Strategies for Cost- and Time-effective Use of Abrasive Waterjet Cutting

Abrasive waterjet (AWJ) cutting is today an important industrial cutting technology. With an AWJ almost any material can be cut, and the method is also considered as environmentally friendly. However, there is no easy and practical way of optimising a cutting operation for either maximised production rate or minimised manufacturing cost. This paper will present the cost structure for a typical machine set up, and discuss the economical considerations that have to be taken into account to be able to optimize the cutting operation for cost- and/or time-effective use. An ongoing project together with the Nordic waterjet industry is focussing on reducing cost and machining time for the project members within their operation of their abrasive waterjet cutting machines. The project members today rely on their own experience when deciding how to use their equipment in the best possible way. The reason for this is of course that the issue of optimizing the process is relatively complex. The objective for this paper is to present a strategy for how to work with the abrasive waterjet cutting to get the most out of the process, with focus on economical considerations. The discussions will be illustrated by economical calculations focusing on how machine settings and cutting parameters affect the total process economy.