Patent ID: 6155245
Filing Date: 2000-12-05
Classification: B24C,B26D,B26F,Y10T

Abstract:
To make precision cuts in a solid material, a fluid jet cutting system comprising:a positioning assembly structured to position the solid material in a cuttable orientation;at least one fluid jet generator, said fluid jet generator including at least one nozzle and structured to direct a concentrated, high pressure stream of fluid through said nozzle;said fluid jet generator further including a guidance system structured to pass said nozzle over the solid material in a predetermined cutting path such that said high pressure stream of fluid passing through said nozzle engages and cuts through the solid material in accordance with said cutting path;a fluid reservoir disposed to receive said high pressure stream of fluid subsequent to passage thereof through the solid material; anda quality monitoring assembly, said quality monitoring assembly structured to monitor variations in said high pressure stream of fluid entering said fluid reservoir and to modify a movement rate of said nozzle, and accordingly said high pressure stream of fluid, along said cutting path, in response to said variations in said high pressure stream of fluid entering said fluid reservoir, so as to achieve a substantially consistent quality cut of the solid material at a maximum movement rate of said high pressure stream of fluid.