Flow International Corporation

Thomas A Pesek

Jonathan M Stewart

Mohamed Ahmed Hashish

Felice M Sciulli

Charles D Burnham

Michael Knaupp

Robert J Mann

Andreas Meyer

Daniel Chin

Mira K Sahney

Sean A Vaughan

C David Bader

Volker Kern

Chien Chou Wu

An apparatus for generating and manipulating a high-pressure fluid jet includes an assembly coupled to a motion assembly that imparts motion to the assembly along one or more axes. The motion assembly includes two motors coupled together to form a gimbal wrist, each motor having an axis of rotation. The two axes of rotation of the two motors can be perpendicular to each other, but are not necessarily aligned with the manipulator's axes of motion. The high-pressure fluid assembly incorporates a swivel that can rotate about two axes which may be parallel to the two motors' axes of rotation, allowing the high-pressure tubing contained therein to follow the motion imparted by the gimbal wrist of the motion assembly.

Apparatus for generating and manipulating a high-pressure fluid jet

An apparatus for generating and manipulating a high-pressure fluid jet includes an end effector assembly coupled to a manipulator that imparts motion to the end effector. The end effector assembly includes a cutting head coupled to a source of high-pressure fluid and to a source of abrasive. A motion assembly is coupled to the cutting head via a clamp positioned around the cutting head. A nozzle body assembly is removably coupled to the cutting head assembly, which may be separated from the cutting head assembly to allow access to the orifice, without removing the cutting head assembly from the clamp. The clamp has a quick release mechanism and an alignment member. The motion assembly includes two motors coupled together to form a gimbal wrist, each motor having a horizontal axis of rotation. The two axes of rotation are perpendicular to each other, but are not necessarily aligned with the manipulator's axes of motion.

This invention relates to apparatus and methods for z-axis control and collision detection and recovery for waterjet and abrasive-jet cutting systems. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a linear rail, a slide member coupleable to a cutting head and slideably coupled to the linear rail, at least one actuator having a first end coupled to the slide member and a second end fixed with respect to the linear rail, a position sensor, and a controller. The actuator provides an adjustable support force that supports the weight of the cutting head, allowing the cutting head to be controllably positioned at a desired height above the workpiece. The actuator may include a pneumatic cylinder, or alternately, a linear motor. In another aspect, an apparatus includes a first mount member coupleable to a controllably positionable mounting surface of the waterjet cutting system, a second mount member coupleable to the cutting head and disengageably coupled to the first mount member, and a sensing circuit having a plurality of first conductive elements disposed on the first mount member and a plurality of second conductive elements disposed on the second mount member. In the event of a collision between the cutting head and an obstruction, the second mount member disengages from the first mount member to prevent breakage of the cutting head. Following the collision, the second mount member is quickly and easily re-engaged with the first mount member without time-consuming re-calibration. In one embodiment, re-engagement of the second end first mount members is automatically performed by a biasing member.

Apparatus and methods for Z-axis control and collision detection and recovery for waterjet cutting systems

Apparatus and methods for z-axis control and collision detection and recovery for waterjet cutting systems

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Darmstadt, Germany

Thomas A Pesek