 kg/m2 without permanent deformation and within a generally accepted safety margin. The support columns 60′ of the relatively higher capacity workpiece support system 50′ may also be relatively shorter and less susceptible to buckling under extreme loading conditions. Still further, the cross members 92′ of the relatively higher capacity workpiece support system 50′ may be significantly more rigid than cross members 92 of the relatively lower capacity workpiece support system 50. For example, the cross members 92′ of the relatively higher capacity workpiece support system 50′ may be stock channel structures as opposed to flat plate structures.
Despite the aforementioned differences and other differences, the relatively higher capacity workpiece support system 50′ is nevertheless configured to interface with the catcher tank assemblies 12, 12′ within the same footprint area as the relatively lower capacity workpiece support system 50. In some embodiments, the relatively higher capacity workpiece support system 50′ may attach to the catcher tank assemblies 12, 12′ in the same manner as the relatively lower capacity workpiece support system 50. Accordingly, the catcher tank assemblies 12, 12′ may be selectively fitted with a relatively higher capacity workpiece support system 50′ or a relatively lower capacity workpiece support system 50 or combinations of the same. For example, some catcher tank assemblies 12, 12′ may be provided with one or more rows of the relatively higher capacity workpiece support system 50′ and one or more rows of the relatively lower capacity workpiece support system 50. Still further, as illustrated in
The conduit system 122 may include valves and controls to selectively route a flushing fluid to selected areas of the catcher tank 40 independently of each other. For example, nozzles 124 located on one stretch of the conduit system 122 may be activated independently of nozzles 124 located on another stretch of the conduit system 122. This is particularly beneficial in larger catcher tank assemblies having three or more tank sections or units 42, 43, 44 wherein it may be quite inefficient to operate nozzles 124 remote from a processing location. For example, the cutting head 22 (
The various features and aspects described herein provide for catcher tank assemblies 12, 12′ having particularly versatile form factors to address a wide variety of demands and changing conditions. For instance the interconnectivity of the modular tank sections 42, 43, 44 can enable a user to construct catcher tanks 40, 40′ of varying sizes and capabilities to meet the specific demands of specialized work cells in a production line.
As an example, a relatively small catcher tank 40 may be constructed of two end units 42, 44 in an abutting relationship and located in a production line dedicated to certain activities requiring no more work area than that provided by the relatively smaller catcher tank 40. Further, the catcher tank 40 in this cell may be dedicated to cutting relatively softer materials that do not require cutting with abrasives, but rather which may be processed with a pure water jet. In this scenario, the user may opt not to install a waste removal system 30. Further, it may not be advantageous based on the expected processing demands within this cell to install a water level control system 69 (
In contrast, a relatively larger catcher tank 40′ having three, four, five or more tank sections 42, 43, 44 may be located in the same production line wherein a larger work area is required to process workpieces. This relatively larger catcher tank 40′ may be dedicated, for example, to processing larger, heavy slab materials. These types of materials may require the use of abrasive waterjets for efficient processing and benefit from the use of water level control systems 69. Thus, the catcher tank 40′ may be provided with a waste removal system 30 installed therein and a water level control system 69 integrated into one of the tank sections 44 within a dedicated region 68 (
Furthermore, the catcher tank assemblies 12, 12′ described herein can be readily dissembled for transport or relocation within an assembly line, for example. Smaller catcher tank assemblies 12 may be easily converted into larger catcher tank assemblies 12′, and vice versa. Smaller capacity workpiece support systems 50 may be easily converted into larger capacity workpiece support systems 50′, and vice versa. Catcher tank assemblies 12, 12′ can be easily upgraded with new or different capabilities (e.g., water leveling, waste removal). These and other benefits are realized as a result of the various aspects of the catcher tank assemblies 12, 12′ disclosed herein.
Although the shapes and features of the tank sections 42, 43, 44 and workpiece support systems 50, 50′ are illustrated in particularly versatile and compact form factors, it is appreciated that the shapes and sizes of various features of the components can vary significantly while still providing the functionality described herein. For instance, although the tank sections 42, 43, 44 are shown as including vertical opposing sidewalls 47 and end walls 49, the sidewalls 47 and end walls 49 may, for example, flare outwardly to form a tank cross-section having a flat bottomed V-shape. In addition, although many of the components of the workpiece support systems 50, 50′ are illustrated as conventional stock materials (e.g., angle iron, u-channels and plates), it is appreciated that these components may take a variety of forms including, for example, castings with complex curved surfaces. Still further, although it is contemplated that many of the structural components of the catcher tank sections 42, 43, 44 and workpiece support systems 50, 50′ can be formed of mild or high strength steel, other materials of appropriate strength and durability may be used. Accordingly, one skilled in the relevant art will recognize that embodiments may be practiced without one or more of the specific details shown and described herein.
These and other changes can be made to the embodiments in light of the above-detailed description. In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims, but should be construed to include all possible embodiments along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. Accordingly, the claims are not limited by the disclosure.
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