Jet Edge Celebrates 30 Years in Water Jet Industry

Jet Edge, Inc., a leading manufacturer of ultra-high pressure waterjet technology, is celebrating its 30^th anniversary in 2014.

Founded in 1984, Jet Edge entered the waterjet industry during the industry’s infancy and has grown to become one of the largest and most respected manufacturers of ultra-high pressure waterjet technology in the world.  Jet Edge waterjets are used in a wide range of industries around the world, including automotive, aerospace, defense, industrial manufacturing, food production, and machine and job shops.  Jet Edge’s extensive product line includes precision waterjet cutting systems, waterjet pumps, and mobile waterjet cutting and surface preparation systems.

            “We’ve come a long way since 1984,” said Jude Lague, Jet Edge president. “We’ve seen waterjet technology evolve from its 36,000 psi (2500 bar) water-only past to today’s sophisticated and highly precise 5-axis and robotic systems that can reach pressures exceeding 90,000 psi (6200 bar).  Back in 1984, or even in 1994, waterjet was such a niche technology that many people hadn’t even heard of it.  Today, it’s as common as any machine tool, and is used to manufacture countless everyday items, from sliced fruit to titanium joint implants.”

            Lague credits Jet Edge’s success to the company’s commitment to helping customers solve their toughest manufacturing problems and willingness to engineer custom solutions.     

          

  “We were born problem solvers,” Lague said. “Our company’s founder Chris Possis couldn’t find a satisfactory waterjet pump, so he built his own.  Since then, we’ve had the opportunity to help hundreds of customers improve their manufacturing processes and we’ve responded to some of the world’s greatest crises, including the Kuwait oil fires, the Kobe earthquakes, and the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.”

            Lague noted that Jet Edge’s success in the competitive waterjet industry would not have been possible without the support of its loyal customers, dedicated employees and industry friends.

            For more information about Jet Edge, visit www.jetedge.com,  call 1-800-JET-EDGE (538-3343), 763-497-8700 or e-mail sales@jetedge.com.

           

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 waterjets are proudly made in U.S.A. 

Material Handling Equipment Manufacturer Anderson-Crane Company Installs Jet Edge Waterjet System

Jet Edge Inc. is pleased to announce that Anderson-Crane Company, a world leading material handling equipment manufacturer, has installed a Jet Edge waterjet cutting system at its fabrication facility in Litchfield, Minn.  With its new waterjet system, Anderson-Crane is now capable of cutting complex finished-quality parts from virtually any material.

Anderson-Crane Company manufactures a wide variety of material handling equipment, including screw conveyors, screw feeders and bucket elevators, specializing in custom projects. Anderson-Crane conveyors are used around the world to move everything from chocolate to taconite.  The company also fabricates hoppers, bins and gates. In addition to manufacturing its own products, Anderson-Crane operates as a local job shop, building structural equipment for local businesses and molds for the plastics industry. It also offers metal repair services.

Founded in 1950 as an offshoot of its Minneapolis-based sister company Anderson-Crane Rubber Company, Anderson-Crane Company has been steadily growing its fabrication facility and capabilities for more than 60 years. 

Company spokesman Rob Crane attributes his company’s growth and customer loyalty to its unsurpassed commitment to quality and its expertise in manufacturing custom material handling equipment.

“Anderson-Crane has become recognized as a leader in quality in the material handling business, delivering products with a very high attention to detail and finish,” Crane commented.  “We have decades-long customers that include Fortune 500 companies and major multi-nationals. We pay very close attention to our products’ fit and finish, assuring all dimensions are precise and weldments are cleaned.  Customers call on us when they have a special conveyor design that can’t be found in a catalog. We treat our customers’ projects as unique equipment that deserves close attention to detail and quality.”

This meticulous attention to quality is what compelled Anderson-Crane to install a precision waterjet cutting system, Crane noted.  Before installing its water jet, the company had been cutting parts on a CNC plasma machine and outsourcing work to waterjet shops.

“Due to our high demand for quality, we have spent a lot of time cleaning parts that come off our plasma machine,” Crane recalled.  “We decided to buy a waterjet because of its clean cut; our goal is to reduce rework and part cleaning time.  We wanted a system that cut parts with little or no edge cleanup required. A laser proved too costly and a waterjet allowed us to cut metal (our main working material), but also softer material such as gasket. We had been outsourcing waterjet cutting and were always satisfied with the edge quality and easy assembly of its finished parts. With the waterjet we’re able to move from raw material to finished parts in as little time as possible while improving our products’ quality and precision.”

Anderson-Crane’s new waterjet cutting capabilities will help the company maintain its competitive edge, Crane noted.

“Manufacturers in the material handling industry do not focus on the same level of quality as we do,” he said. “Adding a waterjet to our fabrication process set the quality bar even higher. Our goal is to minimize the time it takes to go from raw material to assembly. As we implement this, we’re striving to consistently deliver a product with outstanding quality.  We’re setting Anderson-Crane even further apart in an industry where quality and workmanship are often afterthoughts.”

In addition to improving its own products, Anderson-Crane also plans to grow its job shop business by offering waterjet cutting services.  It plans to cut primarily mild and stainless steel and occasionally rubber gasket and UHMW.

Anderson-Crane’s Jet Edge Mid Rail Gantry waterjet system features an 8’x13’ work envelope and SigmaNEST® Companion CAD/CAM nesting software to maximize material usage.  It is powered by a 60,000 psi, 50hp Jet Edge iP60-50 waterjet intensifier pump.  The system features an eco-friendly Ebbco closed-loop water filtration and chilling system that prolongs waterjet component life and reduces water consumption and sewage fees by recycling water.

Anderson-Crane decided to buy its waterjet specifically from Jet Edge for a variety of reasons, Crane noted.

“Jet Edge’s proximity to our shop is a unique benefit,” he said.  “Being close to the manufacturer for support and training is important to us. We also wanted a dual gantry design, which we see as a more robust design than cantilever models offered by other waterjet firms.”

More Information

For more information about Anderson-Crane Company, visit www.screw-conveyor.com or call 800-314-2747 or 612-359-3535.

For more information about Jet Edge, visit www.jetedge.com, or 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).