Ridder is known as a specialist in water jet cutting: A jet of water cuts through metals and plastic at an almost unimaginable pressure of 3,800 bar. The "cold" process offers the advantages that no harmful emissions are produced during cutting and that the cut surface has a perfect finish even without post-processing. In addition, no distortion occurs during cutting.
Ridder originally developed systems with a cutting table for 2D machining. Later, 3D gantry systems from the Waricut series travelling on high axes were added. This project, however, is the largest machine ever commissioned by Ridder:
This is because the Dutch Anssems Group has ordered a five-axis waterjet cutting system with a cutting volume of 32050 x 5050 x 1900 mm (x/y/z-axis) for the production of horse trailers. Two bridges, each with a 3D cutting head, move on the 32 metre long portal axes. The system is divided into four cabins so that the two cutting heads can each process one component while the other two cabins are being retooled. This ensures continuous capacity utilisation of the system. The fact that each cutting head can access all four cabins ensures high flexibility and availability.
The task of the water jet cutting system within production will be to process the glass-fibre reinforced plastic superstructures, which were laminated and shaped in the previous work steps, and to cut the door cut-outs into the horse trailers, for example. A very high level of accuracy is achieved in the process. While the systems usually work with an accuracy of ≤ ± 20 µm per metre, this system achieves an accuracy of 50 µm due to the large travel distances. The Ridder designers had to solve the task of supplying the cutting heads with power, signals, compressed air and water. The high maximum travelling speeds of the linear axis of 20 m/min. also had to be taken into account. The biggest problem, however, was the long travel. On these lengths in particular, the upper run of the chain simply rests on the lower run according to the principle of the sliding energy chain. This was not possible with this system for two reasons: due to the heavy filling and the long travel, there would have been too much friction. In addition, the high-pressure pipe for the water supply requires a larger bend radius, so that the principle "chain on chain" was out of the question.