Z-Series Waterjets

Every Z-Series waterjet built at WARDJet has grown out of a wish list generated from everything learned in over 250 installations of used and new waterjets and dozens of retrofits of CNC machines to waterjets. We have also faced many practical hands-on issues while operating our waterjet job shop with over 300 hp capacity, multiple machines and many cutting heads.

We have hence incorporated nearly 100,000 hours of hands-on waterjet cutting experience into our machines. Our primary goal is to make our waterjets easy to use, practical to load and unload, and as best as possible, to eliminate all the issues that could reduce operating efficiency. We want to make sure that every WARDJet waterjet has as much up time as possible.

Why the extra foot of travel?

A great feature on the Z-Series waterjet is the additional foot of travel you get in the left to right cutting direction. The reason we added this as standard is that most waterjet companies use multiple cutting heads to produce two parts in the same amount of time it takes to cut one part, thus increasing production. Typically, the moment you add a second head, the distance of travel the first head can move is reduced to make space for the addition of the second head. By using independent carriages instead of a spreader bar, and parking the second carriage in the extra foot of space when not needed you still have the full 12' of cutting with the Z-Series waterjet.

Why the Independent Carriages?

The benefit of having separate cutting heads on completely independent Z-Carriages is the freedom the operator gets to place the heads as close or as far apart as desired within seconds. When the operator is preparing to cut new parts using multiple heads, it is a quick and easy process to adjust the distances between the cutting heads. The additional heads are mounted on the same bearings as the master carriage, and slide easily along the crossbeam. They can then be locked into position using the stabilizing bar that goes between the two carriages. This makes it very easy to change the distance between the heads, and still be confident that they are perpendicular to your material. Each Z-Carriage has its own motor driven height adjustment, and can be configured to have an independent height sensor. It is hence possible to have three Z-Carriages on the same crossbeam each with its own height sensor. The traditional method of adding multiple cutting heads to a waterjet is to mount them on a spreader bar. WARDJet does offer this as an option, but experience shows repositioning head spacing with a spreader bar can be tedious, frustrating, and time consuming. It also generates the associated costs and downtime.

Grating Support

WARDJet's modular multi-purpose grating system allows parts to be loaded and clamped down anywhere on the table. Four grate systems are available based on your specific application: general Job Shop grates, Heavy-Duty grates, Water-only cutting grates and JETSLAB® stone-cutting grates. Different grate systems can be put in the tanks simultaneously allowing one portion of the table to be set up for water only cutting and the balance to be abrasive cutting. The different types of grates are also stackable. Heavy-duty grates are often selected for the R-Series machines because they have been designed for supporting larger, heavier sheets of material