Water softener system for water jet cutter

[Callum FisherParticipant @callumfisher14905]

Hi All,

We are currently having our new waterjet system installed and i am trying to get my head round the water softener plant we will be using for the system.

The plant uses a reverse osmosis system to demineralize the water before it enters the waterjet system.

The thing i dont understand is that after the water passes through the various filtration units and the reverse osmosis membrane filter, which is when i expect the water will be at its purest, it then passes through a reminerlisation tank before being fed to the waterjet cutter.

Why does the system remove the minerals and then re add minerals to the water after?

Any help would be appreciated. the system we are using is a IDROTECNICA Reverse Osmosis Water Demineraliser.

Thanks

Callum

[Callum FisherParticipant @callumfisher14905]

[Gordon WParticipant @gordonw]

Ask the manufacturers, there are a lot of different systems to do different jobs. It may be that your plant needs the chemicals. I do not know anything about this system. I have very acid water and base materials are added after all the early stages. The makers will be able to tell you what it all does.

[martin perman 1Participant @martinperman1]

Reverse osmosis plants remove all solids and chemicals and leave a liquid which can then be treated with a known amount of chemical/ solid which can be controlled. Depending on what your cutting you require an abrasive in the water to do the cutting, metal cutting uses diamond dust to abrade the metal for instance.

Martin P

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

About 30years ago, our company CINCINNATI MILACRON started to sell robotic systems with a water jet cutter on it. The water jet bit was supplied by a German company and the technician came over to set it up. Once installed, he shut it all down and went off to the local butchers shop. Here he purchased a leg bone of a cow and returned to the company for the first demo. The group of engineers gathered around eagerly to see it work. The technician turned it on and passed the leg bone under the jet where the bone was promptly cut in half and it dropped onto the floor. He switched the unit off and in his German accent he said . "I thence Iz have your attention now!" Be very careful – water cuts anything.

[Callum FisherParticipant @callumfisher14905]

Martin,

So what your saying is that the reverse osmosis will remove pretty much everything from the water, but then using the reminerlization unit after the RO process you can control what minerals are put back into the water.

As for the abrasive garnet i believe this is done in the mixing tube located on the actual waterjet cutter its self.

Thanks for everyones replies.

Callum

[martin perman 1Participant @martinperman1]

Callum,

That is correct, I install RO systems to work with my companies equipment in laboratory's where the customer wants a control of say pH and uS and to do this the water comes from an RO system and then sea salt, uS, is added along with Bicarbonate of Soda, pH, this then gives them a controlled solution for experiments to work from, RO water is also very expensive as for every litre of RO made three litres of water goes down the drain as waste.

Martin P

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