A new cutting system from a global leader in waterjet cutting is proving useful on interior components of cars and other vehicles made from soft materials such as polyurethane foam, moulded fibres and sandwich materials or composites.

"The new Cutting System Original IV from ABB I-R Waterjet Systems offers outstanding customer benefits in every area from operation, programming, engineering and manufacturing to purchasing and maintenance," the company said.

"Based on simple user-friendly controls, the new Cutting System Original IV combines the smallest footprint on the market with a design that increases uptime and optimises waterjet cutting performance," said the Sweden-headquartered ABBI-R, a joint venture of ABB and Ingersoll-Rand.

The Cutting System Original IV forms the core of ABB I-R's three-dimensional, pure waterjet cutting technology for soft materials used in the interiors of vehicles and is a modular production machine incorporating industrial robots from ABB Flexible Automation and high pressure water pumps from Ingersoll-Rand.

The system features a new ergonomically designed control panel with a screen showing clear, understandable instruction statements, simple function keys and a range of new status indicators for vacuum system and he cutting system itself. The operator has the benefit of on-site technical help as the new ABB I-R system is covered by an improved aftermarket support package including one free service visit in the first year as standard within Europe.

The company said the cutting system programmer also benefited from the aftermarket package with assistance available from ABB I-R for reprogramming the system for new waterjet cutting routines. In addition to the ability to demonstrate production processes using ABB I-R's offline programming service, the new system has the dynalogue calibration system offering the benefits of online, electronic calibration instead of the previous mechanical system.

"A key feature is the availability of accurate, ballscrew robot-track motion in the cutting System Original IV, allowing the programme to devise schemes whereby the robot cuts and moves at the same time," ABB I-R explained.

"The new system offers compatibility with existing ABB I-R robots, controls and pallets and the flexibility of the system is further enhanced by an increased loading capacity on the turntable of 300kg. The interchangeability of components with previous versions of the cutting system ensures users can lower parts inventories and optimise engineering flexibility on their systems both for offline programming and actual production runs. ABB I-R also offers a simulation service that allows users to part-simulate their processes off-site."

The vacuum system has been enhanced to provide better removal of scrap and water to leave a drier, cleaner finished part. The system has a modular design encompassing a wide range of options and new retrofit upgrade modules. These include a rolling door option that can save up to 1 m of space in front of the cutting system. The company has developed a platform module for the system which allows the high pressure water pump and water softener to be installed above the system providing increased space saving and simplifying maintenance work.

Overall, it offers a 20-30 per cent reduction in floor space compared to similar systems, a vital factor in the design of modern manufacturing lines.

Ease of maintenance is an important feature: the system has a document box to ensure that relevant documentation is always kept with the machine. A logbook has been provided and all service points are clearly marked for routine maintenance procedures. The aftermarket package includes rationalised service intervals to ensure that the system is properly maintained and to increase uptime on the unit. Supplied as a turnkey system, the Cutting System is a multipurpose machine easily adaptable to a variety of different applications, ABB I-R says.