The following description relates to fluid jet cutting devices, for example, a fluid jet cutting device for sectioning materials. In one application, the fluid jetting device may be used to section materials for analytical sample preparation.
In a typical fluid jet cutting system, a fluid, such as water, is forced through a nozzle to generate a high-pressure fluid jet having a pressure from 35,000 to 100,000 psi and a velocity of up to three times the speed of sound. The high-pressure fluid jet may be used to cut through, for example, non-metallic materials including rubber, plastic, wood and cloth. A cutting power of the high-pressure fluid jet may be enhanced by adding abrasive particles into the stream to produce an abrasive fluid jet. An abrasive fluid jet may be used to cut, for example, metals including steel, aluminum and titanium, hard non-metals such rock and concrete and other hard materials including armor plate, certain ceramic and tool steel. The abrasive particles are typically garnet, silica and/or aluminum oxide.
The work piece may generally be positioned to lie on a bed of slats above a catcher tank. The slats are typically spaced apart by a distance to allow a sufficient amount of the high-pressure fluid jet to pass therethrough, so that energy from the high-pressure fluid jet may be dissipated by a volume of fluid in the underlying catcher tank. In addition, the high-pressure fluid jet typically cuts the slats, in addition to the work piece, so that the slats are considered consumable and must be replaced on a regular basis.
Control of the cutting head and the nozzle may be manual or preprogrammed. However, for preprogrammed cutting movement of the nozzle, a data or program file typically needs to be imported into the system, for example, from a Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software program. That is, movement of the cutting head or nozzle may not be programmed directly into a user interface of the system to allow for automatic or autonomous movement of the nozzle or cutting head. Accordingly, operation of the system may be difficult for untrained personnel such as those lacking specialized or dedicated training systems or those unfamiliar with CAD software programs.
Fluid jet cutting systems are typically configured for large scale production use, and require complex set-up and programming. A typical fluid jet cutting device may have a footprint of approximately 50 sq. ft. As such, traditional fluid jet cutting systems are not well suited for non-production or operating environments such as laboratories. In addition, because of their size traditional fluid jet cutting systems are not well suited for cutting smaller work pieces, or, a work piece into smaller pieces, for example of widths less than 1 inch. Smaller work pieces or sample pieces may be desirable for use in, for example, metallographic analysis. In addition, the spacing between individual slats of the bed of slats is typically too large for catching or capturing samples from a work piece small enough for use in metallographic analysis. However, reducing a distance between the slats may negatively impact energy absorption of fluid jet by the fluid in the catcher tank.
Typically, a sample for metallographic analysis is prepared with a metallographic abrasive cutter. An abrasive cutter typically includes a circular abrasive blade spinning along an axis of rotation. The blade will remove a plane of material from a work piece in its path in a direction of rotation. The work piece is typically placed on a bed and clamped using a vise. The bed and/or blade can typically be moved in three axes in order to position the blade with respect to the specimen or work piece. However, this configuration typically requires multiple cuts to be made in order to produce a sufficiently small sample from the work piece at a desired area of interest. In addition, heat or force from the blade may damage the work piece, and in turn, the sample.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a fluid jet cutting device suitably sized for use in non-production settings such as a laboratory and for cutting small samples or specimens from a work piece.
According to one embodiment, there is provided a compact and portable fluid jet cutting device for sectioning materials for analytical sample preparation. The fluid jet cutting device includes a body having an equipment chamber accessible through a first panel, a working chamber accessible through a second panel and a receptacle in communication with the working chamber, a pump assembly positioned in the equipment chamber, and a motor positioned in the equipment chamber, the motor configured to drive the pump assembly. The device further includes a guide assembly positioned in the working chamber, a cutter head assembly having a nozzle for discharging a fluid jet movably coupled to the guide assembly for movement along three axes, and a drive assembly for moving the cutter head along the guide assembly. Further still, the device includes a clamp for holding a work piece in the working chamber, the clamp comprising a first face and a second face movable relative to the first face to secure the work piece therebetween, and a basket positioned in the receptacle beneath the clamp.
The fluid jet cutting device may also include a camera configured to capture an image of the work piece. Further, the fluid jet cutting device may include a user interface including a display. The display may be a touch screen device and the may display the image of the work piece captured by the camera. The clamp is configured to secure complex and/or irregularly shaped work pieces between the first and second faces.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the disclosure will be apparent from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like parts, elements, components, steps, and processes.
While the present disclosure is susceptible of embodiment in various forms, there is shown in the drawings and will hereinafter be described one or more embodiments with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered illustrative only and is not intended to limit the disclosure to any specific embodiment described or illustrated.
The equipment chamber 14 is accessible through one or more first panels 20. In one embodiment one or more first panels 20 may be formed as a pivotable door mounted to the body 12. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this configuration. The one or more first panels 20 may be, alternatively, a removable panel or a sliding panel, for example.
The working chamber 16 is accessible through one or more second panels 22. In one embodiment, the one or more second panels 22 may be formed as one or more doors pivotably mounted to the body 12. Alternatively, the one or more second panels 22 may be removable or slidable panels. In addition, the one or more second panels 22 may include a window 24, formed from, for example, a transparent material such as glass or plastic, including shatter proof or resistant glass, plastic or thermoplastic materials. In one example, the window 24 may be formed from PLEXIGLAS®, but the present disclosure is not limited to this example. The window 24 may allow visual inspection of the working chamber 16.
Referring to
With further reference to
The cutting head 38 is coupled to the second rail 42 for movement in the second direction D2. In one embodiment the cutting head 38 is slidingly coupled to the second rail 42, however, it is understood, that the cutting head 38, may be alternatively, for example, rollingly coupled to the second rail 42. The third rail 44 allows for movement of the cutting head 38, or a portion of the cutting head 38 on which a nozzle 50 is positioned, to move in the third direction D3. In one embodiment, the third rail 44 may be formed by first and second plates slidable relative another.
Referring to
With further reference to
The nozzle 50 may be secured to the cutting head 38. In one embodiment, the nozzle 50 is positioned in fluid communication with a fluid supply source (not shown) and is configured to receive the fluid from the fluid supply source. The fluid may be delivered to the nozzle 50 by way of the pump assembly 26. In addition, the nozzle 50 may also be in communication with the abrasive supply tank 30 so as to receive the abrasive material from the abrasive supply tank 30. Accordingly, the nozzle may discharge a jet of high-pressure fluid, or fluid and abrasive material to cut a work piece or sample in the working chamber 16.
With reference to
As shown in
The fluid jet cutting device 10 may also include a controller 80 (shown schematically in
The controller 80 may be implemented as a microprocessor or computer having a microprocessor configured to execute program instructions stored in one or more computer-readable storage media, such as, but not limited to, a memory unit. Computer-readable storage media include non-transitory media, for example, magnetic media, including hard disks and floppy disks; optical media including CD ROM disks and DVDs, and/or optical disks. Computer-readable storage media may also include hardware devices configured to store and/or perform program instructions, including read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), flash memory and the like. It is understood that non-transitory media does not include signals or waves. The memory unit may be part of the controller 80, or a separate unit that is operably and communicatively connected to the controller 80.
In the embodiments above, the camera 68 may be used to display the work piece on the display 74. Through the user interface 72, an operator may overlay a shape or cutting pattern on the displayed work piece image. The shape or pattern may be a predetermined shape or pattern selected by the operator, or may be custom input from the operator. The controller 80 may execute software stored at the device 10 to translate the overlaid cutting shape or pattern (cutting path) into machine movement (i.e., movement of the cutting head 38), and time the water and optionally the abrasive flow to cut the work piece at a desired rate. Because the operator may input a cutting path at the user interface, it may not be necessary to import additional information from a CAD software program, although such functionality remains in the device described herein.
Further, in the embodiments above, the cut made by the cutting head 38, and in particular, by the high-pressure fluid jet discharged from the nozzle 50 on the cutting head 38, may compensate for changing heights. In the embodiments described herein, the height sensor 54 measures a distance between, for example, the work piece and the nozzle 50. The height sensor 54 may be a capacitive sensor. Accordingly, the cutting head 38, in response to the measured data from the height sensors, and control signals received from the controller 80, may auto-compensate to components with varying height without additional operator programming.
In the embodiments above, a compact fluid jet cutting device is provided that is sized and dimensioned for use in non-factory or non-production facilities such as a laboratory or classroom. In one embodiment, the device may be sized so as to fit through standard sized double doors. In the embodiments above, a work piece may be cut through two planes without adjusting or repositioning the work piece in the clamp in the working chamber. In addition, the clamp may hold and the device above may cut specimens from regular, irregular and complex shapes. The device may cut materials with a hardness of, for example 80 HRC at a rate of greater than 0.1 inch/minute for a 6 inch sample, or 0.5 inch/minute for a 1 inch sample. The working chamber is compact and enclosed. The device described herein may have a footprint of, for example, 15 sq. ft. The user interface described herein may be used by operators other than trained machinists or those with CAD design abilities.
Further, in the embodiments above, the basket 66 may be submerged in a fluid stored in the receptacle 18. The basket 66 may be formed with openings of a small size so as to be able to catch and retain small sample pieces or specimens cut from the work piece. The basket 66 may be submerged so that energy from the fluid jet is dissipated by the fluid rather than the basket 66. Thus, the basket 66 is not subjected to direct forces from the fluid jet and may be reused and have a longer service life than conventional slats or baskets. Conventional slats or baskets typically support a work piece directly thereon and require larger openings to allow the fluid jet to pass therethrough. In addition, the conventional slats or baskets are designed to be disposable as the portions that are contacted directly by the fluid jet may be cut away or damaged by the fluid jet.
In the embodiments above, the fluid jet cutting device 10 the pump assembly, motor and/or abrasive supply tank may be mounted and secured to a common base for simultaneous installation and removal from the equipment chamber. Accordingly, these components may be made modular for quicker and more convenient installation, removal and repair from the body.
It should also be understood that various changes and modifications to the presently disclosed embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure and without diminishing its intended advantages. It is therefore intended that such changes and modifications be covered by the appended claims.
This application claims the benefit of and priority to Provisional U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 62/130,253, filed Mar. 9, 2015, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/US2016/020082 | 2/29/2016 | WO | 00 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2016/144593 | 9/15/2016 | WO | A |
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