Technology company ANT AG now offers a novel solution for a continuous suspension cutting processes using the ConSus abrasive mixing unit. With this technology, water abrasive suspension (WAS) can now also be used in the manufacturing industry. The suspension jet enables a more efficient cutting performance and a lower user load compared with conventional water abrasive injection systems (WAIS), reports the company.

In contrast to three-phase WAIS with water, abrasive and air, WAS systems work with a two-phase blasting tool. The cutting jet consists only of water and abrasive with a precisely adjustable flow rate. This suspension is created by the interaction of a main stream and a bypass stream.
Before the WAS arrives at the remotely handled cutting nozzle, it is put under high pressure. The high energy creates a cutting jet in the nozzle which exits at nearly twice the speed of sound. This efficiency is considerably higher than in the injection process, where turbulent mixing losses occur due to the contained air. In addition, due to the smaller nozzle diameter, the jet is more focused and cuts even the hardest materials precisely.
ANT’s ConSus (Continuous Suspension) system is operated at working pressures between 500 and 1500 bar. Compared with conventional waterjet cutting processes, the ANT suspension jet operates at less than half the pressure and, depending on the desired cutting performance, twice to three times the feed rate. The user receives thin kerfs without hardening or material deformation.
For further information https://ant-ag.com

Sutton-based Designplan Lighting Ltd, a designer and manufacturer of robust lighting solutions for demanding environments, has invested in a Trumpf TruPunch 3000 to replace two older turret punch machines supplied by another machine provider. The move has led to a plethora of important benefits, not least a significant increase in productivity, a reduction in the amount of manual labour required, fewer secondary operations and lower noise levels.

“We had two older turret punches that began causing problems, particularly in terms of reliability,” says production engineering manager Rob Aldred. “In addition, as we started adopting more bespoke work, the number of tool changes became prohibitive to achieving the levels of throughput required.”
When one of the machines stopped working altogether, the decision was made to call time and invest in a better resource. However, there was a caveat.
“We didn’t want a like-for-like solution, we wanted to move forward and bring in a machine that could increase productivity and reduce our second operation work,” explains Aldred. “To make sure we got the right machine, we looked at all the major players and Trumpf came out on top, not just for flexibility, speed and efficiency, but for our entire wish list.”
Installed in May 2019, the machine has been set to work producing main bodies for the company’s light fittings, along with internal metalwork such as gear trays and brackets.
“In particular, the new Trumpf TruPunch has taken a big bite out of our studding and bushing requirements, and this will continue as we move through parts, while noise levels have reduced dramatically,” says Aldred. “Overall, we are two or three levels up on where we were – across all aspects of our punching operations.”
For further information www.uk.trumpf.com