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no edit summary
'''Part Design in ProtoMAX LAYOUT:'''
'''Part Design in ProtoMAX LAYOUT:'''
# Open ProtoMAX LAYOUT. Your screen should look something like this.
# Open ProtoMAX LAYOUT. Your screen should look something like this.
[[File:ProtoMAX_LAYOUT.png|600x600px]]
#Select the "Line" tool from the "Draw" menu on the left of the screen and create a 2" square with a 1" square notch in the top right corner. To do this, click anywhere on the screen to start the first line. This will bring a popup "Specify Dimensions" box where you will enter 2 into the "Rise (dy)" box. This will create a 2" vertical line. Select the "Line" tool again at the top of the first line and enter 1 into the "Run (dx)" box. This will create a 1" horizontal line to the right. Repeat this process until the box looks like this. The last line at the bottom can by created by selecting both open edges with the "Line" tool.
#Select the "Line" tool from the "Draw" menu on the left of the screen and create a 2" square with a 1" square notch in the top right corner. To do this, click anywhere on the screen to start the first line. This will bring a popup "Specify Dimensions" box where you will enter 2 into the "Rise (dy)" box. This will create a 2" vertical line. Select the "Line" tool again at the top of the first line and enter 1 into the "Run (dx)" box. This will create a 1" horizontal line to the right. Repeat this process until the box looks like this. The last line at the bottom can by created by selecting both open edges with the "Line" tool.
[[File:Basic_shape_of_box.png|600x600px]]
# Select the "Circle" tool and choose the intersect option from the bottom of the screen. Click the top, left corner of the square and enter 0.5 for the diameter of the circle.
# Select the "Circle" tool and choose the intersect option from the bottom of the screen. Click the top, left corner of the square and enter 0.5 for the diameter of the circle.
# Select the circle using the "Select" tool from the "Edit" menu on the left of the screen (make sure to select the top and bottom of the circle). Next, select the "Move" tool from the left side of the screen and choose the "Intersect" option from the bottom of the screen.
# Select the circle using the "Select" tool from the "Edit" menu on the left of the screen (make sure to select the top and bottom of the circle). Next, select the "Move" tool from the left side of the screen and choose the "Intersect" option from the bottom of the screen.
#Click on the center of the circle where the corner of the square is and enter 0.5 and -0.5 for the "Run" and "Rise" of the movement. Your screen should look something like this.
#Click on the center of the circle where the corner of the square is and enter 0.5 and -0.5 for the "Run" and "Rise" of the movement. Your screen should look something like this.
[[File:Box_with_circle.png|600x600px]]
'''Tool Paths''':
'''Tool Paths''':
# Zoom in closer to the circle. Select the "Lead i/o" tool from the "Draw" menu on the left of the screen. Select the bottom edge of the circle and move the cursor upwards and click to create a lead in and out from the center of the circle. This will tell the water jet to cut on the inside of the circle. Looking at this picture, you can see that one line is longer than the other. This longer line is the lead-in line. The nozzle will penetrate the material from the beginning of the long line and work its way down to the bottom of the circle. Once the nozzle hits the bottom, it will start counter-clockwise because the lead-in line is positioned at a slight angle to make counter-clockwise and easier direction than clockwise. This is how you tell the nozzle which direction to cut.
# Zoom in closer to the circle. Select the "Lead i/o" tool from the "Draw" menu on the left of the screen. Select the bottom edge of the circle and move the cursor upwards and click to create a lead in and out from the center of the circle. This will tell the water jet to cut on the inside of the circle. Looking at this picture, you can see that one line is longer than the other. This longer line is the lead-in line. The nozzle will penetrate the material from the beginning of the long line and work its way down to the bottom of the circle. Once the nozzle hits the bottom, it will start counter-clockwise because the lead-in line is positioned at a slight angle to make counter-clockwise and easier direction than clockwise. This is how you tell the nozzle which direction to cut.
[[File:Lead i-o.png|600x600px]]
# Next, place a "Lead i/o" near the bottom of the left wall on the square moving your cursor to the left and clicking to tell the machine to cut on the outside of the box.
# Next, place a "Lead i/o" near the bottom of the left wall on the square moving your cursor to the left and clicking to tell the machine to cut on the outside of the box.
[[File:Lead io2.png|600x600px]]
# Select the "Line" tool and connect the long, lead-in line of the box to the short, lead-out line of the circle. This is a traverse line telling the machine to move from the circle to the box after it has finished cutting the circle.
# Select the "Line" tool and connect the long, lead-in line of the box to the short, lead-out line of the circle. This is a traverse line telling the machine to move from the circle to the box after it has finished cutting the circle.
# Use the line tool and click on the long, lead-in line for the circle. Place the other end of the line so that it is at least 1/8" past both the left and bottom edge of the part. This will be the origin for the part and the cut. It should look something like this.
# Use the line tool and click on the long, lead-in line for the circle. Place the other end of the line so that it is at least 1/8" past both the left and bottom edge of the part. This will be the origin for the part and the cut. It should look something like this.
[[File:Design with traverse lines.png|600x600px]]
# Now you get to decide the quality of each cut. Select the button at the bottom of your screen labeled "Quality". You should see a range from 1 to 5, a Traverse, and Lead i/o. The range of 1 to 5 will change the machines cutting speed. The higher quality is 5 (slower) and the lowest quality is 1 (faster). Choose a quality of 5 for the circle by clicking "5" and then selecting every part of the circle. Do the same for the outer edge but with a quality of 1. Your part should look like this. Leave the traverse lines as green. You don't want them to cut there.
# Now you get to decide the quality of each cut. Select the button at the bottom of your screen labeled "Quality". You should see a range from 1 to 5, a Traverse, and Lead i/o. The range of 1 to 5 will change the machines cutting speed. The higher quality is 5 (slower) and the lowest quality is 1 (faster). Choose a quality of 5 for the circle by clicking "5" and then selecting every part of the circle. Do the same for the outer edge but with a quality of 1. Your part should look like this. Leave the traverse lines as green. You don't want them to cut there.
[[File:Quality lines.png|600x600px]]
# Sometimes there are extra points or lines that are unnecessary. Click "Clean" on the right side of your screen, click "start" on the popup window, and "okay" on the second popup window. Now your tool path is cleaned.
# Sometimes there are extra points or lines that are unnecessary. Click "Clean" on the right side of your screen, click "start" on the popup window, and "okay" on the second popup window. Now your tool path is cleaned.
# The last step is saving the file to be cut. Click "Post" on the right of your screen. This may ask you to save your drawing; do so. It will then bring you to a window asking you to "Pick Start". Select end of the traverse line that you defined as the origin.
# The last step is saving the file to be cut. Click "Post" on the right of your screen. This may ask you to save your drawing; do so. It will then bring you to a window asking you to "Pick Start". Select end of the traverse line that you defined as the origin.
# Push the clear plastic hose into the hole located on the side of the nozzle. This hose is abrasive feed tube and is used to mix the abrasive into the water.
# Push the clear plastic hose into the hole located on the side of the nozzle. This hose is abrasive feed tube and is used to mix the abrasive into the water.
# Position the nozzle between two of the metal ribs, close the lid, and test the nozzle using MAKE. When closing the lid, the support bar on the right side of the lid must be lifted otherwise it will not close. There are two things that should be checked when performing the nozzle test. First, check that the water is flowing through the nozzle. This seems obvious but is necessary because the nozzle can get clogged. Second, check that there is abrasive flowing through plastic tube. It flows quickly but can be identified by a sparkling in the tube as it flows.
# Position the nozzle between two of the metal ribs, close the lid, and test the nozzle using MAKE. When closing the lid, the support bar on the right side of the lid must be lifted otherwise it will not close. There are two things that should be checked when performing the nozzle test. First, check that the water is flowing through the nozzle. This seems obvious but is necessary because the nozzle can get clogged. Second, check that there is abrasive flowing through plastic tube. It flows quickly but can be identified by a sparkling in the tube as it flows.
# Open the lid, position the material in the machine, and clamp it down. To clamp down the material, first slip the clamping post into the slot on the crossbar and the twist clockwise to tighten it into place. Then slide the material clamp over the post and push down to tighten. Repeat this process with any other clamps that are needed to secure the material. The clamping system can be seen below.<figure-inline>[[File:Waterjet clamps.jpg|479x479px]]</figure-inline>
# Open the lid, position the material in the machine, and clamp it down. To clamp down the material, first slip the clamping post into the slot on the crossbar and the twist clockwise to tighten it into place. Then slide the material clamp over the post and push down to tighten. Repeat this process with any other clamps that are needed to secure the material. The clamping system can be seen below.[[File:Waterjet clamps.jpg|479x479px]]
# Load the cut file into MAKE, select the material being cut, and enter its thickness.
# Load the cut file into MAKE, select the material being cut, and enter its thickness.
# Set the origin point for the machine in MAKE.
# Set the origin point for the machine in MAKE.
Another issue is that the abrasive may not be flowing through its tube when performing the nozzle test. If this is happening do not perform a cut until the abrasive if flowing properly. The first thing you should check is the abrasive tube. Make sure that it is completely pushed into the nozzle so that it can be pulled out of the hopper by the vacuum within the nozzle. If this does not fix the issue then there is most likely water in the hose and maybe even in the hopper which causes the abrasive to stick to the feed tube tube instead of flowing through properly. Try removing the hopper splash guard, pull the feed tube out of the feed block, and then use an air hose to blow through the feed to clean out any moisture. These components can be seen in the image below. Sometimes the water will travel into the hopper itself and cause the abrasive to clump together. When this happens either wait a day for everything to dry out or carefully disassemble the hopper system and dry it out with the help of an ACE and the [https://knowledgebase.omax.com/protomax/content/401434/nozzle-clog.htm?tocpath=MANUALS%7COPERATION%20GUIDE%7C_____11 user manual].
Another issue is that the abrasive may not be flowing through its tube when performing the nozzle test. If this is happening do not perform a cut until the abrasive if flowing properly. The first thing you should check is the abrasive tube. Make sure that it is completely pushed into the nozzle so that it can be pulled out of the hopper by the vacuum within the nozzle. If this does not fix the issue then there is most likely water in the hose and maybe even in the hopper which causes the abrasive to stick to the feed tube tube instead of flowing through properly. Try removing the hopper splash guard, pull the feed tube out of the feed block, and then use an air hose to blow through the feed to clean out any moisture. These components can be seen in the image below. Sometimes the water will travel into the hopper itself and cause the abrasive to clump together. When this happens either wait a day for everything to dry out or carefully disassemble the hopper system and dry it out with the help of an ACE and the [https://knowledgebase.omax.com/protomax/content/401434/nozzle-clog.htm?tocpath=MANUALS%7COPERATION%20GUIDE%7C_____11 user manual].
[[File:Waterjet_Abrasive.jpg|799x799px]]
Often, if there is water in the abrasive feed tube it is caused by the nozzle being clogged. Unclogging the nozzle is a fairly intensive and delicate process and should be done with the help of an ACE. This will cover the overview of the process but make sure to reference the manufacturer's [https://knowledgebase.omax.com/protomax/content/401434/nozzle-clog.htm?tocpath=MANUALS%7COPERATION%20GUIDE%7C_____11 nozzle clog procedure] for the complete process and a video showing it being completed. Before unclogging the nozzle, remove the yellow rubber cone and raise the nozzle as high as it can go while being careful not to let it drop onto the material.
Often, if there is water in the abrasive feed tube it is caused by the nozzle being clogged. Unclogging the nozzle is a fairly intensive and delicate process and should be done with the help of an ACE. This will cover the overview of the process but make sure to reference the manufacturer's [https://knowledgebase.omax.com/protomax/content/401434/nozzle-clog.htm?tocpath=MANUALS%7COPERATION%20GUIDE%7C_____11 nozzle clog procedure] for the complete process and a video showing it being completed. Before unclogging the nozzle, remove the yellow rubber cone and raise the nozzle as high as it can go while being careful not to let it drop onto the material.
# Once this is done, use the included torque wrench to loosen the set screw holding the mixing tube (1) in place. Make sure to hold onto the tube when doing this so it does not drop out. <figure-inline>[[File:Waterjet Nozzle.jpg|496x496px]]</figure-inline>
# Once this is done, use the included torque wrench to loosen the set screw holding the mixing tube (1) in place. Make sure to hold onto the tube when doing this so it does not drop out. [[File:Waterjet Nozzle.jpg|496x496px]]
# Remove the tube and reinsert it upside down so that the pointed end is facing upward.
# Remove the tube and reinsert it upside down so that the pointed end is facing upward.
# Very carefully tighten the set screw to 15 in-lb using the torque wrench. The torque wrench will click when 15 in-lb is reached but it is very faint so tighten slowly or the entire tube will be crushed.
# Very carefully tighten the set screw to 15 in-lb using the torque wrench. The torque wrench will click when 15 in-lb is reached but it is very faint so tighten slowly or the entire tube will be crushed.