Jet Edge EDGE X3-HR

The Jet Edge EDGE X3-HR is a 3-axis high rail gantry waterjet built around head count. With the optional spreader bar on its Z carriage it carries up to 12 cutting heads, so a dozen identical parts leave the table in one cycle.

High rail means the gantry runs on elevated rails beside the tank instead of on the tank frame. Jet Edge gives two reasons for the layout: the work envelope is easier to reach, and the motion components sit above the wet, abrasive part of the process. Linear bearings on hardened precision ground ways carry the axes, behind labyrinth seals under positive air pressure, and direct-couple AC brushless servo motors with absolute encoders drive the ball screws.

Each head on the spreader bar is a Sub Z that can be programmed independently. Waterjet and abrasive heads can be mixed on the same bar, spacing is set by hand or automatically with a digital readout, and a motorized Sub Z adds 3 in (76 mm) of its own travel. That last option matters on material that is not flat, since one common Z height rarely suits every head across a wide sheet. The main Z carriage has 12 in (304 mm) of vertical travel, with 18 in and 24 in (457 mm and 610 mm) carriages optional.

Positional accuracy is stated as ±0.001 in (±0.025 mm) over 12 in (304 mm) per axis, with ±0.001 in (±0.025 mm) bidirectional repeatability. The controller is the Aquavision iQ with IGEMS CAD/CAM. No table size or pump is fixed on the page: pumps come from the HERO intensifier line, and every extra head adds to the flow the pump must supply. Shuttle systems and conveyors for loading are on the option list, which suits the production work this machine is meant for.