About New Water jet Cutting Robot Workstation solution

    Hello, everyone:


    I’m a Chinese manufacturing plant owner to produce leather-ware (PVC or PU) material for furniture and costumes (like shoes and bags). At the end of last year, one big automotive interior parts manufacturer visited to our factory and asked me if we can process the floor carpets for cars, like this attachment





    And their Director told me that it needs to use waterjet cutting technology.


    I said “Yes, we do have several waterjet cutting machines, the leatherware also need to be cut by water jet.”


    But I was misunderstanding him, what he told me is to use a big Waterjet Robot to cut the material as requirement. I’ve researched some videos that likely what I need but still too uncertain.


    So, I need to do a really serious investigation to know how I can step into this industry and how much cost I must afford to have a more efficient waterjet cutting processing, not only for changing profession but if the robot workstations could improve much more I will consider to completely replace my old cutting machine by the robot workstation.



    Therefore, I need to ask my friends on this forum, that

    • Is there anyone who working for Car Interior parts?
    • What is the best way to cut a Floor Carpet?
    • What difference between Hanging robot cells and Sitting robot cells?
    • To process a floor carpet about 1100x1800mm, which robot workstation type should be the best?
    • How many carpets can be processed per day?
    • About the robot brands, there’s anything different?
    • What about the cost for one workstation in general, with new intensifier, new system?

    i agree about getting in touch with companies already using waterjet. there are many robots out there and they can do things repeatably. question is how do you want to enter data. if the programs are hand made any robot will do. this may work if you have big volume and few rare changes.

    but if the programs are data driven (CAD to path) and the cut is longer than few inches, then you will want positionally accurate robot. i work with KUKA all the time. several companies i worked with use them to cut metal etc. one of them has big shop full of waterjet cutting robots and they make automation ofr others, do development, prototyping and even sell kits (60kPSI, 90kPSI) for different robots. they also make cells with multiple robots working together for higher volume thoughput. those seem to be suited for small cutouts. for large workareas there are postitionally accurate KUKA.


    i would imagine that cutting carpet etc is much easier so cutting speed should be higher. like arc welding, and gluing, waterjet cutting is usually not a fast process (well it could be if the jet is powerful and material is soft enough). what robots provide is great flexibility - change orientation, work on large area, move fast or slow when and where needed etc. many cuts are ather short, but i think i have seen cutting some material (foam etc) at speeds of maybe 0.5m/s on edges that are long enough. so 6m path using single robot should be doable in few seconds. and same robot could have more than one tool (gripper, cutter, etc.).

    1) read pinned topic: READ FIRST...

    2) if you have an issue with robot, post question in the correct forum section... do NOT contact me directly

    3) read 1 and 2

    Many robot manufacturers have experience with water jet cutting carpet. Although my experience is with ABB, Fanuc and Motoman/Yaskawa, most any properly sized robot(s) capable of handling the long term back pressure of the water stream will work. The key is to have the right integrator that will work to understand your current and future needs and have the experience and capability to deliver a great product. I suggest contacting representatives of different robot manufacturers and have them help you find an integrator. Your customer can be a source that may know of someone that does or doesn't do a good job. Don't settle for the first one you find, talk with as many as it takes to get the right one.

    The configuration of the robot(s) depends on the current and future delivery rates needed by the customer(s).

    Cut speed for automotive carpet and liners depends on equipment and material/thickness being cut. In my limited experience, I've seen low as 80mm/s to 800mm/s with 200-500mm/s as normal.

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