POTTSTOWN, PA. (August 21, 2009) -- Jet Edge, Inc., is pleased to announce that Jacquet Mid Atlantic of Pottstown, Pa., has installed Jet Edge’s new 21’X13’ large-format Mid Rail Gantry Waterjet System. The Mid Rail Gantry is the third Jet Edge waterjet system at Jacquet’s Mid Atlantic service center and the company’s sixth Jet Edge waterjet system nationwide.
Jacquet’s new Jet Edge Mid Rail Gantry water jet system features a 21’X13’ work envelope with a system design that easily accommodates overhead loading with the bridge clearing the tank. Jacquet equipped the waterjet table with two Jet Edge Permalign II abrasivejet cutting heads and a 100HP intensifier pump to increase productivity. They also added an optional mirroring package, independent programmable Z carriages, programmable height sensing, a fully-functional remote pendant, large-capacity bulk abrasive hopper, submerged cutting package, closed-loop water filtration system, and garnet removal system.
A subsidiary of Jacquet Metals of Lyon Saint Priest, France, Jacquet Mid Atlantic is one of four Jacquet metal service centers in North America. The company also has metal service centers in Houston, Racine, Wis., and Irvine, Calif.
Jacquet specializes in supplying and processing stainless steel and nickel alloys for OEMS, fabricators and machine shops that support primarily the oil and gas, power generation, pollution control systems and water purification industries. Jacquet’s North American service centers provide waterjet and plasma part cutting. The company stocks 19 different grades of stainless steel and nickel alloy plates in a wide variety of sizes and thicknesses.
“We have a very large inventory of stainless steel and nickel in many different grades, thicknesses and widths, and we are able to cut near net-shape parts,” said Jacquet CEO Terry Engle. “Having the combination of that, plus our fast turnaround has really helped our growth.”
When Jacquet opened its North American operations in 2006, Engle decided to install the largest waterjet cutting systems available on the market to meet a growing demand for large-format cold cutting. Over a two-year period, Engle installed massive Jet Edge Low Rail Gantries at each of his plants. With waterjet tables as large at 15’X22’, Jacquet can claim some of the largest waterjet cutting tables in North America.
“Because the tables are so large, we can hold extremely large plates up to 15’X21’,” Engle said. “We also have two cutting heads on each table, so we can process two plates simultaneously or utilize two heads on one nested plate of parts, doubling our productivity. This has gotten us some work because we can cut two parts at a time and reduce the cost and turn-around to the customer.”
Engle noted that waterjet is the ideal cutting method for most of his applications because it eliminates heat-affected zones (HAZ) and reduces the need for secondary finishing operations, which results in lower finished part costs for his customers. If a customer desires a polished near-finished part, Jacquet typically cuts the part from polished plates. This saves time and money for customers because it eliminates the need for them to polish individual parts.
“Whenever we have customers who need small parts or tight tolerances or special sketch cuts, we push them toward waterjet. Also, when we are cutting heavy plate, we try to convince them to go with waterjet because they can save on material. When you cut with plasma, you have to add additional kerf and material for machining. Waterjet saves on material and machining. When roughing material to allow for machining afterwards, waterjet does not put any heat into the part, allowing the material to be machined much easier and saving on tooling costs.”
Engle decided to buy his waterjet systems from Jet Edge after extensively researching several waterjet manufacturers and interviewing Jet Edge’s references.
“I did a very thorough follow up with Jet Edge’s references,” he said. “They all spoke very highly of the reliability of the pump, technical service and Jet Edge’s on-time parts delivery. That was a big part of us picking Jet Edge. I also was very impressed with Jet Edge’s sales process and technical expertise. Jet Edge’s regional sales manager Scott Wirtanen had very strong technical knowledge of the machine and understood our application. He helped us pick the right machine and equipment for our application.”
Engle decided to buy his latest Jet Edge waterjet machine based on his satisfaction with Jet Edge’s equipment, service and training.
“We have run our other systems 16 hours a day or more for over two and a half years,” he said. “Anytime we have had issues, Jet Edge has been very good at offering technical solutions to help us out. Jet Edge’s lifetime training program also has been very successful for us. We have sent people to training at Jet Edge and we’ve had training here. It has been very valuable as we have added locations and new operators.”
More Information
For more information about Jacquet, visit www.myjacquet.com or call 484-945-1075 (Jacquet Mid Atlantic), 262-898-1381 (Jacquet Midwest), 949-221-9551 (Jacquet West), or 281-397-9920 (Jacquet Houston).
For more information about Jet Edge, visit www.jetedge.com, call 1-800-JET-EDGE (538-3343) or e-mail sales@jetedge.com.
The Jet Edge Mid Rail Gantry Waterjet System
The Jet Edge Mid Rail Gantry Waterjet System is available in 5’x5’, 5’x13’, 8’x5’, 8X13’, 21’x5’ and 21’X13’ work envelopes.
The Mid Rail Gantry features an exposed tank that easily accommodates overhead loading. It comes standard with one abrasivejet cutting head; a second cutting head can be added to increase productivity. The Mid Rail Gantry is ball-screw driven for higher accuracy. Its sturdy heavy-wall tubular steel construction eliminates vibration and increases longevity. The Mid Rail Gantry utilizes an industrial PC controller and can be configured so that all three axes are fully programmable (Z optional). It also features direct-couple AC brushless digital servo motors and single or double carriages. Critical bearing components are protected with heavy metal covers with brush seals.
Like all Jet Edge products, the Mid Rail Gantry is proudly made in the U.S.A. For more information, visit www.jetedge.com, e-mail sales@jetedge.com, call 1-800-JET-EDGE (538-3343) or 763-497-8700.
About Jet Edge
Established in 1984, Jet Edge is a global designer and manufacturer of waterjet systems for precision cutting, surface preparation and coating removal. Jet Edge systems are used around the world in a broad range of industries, from the world's leading airlines to automotive, aerospace, industrial manufacturers, machine and job shops. Jet Edge waterjet systems are proudly made in the U.S.A. For more information about Jet Edge, visit www.jetedge.com, e-mail sales@jetedge.com or call 1-800-JET-EDGE (538-3343).
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