ESAB INTRODUCES HYDROCUT™ HDX WHICH COMBINES THE PRECISION OF WATERJET CUTTING WITH THE SPEED OF PLASMA

ESAB Welding & Cutting Products has introduced its newHydrocut™ HDX large gantry waterjet cutting system for cuttingover a work area measuring up to 5.5 m wide x 15 m long. The Hydrocut HDX can be equipped with up to four waterjet cutting heads, two oxy-fuel stations and up to two plasma stations, including ESAB’s DMX Plasma Beveller. It can also be equipped with various marking tools for high-speed text or line marking, including plasma marking, pin stamping, or inkjet plate marking. 

“The Hydrocut HDX combines the precision of waterjet with the speed of plasma to optimise cycle time and quality,” says Steve Zlotnicki, Global Product Manager, ESAB Cutting Systems.“Combining technologies can lower part cost by up to 60 percent or more, as well as increase productivity and enhance safety through reducing part handling.”

Waterjet technology provides high precision on contoured shapes, a smooth edge with no bevel, no heat-affected zone and no dross, creating perfectly finished parts that require no secondary cleanup or machining. It also cuts almost any material and can handle sheets up to 150 mm thick. However, it is a comparatively slow and expensive process. By combining waterjet with plasma on the same gantry, customers can produce more parts for lower cost when compared to typical waterjet-only systems. 

“Large fabricators and steel service center operations benefit from the Hydrocut HDX’s waterjet-plasma combination to better meet customer needs,” says Zlotnicki. “Many parts lend themselves to cutting fine contours with waterjet, then cutting large contours with plasma.  This lets you produce the part for a fraction of the cost of cutting the entire part with waterjet.”

Large Gantry, Strong Performance

ESAB offers two waterjet intensifier pump options. For the fastest speeds and lowest cost per-part, select the KMT Streamline PRO-III (90 KPSI) intensifier in either 60 or 125 HP pump options. For standard cutting, select the KMT Streamline SL-VI intensifier (55 KPSI) or PLUS pump (60 KPSI) in either 30, 50 or 100 HP.

The Hydrocut HDX is based on ESAB’s Suprarex™ gantrywith dual-linear rail Y-Axis guiding system to deliver the high dynamic accuracy necessary to produce high-quality parts with high-cut precision. The gantry can reach a maximum speed of 25 m/min and is capable of cutting widths from 2.4 mm to 5.5 m wide and lengths up to 15 m. Both X and Y axes are protected with bellow covers to keep abrasive materials and moisture away from the rails.  

“The Hydrocut gantry has a proven reputation for reliability and durability, as does the system’s Vision T5 controller. They provide a solid foundation for fast, flexible and economical cutting,” says Zlotnicki. The controller features a touch-screen interface, EasyShape part program generator, EasyNest option and built-in process database to enable users to quickly and easily set-up new cutting routines. 

At ESAB, we exist to shape the future of welding and cutting. We connect fabricators with the widest range of products under our industry-leading brand portfolio with the latest technologies to solve virtually any industry challenge — then we back it up with our knowledge, experience and passion to help them be more productive than ever before. To learn more, visit esab-cutting.com.