PASER® ECL PLUS

M-359 | REV. E | JANUARY 2009

PASER ECL Plus
Operation & Service Manual

Due to continuing product improvement, the information contained in this document is subject to change
without notice. Flow International Corporation shall not be held liable for technical or editorial omissions
made herein, nor for any incidental or consequential damage resulting from the use of this material.
This document contains information protected by copyright. No part of this document shall be reproduced in
any manner without prior written consent from Flow International Corporation.
HyPlex™, Dynamic Waterjet™, DuraFlow™, and WaterVeyor™ are trademarks of Flow International
Corporation. Paser® ECL Plus is a registered trademark of Flow International Corporation.
Paser® ECL Plus components and system are patent pending.
© Copyright 1995–2009 Flow International Corporation. All rights reserved.

2 | M-359 © Flow International Corporation

 Introduction

Product registration M-359 (Rev. E)

This manual is one of many documents describing Flow International’s products. To make future technical in-
formation more useful to customers, we would appreciate hearing your comments and suggested improve-
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© Flow International Corporation M-359 | 3

PASER ECL Plus
Operation & Service Manual

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4 | M-359 © Flow International Corporation

 Introduction

PASER® ECL Plus

Chapter 1. Product Description PASER ECL Plus specifications . . . . . . . . . . . 33

System components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9, 10 PASER ECL Plus system schematic . . . . . . . . 33
Abrasive metering system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Air isolator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Chapter 2. Operation & Safety
Abrasive on/off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Inspecting new equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Abrasive metering disk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Intensifier pump . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Diverter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Manipulator machinery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Servicing the metering system . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Abrasive delivery system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Cutting head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Pneumatic lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Nozzle body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Abrasivejet cutting head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Orifice assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Initial startup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Cutting head body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Daily inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Precision collet and retainer nut . . . . . . . . . 18 High-pressure water system . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Mixing tube . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Abrasive delivery system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Pierce shield . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Metering valve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Servicing the cutting head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Abrasivejet cutting head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Tightening high-pressure fittings. . . . . . . . . . 19 Normal operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Servicing the orifice assembly . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Starting the PASER ECL Plus . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Cleaning orifice assemblies Stopping the PASER ECL Plus . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
and nozzle nuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Inspecting the mixing tube . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Safety precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Changing the mixing tube . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Warnings, cautions, & notes. . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Pierce shield . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Safety tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Replacing the pierce shield . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Protective clothing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
On/off valve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Emergency medical information . . . . . . . . . 44
Installing the on/off valve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Abrasive delivery line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Chapter 3. Optimizing Performance
Peak performance monitor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Adjusting the equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
General trends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Selecting operating parameters . . . . . . . . . . 45
Servicing the gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Evaluating operating parameters . . . . . . . . . 46
Troubleshooting using the gauge . . . . . . . . . 27 Adjusting for part quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Abrasive bulk transfer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Adjusting for speed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
FlowMaster-controlled hopper. . . . . . . . . . . 28 Adjusting the mixing tube stand-off . . . . . . . 47
Stand-alone hopper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Adjusting the abrasive metering valve . . . . . 47
Priming the bulk transfer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Abrasive delivery system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Installing the bulk transfer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Feed lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Adding abrasive to the hopper . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Abrasive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Abrasive bulk transfer controls . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Determining abrasive flow rate . . . . . . . . . . 49
Starting the bulk transfer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Abrasivejet operating tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Stopping the bulk transfer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

© Flow International Corporation M-359 | 5

PASER ECL Plus
Operation & Service Manual

Abrasivejet operation & Chapter 5. Parts Lists

maintenance concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Cutting head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Abrasive and abrasive delivery . . . . . . . . . . . 51 014192, Standard cutting head . . . . . . . . . 64
Abrasive feed lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 014266, Nozzle nut extension. . . . . . . . . . . 64
Cutting materials with the abrasivejet . . . . . . 52 014239, 5-axis cutting head . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Improving surface finish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 712401, WMC cutting head . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Cutting thick materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 014155, Orifice mount assembly. . . . . . . . . 66
Cutting through large air gaps . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Nozzle bodies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Cutting thin materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Mixing tubes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Kerf control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Metering valve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Taper. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 009930-X Metering valve assembly . . . . 68,69
Piercing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 009931-X Metering disks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Pierce-on-the-fly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Abrasive delivery system
Pierce with oscillations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 009950-X Bulk transfer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Stand-off during piercing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 A-11070 Abrasive delivery hopper . . . . . . 71
Piercing composites, laminates,
Electrical
and brittle materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
009813-1 Enclosure assembly . . . . . . . . . . . 72
General practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
009812 Elementary electrical diagram . . . 73
Clearing abrasive feed lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Spares and consumables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Stand-off distance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Surface frosting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Chapter 6. Reference
Abrasive hose movement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Typical abrasivejet cutting speeds . . . . . . . . . 76
The 10/30 combination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Abrasive flow rate chart (blank) . . . . . . . . . . 77
Chapter 4. Maintenance & Service
Establishing a maintenance schedule . . . . . . 55
Maintenance tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Periodic maintenance schedule . . . . . . . . . . 56
Troubleshooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Troubleshooting tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Using the troubleshooting guide . . . . . . . . . 57
Troubleshooting the abrasivejet system . . . . . 58
Troubleshooting the bulk transfer . . . . . . . . . 61

6 | M-359 © Flow International Corporation

 Introduction

Introduction
The information in this manual will help you become familiar with your new Flow International (FLOW)
equipment. It was compiled from the most current information available at the time of publication and is in-
tended to cover the most common configurations. Your equipment was shipped with other documents, in-
cluding drawings. Refer to these drawings when using the parts lists in this manual.

Safety
All operating personnel and service technicians must read and follow the comprehensive list of safety precau-
tions in Chapter 2 before installing, operating, or servicing the equipment, to avoid creating unsafe condi-
tions, or risking damage to the equipment. The high-pressure waterjet system is a powerful cutting tool and
must always be treated with respect.

Warnings, cautions, and notes

Before operating the equipment, you must read, understand, and follow all warnings, cautions, and notes in
this manual. They are defined as follows:

WARNING
Highlights an operating or service procedure or condition that can
result in death or serious injury to personnel.

CAUTION
Highlights an operating or service procedure or condition that can
lead to impaired system operation or equipment damage.

Note: Highlights an operating or service procedure or condition that is essential for efficient operation and
service.

© Flow International Corporation M-359 | 7

PASER ECL Plus
Operation & Service Manual

Notes

8 | M-359 © Flow International Corporation

 CHAPTER 1
Product Description
The PASER ECL Plus abrasivejet cutting head com-
bines the energy of a high-pressure waterjet stream
with abrasive particles to cut materials that are be-
yond the capability of a waterjet. The abrasive is in-
troduced into the waterjet stream and controlled by
an abrasive metering system.
The PASER ECL Plus can operate as a waterjet or as
an abrasivejet. As a waterjet it can cut a variety of
materials, including tissue, fabric, plastics, and food.
As an abrasivejet it has the ability to cut or pierce
virtually any non-food material that is beyond the
capabilities of conventional and waterjet cutters. It
functions in any direction and is capable of both
straight and contour cutting. The abrasivejet can be
adapted to many existing manipulator applications
and operations, including integration with optical
tracers; full-scale, multi-axis robots, and computer
numerically-controlled guidance systems.

System components
There are three main components of a PASER ECL
Plus system: an abrasive bulk transfer system, a me-
tering system, and a cutting head. These and other
system components are described in detail in this
chapter.

© Flow International Corporation M-359 | 9

PASER ECL Plus
Operation & Service Manual

PASER ECL Plus components

10 | M-359 © Flow International Corporation

 CHAPTER 1
Product Description & Specifications

Abrasive metering system

The metering system functions as an air isolator, an
abrasive on/off valve, a meter for the abrasive that Connecting the metering valve system
goes to the cutting head, and a water diverter. The
transparent body lets you easily see if there is abra- Abrasive inlet 1
2 -in. NPT
sive in the hopper. A clear connector, or diverter,
holds the metering disk and feeds abrasive to the Air cylinder 1 -in. diameter polyurethane
4
on/off tubing
delivery line.
These components are illustrated below, and de- Abrasive feed 3 -in. diameter polyurethane
8
line tubing
scribed on the following pages.

Air isolator
Abrasive and air enter the abrasive inlet port to-
gether. The abrasive builds up on top of the isolator
and falls through the hole in the center, which sepa-
rates most of the air from the abrasive.
The air is vented out of the top of the metering
valve, and the abrasive that falls through the isolator
builds up in the lower half of the valve. The remain-
ing entrained air collects in a pocket under the air
isolator and is vented from the side of the valve
body.

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PASER ECL Plus
Operation & Service Manual

Abrasive on/off Abrasive metering disk

The abrasive on/off consists of a rubber stopper on Abrasive flow to the cutting head is controlled by
the bottom of the connecting shaft, controlled by an the orifice in the metering disk. It operates on the
air cylinder. The on/off controls abrasive flow to the principal that a fixed amount of material will flow
cutting head. The double-acting air cylinder requires through a fixed orifice at a constant rate. The flow
air pressure at the bottom of the cylinder to open, rate is affected by abrasive type and size. The table
and at the top to close. on the next page shows the correct metering disk for
each type of abrasive.
CAUTION
The regulator supplied with the metering system The metering disk is directly below the rubber stop-
must maintain closing pressure of 20–30 psi. per that regulates abrasive. When the stopper is up,
Failure to operate the valve at the correct pressure abrasive flows through the metering orifice. The disk
will cause premature failure of the rubber stopper.
is hard anodized for long life—if the disk starts to
In the ON position, the rubber stopper is raised wear, the black anodizing on the disk will wear off
above the seating surface, and abrasive flows inside the orifice. Each disk is marked with the
through the metering orifice. In the OFF position, opening diameter, which correlates to the listed flow
the air cylinder pushes the rubber stopper against rates.
the seating surface, which stops the flow of
abrasive. How it works
The metering disk determines the abrasive flow
rate to the cutting head. For a given pressure, each
mixing tube/orifice combination has one optimum
abrasive flow rate. Using a larger or smaller disk in-
creases the cost per inch and most likely will pro-
duce a slower cutting speed. It is generally not
recommended.

Recommended metering disk/mixing

tube combinations
There are three recommended orifice/mixing tube
combinations, as shown below. If you need to use
another disk size, please refer to the table for rec-
ommended abrasive flow rates, located in Chap-
ter 3.

Orifice/ Disk/abrasive combination

Pressure
mixing tube (kpsi) 60 80
(x 0.001 in.) 120 mesh
mesh mesh
40 — — .196
10/30
50-55 — — .215
40 .237 .229 .229
13/40
50-55 .255 .246 .246
40 .255 .246 .246
16/40
50-55 .269 .263 .269

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 CHAPTER 1
Product Description & Specifications

Diverter
The clear diverter performs three main functions. It
holds the metering disk, provides for a connection
to the abrasive feed line, and diverts water sent up
the abrasive feed line away from the metering valve
to keep the abrasive in the metering system from
getting wet.

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PASER ECL Plus
Operation & Service Manual

Servicing the metering system

Changing the metering disk Cleaning out a clogged valve

The metering disks are engineered to provide cor- The metering valve is designed so clogged abrasive
rect abrasive flow for the PASER ECL Plus. To change can be easily cleaned out.
the flow rate, select the appropriate metering disk, 1. Turn off the bulk transfer. (If you don’t, abra-
insert it, and continue cutting. Replace the disk sive can be expelled with the compressed air,
when the anodizing starts to wear off the edges of which could be a safety hazard.)
the orifice.
2. Twist the knurled aluminum piece on the
1. Twist the diverter clockwise, then pull gently lower h alf of the metering valve clockwise.
down to remove it from the main body.
3. Pull the piece free, allowing the abrasive to
2. Remove the metering disk from the top of the empty out.
diverter and clear away any abrasive collected
on the top of the diverter. 4. Clean abrasive and moisture from all compo-
nents. Do not reuse the abrasive.
3. Put a new metering disk in place, then
reinsert the diverter into the body. Turn coun- Note: Install so strain is relieved, to help avoid
terclockwise to lock into place. cracking the body.

5. Reassemble the metering valve. Turn on the

bulk transfer.

Resume operation.

Note: if the diverter is hard to remove, apply a very

small amount of silicone lubricant to the o-ring on
the connector. Replace the o-ring as necessary.

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 CHAPTER 1
Product Description & Specifications

Cutting head Standard PASER ECL Plus

cutting head
The PASER ECL Plus cutting head accelerates the
abrasive with a high-velocity waterjet to generate a
stream capable of cutting any material. The cutting
head assembly includes the nozzle body, DuraFlow
orifice, mixing chamber body, precision collet, collet
retainer nut, mixing tube, and pierce shield.

How it works
When the on/off valve is enabled, high-pressure
water flows through the orifice assembly into the
mixing chamber, where it creates an area of partial
vacuum. The vacuum draws a metered flow of
abrasive through the abrasive delivery line, where
it combines with the water to create a high-energy
abrasivejet cutting stream.
This stream exits the cutting head through the
mixing tube at a tip velocity of up to 3000 ft/sec
(914 m/sec). After cutting, the residual energy of
the abrasive stream (up to 75% of nozzle tip
energy) is contained and dissipated by a catcher.

Available configurations
There are four different cutting head configurations.
The standard is shown on this page; the others are
shown on the following page.
• Standard
• Standard for use with 4-in.
mixing tubes
• for 5-axis systems
• for the Waterjet Machining Center®

There is also a cutting head designed especially for

the Dynamic Waterjet®. This assembly is explained
in the Dynamic Waterjet manual.

© Flow International Corporation M-359 | 15

PASER ECL Plus
Operation & Service Manual

Standard cutting head Cutting head

with extension for 5-axis

16 | M-359 © Flow International Corporation

 CHAPTER 1
Product Description & Specifications

Cutting head
for WMC

© Flow International Corporation M-359 | 17

PASER ECL Plus
Operation & Service Manual

Nozzle body Precision collet and retainer nut

The nozzle body has two main functions: it contains The collet has a 3:1 gripping ratio and precisely cen-
the high-pressure water, and it aligns and holds the ters the mixing tube in the cutting head. The conical
orifice assembly in the cutting head. Pilot surfaces shape is matched to the machined conical shape of
above and below the threads provide precise en- the downstream region of the cutting head body.
gagement of the nozzle body to the cutting head. This ensures a precise axial and radial registration of
Matching pilot and thread surfaces on the cutting the mixing tube in the cutting head.
head ensure accurate assembly. Install the mixing tube and collet assembly into the
cutting head by hand by tightening the retainer nut.
Orifice assembly Note: When using 4-in. mixing tubes with a pierce
shield, you also need to use the nozzle nut exten-
The DuraFlow orifice creates the high-velocity water sion—this part snaps onto the cutting head, and is
jet. The orifice and its precision-engineered mount held in place by tightening the set screw.
provide a wear-resistant and accurate orifice assem-
bly. The orifice mount is designed to automatically
align the orifice with the mixing tube. It will not Mixing tube
swage or jam into the body, and no special tools are
required to install it. The mixing tube focuses and accelerates the abra-
sive that is entrained in the water stream. The
PASER ECL Plus mixing tube is designed with a ring
Cutting head body on the upper region, which precisely registers the
mixing tube in the cutting head. This ensures that
The cutting head body has three distinct regions: a the abrasivejet stream is centered in the mixing
precision threaded section, the mixing chamber, and tube.
the shoulder.
A simple way to install the mixing tube is to hold
• The precision section is for the orifice assembly, the retaining nut in your palm, snap in the collet,
which is held in place by threading the high- then drop in the mixing tube and let it extend be-
pressure nozzle body into the cutting head. Pilot tween your fingers. Screw this assembly onto the
surfaces above and below the threads in the bore mixing chamber (refer to exploded view drawings
improve the accuracy of mating the nozzle body on the previous page for reference).
with the cutting head.
• The mixing chamber is where the abrasive and
water mix. There are two abrasive inlets, so one Pierce shield
will be close to the metering valve when tight-
The pierce shield snaps into the retainer nut. The
ened. Cap the unused inlet with the plastic cap
shield's polyurethane skirt surrounds the mixing
(provided with the cutting head), or connect it to
tube, which helps prevent jet spray from impacting
the optional vacuum assist.
the material during piercing. A wear-resistant poly-
• The precision-machined shoulder serves as a stop urethane blast disk is located in the center of the
for the mixing tube. There are no carbide pins or pierce shield. This replaceable part absorbs most of
inserts used in the cutting head. the jet's energy, and helps to extend the life of the
pierce shield.

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 CHAPTER 1
Product Description & Specifications

Servicing the cutting head

Tightening high-pressure fittings
High-pressure fittings should be free from leaks at 5. Tap the body upside down on a table to
a torque of 25–35 ft-lb (34–47 N-m). When attach- remove the orifice assembly. If necessary,
ing the cutting head, first make the connection rea- lightly pry on the mount with a screwdriver.
sonably tight using a crow’s foot wrench, then turn 6. Apply a very thin film of Blue Lubricant at the
on the jet. If water leaks out the weep hole on the top of the orifice assembly. Use a clean,
head, tighten until leaking stops. Repeat at half the lint-free applicator (such as a swab or small
final pressure, then at final pressure. This ensures paintbrush).
that the cutting head is tight enough to permit safe
high-pressure operation without damaging the parts.
• Refer to manual M-127, Small High-Pressure
Components, for more information on high-
pressure fittings.

Servicing the orifice assembly CAUTION

The amount of Blue Lubricant must be small enough
During indirect inspection, check for evidence of that it cannot flow toward the bore of the orifice.
erosion, wear, or other damage to the orifice assem-
bly retainer surface. The orifice assembly must sit
squarely against the retainer surface for correct align- 7. Make sure the seating surface in the body is
ment with the mixing tube. free of abrasive, then drop the orifice assem-
bly into the body, shaking the body until the
CAUTION assembly drops into the taper.
The nozzle body, mixing chamber, orifice assembly,
all work surfaces, and the hands of the service techni- 8. Apply Blue Lubricant to the pilot diameters
cian must be clean and free from dirt and abrasive and threads of nozzle body, as shown below.
when working with the orifice assembly. Attach cutting head body to nozzle body.
Using a torque wrench with a crows foot at-
Blue Lubricant will readily collect dust, dirt, and
abrasive. Any contamination of the orifice assembly tachment, tighten to 30–35 ft-lb.
will most likely cause the nozzle to leak.
CAUTION
Do not over-tighten the cutting head—it will
Changing the orifice damage mating surfaces, such as the nozzle body.
It can also damage the orifice mount (by forcing
1. Turn the intensifier pump off and bleed all the mount out of round, or by flattening it.)
pressure from the system. Such damage is not covered by warranty.
2. Pull firmly on the abrasive feed line to remove
it from the head.
Note: If the line is hard to remove, apply a
very small amount of silicone or food-grade
lubricant to the 45° port. This will make it
easier to remove the next time.
3. Using a 1 116 -in. wrench on the cutting head
body and a 34 -in. wrench on the nozzle nut,
loosen the cutting head body and remove it
from the nozzle body.
4. There is an o-ring inside the nozzle nut; be
sure to inspect it for damage and replace if
necessary.

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PASER ECL Plus
Operation & Service Manual

9. Reattach the abrasive feed line and check for

leaks.
Notes:
· If the cutting head leaks with 35 ft-lb of
torque, take it apart and look for the
cause. Contamination of the nozzle com-
ponents will most likely be the problem.
Completely and thoroughly clean compo-
nents, and reassemble. Always make sure
to handle parts with clean hands.
· Hand-tightening the nozzle body is not
sufficient. It will result in leaks, which will
ultimately damage nozzle body compo-
nents.

Cleaning orifice assemblies

and nozzle nuts
If you experience degraded waterjet quality, try
cleaning the orifice assembly. This is especially im-
portant if your water analysis shows a high level of
minerals.
In Chapter 6 of manual M-127 there is a complete
procedure for cleaning the orifice assembly. The
procedure explains how to set up the ultrasonic
cleaning equipment, the cleaning procedure, and
how to reassemble and install the orifice assembly.

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 CHAPTER 1
Product Description & Specifications

Inspecting the mixing tube · Chips in either end of the nozzle that orig-
inate at the inside diameter. Do not con-
In normal operation, excess water should not drip fuse normal wear (concentric or
from the PASER ECL Plus when the on/off valve is off-center) of the upper end of the mixing
shut off. If this occurs, the on/off valve needs service tube with chipping.
(use repair kit 010200-1). On/off valve service in-
· Some obvious erosion of the upper end of
structions are in manual M-127, Small High-Pressure
the tube is acceptable, as long as it does
Components.
not allow water and abrasive to migrate
The air supply used for all PASER ECL Plus compo- between the tube OD and the body ID, or
nents must be clean, dry, and oil free. See system result in degraded abrasivejet stream ap-
specification in this chapter. pearance or performance.
2. Inspection may also reveal some of the
Tools conditions listed below. Any of these are ac-
ceptable as long as they do not result in de-
Pin gauges, or a vernier or dial caliper
graded abrasivejet stream appearance or
CAUTION performance.
The mixing tube is brittle carbide—
do not bend it, drop it, or twist it. · Discoloration or surface scoring.
· Erosion on the cone in the upper end of
the mixing tube that does not affect the
Procedure
tube-to-body mating or reduce the nozzle
With the mixing tube removed from the mixing wall to less than 0.020 in.
chamber body: · Scoring or scratching of the exposed
1. Inspect the mixing tube for obvious cracks, length of the mixing tube.
chips, erosion and other damage. Replace the · Grooves, spirals or other erosive wear of
mixing tube if any of these conditions exist: the tube ID that does not affect the per-
formance of the abrasivejet stream or ex-
· Cracks that extend radially from the noz-
cessively increase the mixing tube exit end
zle ID to OD or extend down the length
ID.
of the nozzle.
· Imperfections other than changes of color If inspection does not reveal any unacceptable con-
or scoring in the area covered by the col- ditions, reinstall the mixing tube.
let.
· Chips in the downstream end/outside Changing the mixing tube
edge of the nozzle that originate at the
outside diameter, leaving less than 1. Make sure the intensifier pump is off and all
0.020 in. nozzle wall. pressure bled from the system.
· The nozzle tip exit ID is worn enough to 2. Remove the retaining nut and mixing tube to-
degrade cutting accuracy and perfor- gether.
mance below acceptable levels:
3. Put the end of the mixing tube on a compliant
For DWJ cutting: 0.010 inch (0.25 mm) surface such as wood or plastic. Press the re-
greater than original size taining nut down and remove it from the mix-
For non-tilt cutting: 0.02 inch (0.5 mm) ing tube, then pull out the tube.
greater than original size
4. Install the collet into the retaining nut, install
· Prominent, off-centered wear at the noz- the new mixing tube into the collet from the
zle exit end ID. collet side, then install the collet/mixing tube
assembly into the cutting head.

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PASER ECL Plus
Operation & Service Manual

Pierce shield
The pierce shield helps protect the operator from
spray when piercing in a stationary position, and
helps keep the machine and surrounding area clean.
Other benefits:
• The flexible polyurethane skirt allows the shield
to pass over the top of low-lying part clamps.
• It allows easier cutting of non-flat materials.

Notes:
• The PASER ECL Plus standard and WMC cutting
heads are designed to be used with a pierce
shield. DO NOT operate without the pierce shield
in place.
• When using the low-profile 5-axis cutting head,
you do not use the pierce shield, but you MUST
use the blast disk.
• The pierce shield for the standard nozzle is
shown here. There are other configurations.

How it works
The flexible polyurethane skirt surrounds the mixing
tube to help contain jet spray during piercing. A
wear-resistant polyurethane blast disk is located in
the center of the pierce shield. This replaceable part
absorbs most of the jet's energy, and helps extend
the life of the pierce shield.

Replacing the pierce shield

1. Slip the assembly over the o-rings on the
bottom of the mixing tube retainer nut
(friction from the o-rings holds it in place).
2. Center the mixing tube in the pierce
shield.
3. Slide the pierce shield up into the collet
nut; press into place.
4. Slide the blast disk over the mixing tube; press
into the center of the pierce shield.

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 CHAPTER 1
Product Description & Specifications

On/off valve
Refer to manual M-127, Small High-Pressure Com-
ponents (shipped with your FLOW shapecutting sys-
tem), for information on how to install high-pressure
tubing and other small parts not covered in this
manual. Valve and repair kit part numbers are also
located in manual M-127.

Installing the on/off valve

The following are required before installing the
on/off valve.
• Shop air connection—must accept ¼-in.
(6.35 mm) OD tubing.
• High-pressure water interface connection—
a coned metal-to-metal seal, attached through
a mounting collar threaded to accept a high-
pressure gland. All high-pressure water tubing
and connections must be certified for a minimum
working pressure of 60,000 psi (4138 bar).
• Stress relief devices should be provided to relieve
any cyclic torsional or bending movements on
the interface fittings (refer to manual M-127,
Small High-Pressure Components).

© Flow International Corporation M-359 | 23

PASER ECL Plus
Operation & Service Manual

Abrasive feed line

The abrasive feed line is a flexible plastic tube that
connects the outlet of the abrasive metering valve
and the mixing chamber.
It performs two main functions:
• Feeds abrasive to the cutting head from
the metering valve.
• Provides a pressure port for the performance
monitor vacuum readings.

Note: The tubing between the performance moni-

tor connection and the metering system must be no
longer than 4 in. (102 mm) or the monitor will not
work correctly.

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 CHAPTER 1
Product Description & Specifications

Peak performance monitor

The peak performance monitor is a vacuum gauge How it works
that provides the operator with relative performance
information. The gauge is calibrated for running the Water pressure, abrasive flow rate, orifice size and
optimum abrasive flow rate at the optimum operat- quality, mixing tube diameter, and abrasive feed line
ing pressure (60,000 psi/4138 bar). conditions can all affect how the gauge reads.
The gauge measures the vacuum in the abrasive In normal operation, these variables are fixed and
feed line going to the cutting head. This is done by the gauge has a steady output. Thus any change in
way of a tee attached to the feed line, as illustrated the readings indicates that a process variable has
below. changed. By understanding how different factors af-
fect the vacuum, troubleshooting the system will be
much easier.
The gauge face is divided into three bands, one for
each orifice/mixing tube combination. During nor-
mal operation while abrasive is flowing, the gauge
should be in the operating range for the orifice/
mixing tube combination being used.

© Flow International Corporation M-359 | 25

PASER ECL Plus
Operation & Service Manual

General trends
When only water is used, no measurable vacuum Troubleshooting
will show on the gauge. This is because the short
feed line allows the cutting head to vent to atmo- When using the gauge for troubleshooting, look for
spheric pressure. Once abrasive flows from the me- the conditions described on the following page. The
tering valve to the cutting head, the air flow to the 10/30 orifice/mixing tube combination is illustrated.
cutting head is “choked” in the feed line, producing For the other orifice/mixing tube combinations, ap-
a readable vacuum. A higher abrasive flow rate re- ply the troubleshooting description to the bandwidth
sults in a higher vacuum reading. for that combination. For example, slightly below
normal for the 16/40 combination is just below the
• no abrasive—needle will be at zero red band.
• some abrasive—needle will be in the
low band range
Servicing the gauge
• more abrasive—needle will be in a
higher band range After the system has been in operation for a while,
the monitor gauge may not completely return to
Increasing the water flow rate zero when not in use. When this occurs, zero the
gauge as follows:
For a fixed abrasive flow rate, increasing the water
1. Remove the gauge face cover by applying
pressure will cause a higher vacuum reading. This is
pressure to the clear cover and turning coun-
because more water flow will pull more air into the
ter-clockwise.
cutting head, causing a larger pressure drop through
the feed line. 2. Locate the adjustment screw, just left of the
needle pivot point. Using an Allen wrench,
turn the screw clockwise to move the needle
As the mixing tube wears
to the right; counterclockwise to move the
As the inside diameter of a mixing tube enlarges, the needle to the left.
vacuum readings will climb slightly.
• new mixing tube—needle will be at low
end of range
• worn out mixing tube—needle will be at
extreme high end of range, or even off
the band

High-pressure orifice has failed

If the high-pressure orifice is chipped or damaged,
the vacuum reading will climb, often drastically.
• new orifice—needle will be at low end
range
• badly chipped orifice—needle will be off
the band
Note: In some conditions a chipped orifice will not
show on the gauge. Instead, you might see a large
abrasive flaring. By watching the gauge and inspect-
ing the orifice, you will be able to monitor
orifice condition.

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 CHAPTER 1
Product Description & Specifications

Troubleshooting using the gauge

Needle bounces Reading is slightly high

Failure could occur at any time, usually indicated by • Partial clog in feed line upstream of tee, or partial
abrasive pulsing in the feed line. plug in diverter
• Partial clog in cutting head • Plugged vents in diverter
• Backed up abrasive in feed line • Normal mixing tube wear
• Plugged vents in metering system • Slightly damaged orifice (leave if cutting quality is
• Using incorrect cycle start/stop procedure OK)

Needle is slightly below normal position Reading is very high

• Decrease in water pressure • Partial clog in feed line upstream of tee

• Pin hole or leak in feed lines • Plugged vents in diverter
• Partial clog in inlet port of cutting head • Excessive mixing tube wear
• Partially plugged metering disk • Very damaged orifice

Needle does not register on gauge Reading is at maximum level

• No water pressure There is a blockage of abrasive upstream of the tee.

This usually means the adapter body is full of abra-
• Disconnected feed lines sive; in some cases the feed line will be loaded.
• Total clog in inlet port of cutting head Clean out all components downstream of the meter-
• Totally plugged metering disk ing disk, and make sure the cutting head inlet port
isn’t clogged.
• Abrasive valve turned off
• Water only—needle will be at zero CAUTION
Before using compressed air to blow out the abrasive
delivery line, you MUST first disconnect the line to the
gauge, or you will permanently damage it.

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PASER ECL Plus
Operation & Service Manual

Abrasive bulk transfer

Stand-alone hopper
The abrasive delivery hopper is a fabricated steel
container that holds approximately 500 lb of abra- The abrasive delivery hopper illustrated above is a
sive. Low-pressure compressed air moves the abra- stand-alone unit that has controls for operating it.
sive to the cutting system through an abrasion- At the cutting station, the delivery system terminates
resistant hose. The hopper has lifting rings to make it into a receiving hopper. Because abrasive is deliv-
easy to move, but it must be bolted to the floor ered to the hopper at low pressure, level limit
upon final placement. There are two versions of the switches and sensors are not required. Abrasive de-
hopper, either controlled by the FlowMaster® oper- livery and level control in the receiving hopper are
ating system, or a standalone hopper with manual self regulating.
controls.
The electrical control for the delivery hopper is a
NEMA 4 standard enclosure with door-mounted
FlowMaster-controlled hopper controls. All internal wiring is to a numbered termi-
nal strip for ease of troubleshooting. Relay logic con-
The abrasive delivery hopper for FlowMaster- trols the individual units.
controlled systems is a dumb hopper with no exter-
nal controls. This hopper is controlled through the
software, and is not described here.

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 CHAPTER 1
Product Description & Specifications

How it works When the system is turned to the STOP or FILL po-
sition, the pilot valve supplies air to retract the pis-
Pressurized air passes through the pressure regulator ton and the poppet valve shifts, cutting off the air to
to a 4-way pilot valve. The valve controls both the the pressure vessel and venting the stored air in the
air cylinder that seals the pressure vessel and the vessel through the muffler to the outside.
main 3-way poppet valve used to fill and empty the
pressure vessel. The pressure vessel has two proximity switches
mounted in the side. The upper switch is a warning
In the STOP or FILL position, the air cylinder is for low abrasive level; the lower switch provides au-
pulled into the retracted position by the pilot valve, tomatic shutdown when the system runs out of
and the pressure vessel is vented to atmosphere abrasive. The illustration on the next page shows the
through the muffler by the poppet valve. switch locations.

When
air
The
minihopper/metering
pressure
signal
pressure
thetocontrols
the
tovessel
lift
poppet
the
are
then
piston
valve.
switched
valve
pushes
up
to to
fill
to
theseal
the
abrasive
the
pressure
RUN pressure
position,
outvessel
thevessel
bottom
the
withpilot
and
compressed
toprovides
valve
supply
supplies
the
an
air.

© Flow International Corporation M-359 | 29

PASER ECL Plus
Operation & Service Manual

Installing the bulk transfer Priming the bulk transfer

The following customer-supplied conditions must be The first time the bulk transfer is used, the delivery
met before installing the system. line might need to be primed. This will help prevent
bursts of air from exiting the metering system, which
Air requirements will disrupt abrasive flow.
1. Remove the lower clear connector, start the
• inlet—120 psig (max), 60 psig (min) of dry, bulk transfer, and turn on the metering sys-
oil-free, compressed air at 2 scfm tem. Let the abrasive flow into a bucket until
• operating—20-40 psig of dry, oil-free, com- flow is steady.
pressed air at less than 1 scfm
2. If the abrasive continues to sputter after a
• connection is a 34 NPT female pipe thread couple of minutes, dump the abrasive from
• a hand valve in the customer’s line is the bucket into the bulk transfer and check
recommended the following:
· Increase the vertical drop of the delivery
Electrical requirements line into the metering system.
· The delivery line is as short as possible.
• 120 VAC at 4 amps, 60 Hz
· The highest point the delivery line must
reach should be as it exits the bulk
Transfer line
transfer.
• Run this line out the bottom of the bulk transfer Once these conditions are met, repeat Step 1.
hopper, and if possible, immediately up to the
maximum height necessary. If multiple metering
systems are used, split the line at the hopper, not
at the metering systems.
• Provide strain relief for this line at the metering
system connection—this reduces risk of breaking
the plastic body.
• Keep the transfer line as short as possible.

Adding abrasive to the hopper

The hopper holds 500 lb (250 kg).
1. Turn the control switch on the electrical enclo-
sure to the STOP position.
2. Remove cover from the pressure vessel.
3. Open a bag of abrasive and begin filling the
hopper. Stop adding abrasive when you can
see abrasive underneath the ball valve.
5. Clean off excess abrasive from the outside of
the hopper and replace the cover.

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 CHAPTER 1
Product Description & Specifications

Abrasive bulk transfer controls

Note: the bulk transfer hopper for a FlowMaster sys-
tem is controlled through the software. Refer to your
FlowMaster manual.

Stop/run
Turn the switch to RUN to begin operation; switch
to STOP to halt operation or fill the pressure vessel
with abrasive.

Abrasive fault
If a low abrasive level causes an automatic shut-
down, refill the pressure vessel, then push this but-
ton to reset the bulk transfer.

Regulator
The regulator controls the air pressure in the pres-
sure vessel. Set the regulator to the minimum pres-
sure necessary to keep pressure at 30–60 psi, then
lock in place. Correct air pressure is achieved when
the mini-hopper remains supplied with abrasive
while the system is running. Once the correct pres-
sure is set, further adjustments are not necessary.

Proximity switches
There are two switches in the abrasive delivery
hopper.
• The first is located inside the hopper and warns
when abrasive is low. When the abrasive level
falls below the level of the switch, the warning
light on the control panel will flash. Add abrasive
at your convenience.
• The second is a shutdown switch located in the
bottom of the hopper. When the abrasive level
drops below the switch, the system will shut
down automatically. Abrasive must be added in
order to resume operation.

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PASER ECL Plus
Operation & Service Manual

Starting the abrasive bulk transfer

WARNING
The hopper lid must be closed during start-up,
operation, and shut-down. Wear eye protection
and a dust mask when handling abrasive.

1. Make sure the pressure vessel cover is in

place.
2. Turn the control switch on the electrical enclo-
sure to the RUN position. This starts the addi-
tion of low-pressure (20–60 psi) compressed
air. An internal air cylinder seals the delivery
hopper. After the hopper is sealed and the re-
quired pressure level is reached, abrasive
flows through the hose to the receiving hop-
per.
Note: If the system was automatically shut
down because of an abrasive fault, press the
fault reset button to resume operation.

3. Check the pressure gauge. Use the regulator

to maintain 30–60 psi air pressure to the hop-
per.

Stopping the bulk transfer

To stop the abrasive delivery system, turn the control
switch on the electrical enclosure to the STOP posi-
tion.

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 CHAPTER 1
Product Description & Specifications

PASER ECL Plus specifications

Cutting head Abrasive media

Water pressure (min.) . . . . . . 10,000 psi (690 bar) Suggested abrasive . . . . . . . FLOW Alluvial Garnet
Kerf width. . . . . . 0.020–0.092 in. (1.0–2.34 mm) Mesh (grit) size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50–120
Control air pressure . . . . . 80–90 psi (5.5–6.2 bar)
Abrasive delivery line
Abrasive metering valve Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.25 in. ID, 0.375 in. OD
Flow (minimum). . . . . . 0.3 lb/min (0.045 kg/min)
Flow (maximum). . . . . . . . . 2 lb/min (2.3 kg/min) Bulk transfer system
Metering adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . fixed disk Height . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 in. (1067 mm)
Control air pressure (oil free and dry) Width . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 in. (787 mm)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80–120 psig (5.5–8.3 bar)
Depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 in. (813 mm)
Weight (filled) . . . . . approx. 1000 lb (453.6 kg)
Delivery rate (single head) . . . . up to 120 lb/hour

PASER ECL Plus system schematic

© Flow International Corporation M-359 | 33

PASER ECL Plus
Operation & Service Manual

Notes

34 | M-359 © Flow International Corporation

 CHAPTER 2
Operation & Safety

Inspecting new equipment Abrasive delivery system

After equipment is installed and before it is oper- Check the following:
ated, it needs to be inspected. FLOW has made ev-
ery effort to include all critical checkpoints in this Abrasive delivery line
list, but if your system is unique, it may include
components or checkpoints that cannot be covered • The line is correctly attached to the abrasive me-
in this manual. tering valve and to the abrasivejet cutting head.
Use your own observations and common sense • The line is free from cracks, breaks, kinks, tight
when inspecting the equipment. In addition to this bends, vulnerable positioning, and has sufficient
checklist, refer also to any service bulletins or in- range of travel.
structions that may have been delivered with your
equipment order. Inspect the equipment compo- Abrasive metering valve
nents with particular attention to the following:
• The valve is correctly attached to the manipula-
tor, and the control air is hooked up to the valve.
Intensifier pump • The correct metering disk is installed (see
Chapter 1).
Refer to your intensifier pump manual. Do not start
an initial operations sequence at this time. Each in-
tensifier pump has a maximum orifice size limit— Bulk transfer
do not exceed this limit. Refer to manual M-127
(shipped with your FLOW shapecutting system) for • The hopper is suitably located, empty, and free
information on inspecting high-pressure compo- of moisture.
nents.

Manipulator machinery
Refer to your manipulator manual for a commission-
ing inspection checklist. Perform only the pre-start
inspections described; do not operate any equip-
ment unless a pre-start inspection detail specifically
requires it.

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PASER ECL Plus
Operation & Service Manual

Pneumatic lines
Two pneumatic lines are necessary for abrasivejet
operation.

Supply air
Compressed air powers pneumatic components such
as the operator control station and the catcher vac-
uum.
• Make sure supply air lines are connected to the
air source and the component, and all couplings
are correctly installed and clamped.
• Inspect the entire length of the lines for cracks,
breaks, kinks, or sharp bends.
• With mobile components, make sure the air line
is supported and is long enough to provide ade-
quate range of travel.

Control air
PASER ECL Plus operations require sequenced air
flow from the control station to the cutting head and
abrasive metering valve. It is critical that control air
lines to these components not be confused with
each other or with supply air lines.
• Make sure each line is securely connected to the
control station and the component.
• Each line must be free from cracks, breaks, kinks,
and tight bends.
• If the controlled component is mobile, the line
must have sufficient range of travel.

Abrasivejet cutting head

• Make sure the cutting head is correctly assem-
bled and installed on the end effector. Refer to
the drawings supplied with your equipment if
necessary.
• Make sure the abrasive delivery line, high-
pressure water line, and control air line are se-
curely installed at the correct locations.
• Make sure your cutting head has a high-pressure
orifice and a mixing tube installed at the mixing
chamber.
The initial inspection is complete. Proceed to the
Initial startup procedure.

36 | M-359 © Flow International Corporation

 CHAPTER 2
Operation & Safety

Initial startup
WARNING
Eye and hearing protection must be worn by all
operators and all personnel in the vicinity of
operating PASER ECL Plus abrasivejet equipment.

This sequence must be followed when commission-

ing a new PASER ECL Plus installation.

Startup steps
1. Inspect the equipment as described in this
chapter.
2. Set the equipment operating parameters (see
Chapter 3).
3. Partially fill the abrasive hopper with
abrasive.
Note: You might have to prime the bulk trans-
fer delivery line before starting the system for
the first time. See Chapter 1.

4. Check the mixing tube stand-off (see

Chapter 3).
5. Follow the daily inspection procedure.
6. Make sure your catcher vessel is properly in-
stalled (refer to your catcher manual.)

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PASER ECL Plus
Operation & Service Manual

Daily inspection Abrasive delivery system

Once a day or once a shift, inspect the abrasivejet
Bulk transfer
equipment for conditions that could interfere with
operation. Look at the condition of the hardware, • Check for debris and moisture; remove any con-
check standard maintenance items, and evaluate taminants immediately. Clean the chaff screen as
system performance. necessary.
FLOW recommends that you keep a maintenance • Check the abrasive level. Add abrasive as
and inspection log, using the instructions and data necessary.
included in this and other FLOW manuals. This
information will help you determine appropriate
Abrasive feed line
service intervals for system components and
consumables. Check the line for cracks, kinks, and collapsed or
Learn the normal appearance and sounds of the flat areas. Correct damage immediately. Check possi-
equipment. This can greatly improve your ability to ble contact points between the abrasive feed line
quickly recognize problems. and other objects. Look for evidence of scuffing,
abrasion, or other contact wear; correct the damage
and the condition that caused it.
High-pressure water system
Metering valve
Intensifier pump
Booster pump Check for moisture and debris; make sure valve is
clean.
Refer to your intensifier pump manual.

High-pressure water lines Abrasivejet cutting head

• Check high-pressure water hoses, tubing, and • With the abrasivejet cutting head off and the wa-
lines for cracks, breaks, flat spots, or bends tighter ter pressure on, look for water leaks at the mixing
than the minimum radius. In high-pressure tub- tube. Log your observations. The on/off valve
ing, breaks appear as leaks (often steaming) be- should immediately stop water flow through the
tween the coils of the shield wrapping. cutting head when shut off. A leak of more than a
drop or two, especially a constant drip, may indi-
WARNING cate a problem with the on/off valve.
NEVER touch leaks from high-pressure water lines • Check high-pressure water components for exter-
and fittings. NEVER place any part of your body in nal leaks, especially at weep holes. Record leaks
the way of a water leak, especially at high-pressure
connections and weep holes. Contact with leaks can and repair or replace the component. Refer to
burn, cut, or inject water under your skin. M-127, Small High-Pressure Components, for
corrective action.
• If high-pressure tubing fails, shut down the • Check the cutting head mounts for loose fasten-
high-pressure system immediately. Refer to ers, cracks, or other conditions that could affect
M-127, Small High-Pressure Components. Note cutting performance. Correct as necessary.
that leaks can originate at some point other than
where they are seen. If no unacceptable conditions are found, the system
• Inspect high-pressure component weep holes. is ready for startup.
Do not touch or block water leaks. If tightening
does not stop the leakage, replace immediately.

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 CHAPTER 2
Operation & Safety

Normal operation

Starting the PASER ECL Plus Stopping the PASER ECL Plus
Whenever the PASER ECL Plus has been removed To minimize the possibility of injury, equipment
from service or shut down for any reason, use this damage, or unscheduled downtime, this shutdown
procedure to safely return the equipment to service. sequence must be followed when removing
PASER ECL Plus from service.
WARNING
WARNING
Eye and hearing protection must be worn by all Eye and hearing protection must be worn by all
operators and all personnel in the vicinity of oper- operators and all personnel in the vicinity of oper-
ating PASER ECL Plus abrasivejet equipment. ating PASER ECL Plus abrasivejet equipment.

Never start the PASER ECL Plus without first CAUTION

completing the daily inspection. If possible, shut down the manipulator machinery
AFTER verifying that power to the manipulator and
control station can be interrupted without damaging
1. Turn off control air at the operator control sta- the control system. Refer to your manipulator or con-
tion. (This is the air supply used to activate the trol station manual for the correct procedure.
abrasivejet cutting head and the abrasive me-
tering valve.) 1. Stop the flow of control air to the cutting head
2. Return the intensifier pump to service (follow and metering valve by turning off the appro-
the procedure in your intensifier pump man- priate control at the operator control station.
ual). Run the pump at idle pressure. 2. Turn off the supply air to the operator control
3. Turn on the supply air to the control station. station.
Turn on the bulk transfer. 3. Turn off the bulk transfer.
4. Open the high-pressure water line hand 4. Reduce the intensifier pump to idle pressure,
valve(s). then shut it off according to the shutdown
5. Check for leaks in the high-pressure water sys- procedure in your pump manual. The high-
tem, especially the coupling weep holes. Leak- pressure water system may be designed to au-
age at these couplings is not acceptable. Refer tomatically bleed down. Check for bleed-
to manual M-127 for corrective action. down by looking at the high-pressure water
gauge. If necessary, bleed off the pressure at
6. Bring the intensifier pump up to operating the manual bleed.
pressure (refer to the intensifier pump man-
ual). Check again for leaks. 5. Close the high-pressure water line hand
valve(s). The valve is installed in the high-
7. Turn on the power to the manipulator equip- pressure water line, upstream of the cutting
ment and to the operator control station. Re- head. Refer to the manipulator manual or in-
fer to the procedures in these component stallation diagrams for the exact location(s).
manuals.
6. If possible, switch off the power to the opera-
8. Turn on the control air to the valves used to tor control station according to the procedure
activate the abrasivejet cutting head and the in the control station manual.
abrasive metering valve.
7. Post an “Out of Service” sign on the
equipment.

© Flow International Corporation M-359 | 39

PASER ECL Plus
Operation & Service Manual

Safety
The following is a list of safety precautions that must Label P/N
be followed to ensure safe operation of the equip- 006317-1
ment. These precautions must be read and under-
stood by everyone operating and maintaining the
equipment—before they start working with the
equipment.
Note that OSHA and state safety agency rules must
be complied with, in addition to those given in this
chapter and elsewhere in this manual. Applicable
plant general safety precautions must also be
followed. Warnings, cautions, and notes
The user shall practice and promote safety at all Service procedures in FLOW manuals include safety
times to avoid potential injuries and unnecessary warnings, cautions, and notes that must be read, un-
production shutdowns. High-pressure waterjet and derstood, and adhered to. These are specific catego-
abrasivejet systems are powerful cutting tools and ries of safety notices, and are defined as follows:
must always be treated with respect.
Note: For simplicity, the instructions will use the WARNING
term waterjet to mean both waterjet and abrasivejet Highlights an operating condition or
service procedure that can result in
equipment. death or serious injury to personnel.

CAUTION
Safety precautions Highlights an operating condition or
service procedure that can lead to impaired
FLOW designed your high-pressure cutting system
system operation or equipment damage.
and related equipment with safety in mind.
Throughout the manual, safety precautions and Note: Highlights an operating or service procedure
warnings for specific operations are highlighted. or condition that is considered essential for efficient
Safety precautions are also posted on the equip- operation and service.
ment. The operator and service personnel shall pay
particular attention to these precautions at all times.
Operators of a high-pressure waterjet cutting system
must treat the system as they would treat any
high-speed cutting tool. Although the waterjet may
appear harmless, it is a high-energy cutting tool ca-
pable of cutting many non-metallic materials such as
composites, plastics, and wood products. Misuse of
this equipment or carelessness in its application can
be extremely hazardous to operating personnel. Al-
ways treat the cutting system with respect.

40 | M-359 © Flow International Corporation

 CHAPTER 2
Operation & Safety

Safety tips

• Do not allow the waterjet stream to touch any • Shield and bundle equipment hoses and cables
part of your body—it will cause serious injury. so they do not obstruct the operator’s freedom of
• Do not point the waterjet at anyone. movement.
• During equipment maintenance, take the system • Be alert at all times when working around the
out of service. The controls shall be properly equipment.
locked and marked with a warning sign. • Clear all tools, parts, and rags from moving parts
• All personnel required to perform any system op- after servicing the equipment.
erating or service function shall pay particular at-
tention to all warning signs and notices posted in Electrical system
the plant and on the equipment.
• Only properly trained personnel shall perform
• All protective guards, shields, and covers must be electrical and/or electronic troubleshooting and
in place on the equipment at all times. servicing.
• First aid facilities shall be provided in convenient • Always assume that power is ON in all electrical
locations throughout the plant. These locations systems. Always check and lock out the main
must be known by all personnel. power switches before servicing the equipment.
• The work area around the equipment shall be Post a sign, "Maintenance in Progress—Do Not
clean and free of debris. Oil spillage results in Energize."
slippery floors and must be removed at once. • Live electrical circuits are present in the control
• Any unfavorable conditions that may result in in- console whenever the master disconnect is on,
juries shall be reported to the plant supervisor regardless of whether the E-Stop is engaged.
without delay. • Disconnect circuit breakers and lock them in the
• As a general practice, it is recommended that OFF position before servicing the electrical sys-
safety shoes, glasses, and hearing protection be tem. If this isn’t possible, have someone stand by
worn by all personnel working around the equip- to prevent anyone from powering up the system.
ment. Do not wear rings, watches, or necklaces • Take extra precautions when servicing the power
when working around any equipment that has system in a damp environment.
moving parts.
• Never alter or bypass protective interlocks or de-
vices unless specifically instructed to do so, and
Mechanical system only if all precautions are followed.
• Don’t start the system unless you know how to • Give capacitors sufficient time to discharge. If this
stop it. is not possible, discharging should be done man-
• Never maintain, service, or clean around the ually and with care.
equipment while it is operating. • Do not use jumper wires across fuses or fuse
• Use only proper tools. The wrong tools can result holders.
in injury or costly damage to the equipment. • Make sure all tools are well insulated for the job.
• Never climb on or around the equipment on • Use only proper test apparatus; check it regularly
makeshift devices. Use only approved catwalks, to make sure it is working correctly.
ladders, or platforms. • Use caution when connecting a test probe to test
• Do not exceed specified pressure setting limits points.
for pneumatic or hydraulic components. Ex- • All replacement wires shall conform to the manu-
ceeding these limits may result in serious injury facturer’s specifications, including proper color
to personnel or damage to the equipment. coding, wire numbers, and size.
• Close the control panel doors or junction box
covers after servicing.

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PASER ECL Plus
Operation & Service Manual

Waterjet cutting system High-pressure waterjet cleaning tools

• High-pressure water can remain in the system for • Turn off equipment and relieve water pressure
an extended time after shutting down the high- before replacing nozzles, tips, or bits.
pressure water source. System pressure can be • Hang a sign on the power supply control panel
relieved by opening any valve downstream of the that warns that the equipment is being serviced
outlet valve. and is not available for use.
• Always bleed down the system pressure before • Replace all protective covers and shielding on
servicing any part of the system. equipment before resuming operation.
• Some fittings, connections, and components have • Check for leakage after nozzle or tip replacement
weep holes. Do not touch weep holes with your and correct immediately.
bare hands or try to stop water by plugging the
holes. • Use only FLOW manufactured or approved noz-
zles, cleaning tips, and drilling or cutting bits.
• Remember that the waterjet stream is a knife. Do
not introduce anything into its path that you do
not intend to cut.
• Wear a face shield whenever the operating in-
structions require one.
• Do not remove protective shields from high-pres-
sure tubing. If shields are removed for servicing,
they must be replaced before starting the system.
• Torque all fittings to the manufacturer’s torque
specifications.
• Stepping or leaning on high-pressure water tub-
ing can break connections, causing leakage.
• Use only high-pressure fittings, valves, and tubing
certified for 60,000 psi (4138 bar) when making
alterations or additions to the high-pressure water
system.
• Do not alter or eliminate stress relief tubing coils.
• Follow the tubing manufacturer’s recommenda-
tions for high-pressure tube bending radii.
• Do not exceed specified operating pressures for
high-pressure water system components.
• Do not over-torque fittings or bend swivels
excessively.
• Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for
servicing the equipment, and use only original
manufacturer replacement parts.
• Follow the manufacturer’s system startup proce-
dure to ensure safe operation.
• Use care when lifting equipment covers during
operation.

42 | M-359 © Flow International Corporation

 CHAPTER 2
Operation & Safety

Protective clothing
Personnel operating hand-held, high-pressure water Foot protection
cutting or cleaning equipment and those working
nearby should wear the protective clothing and • Safety footwear with steel toe-
safety devices described in this chapter. caps at least 0.02-in. (5 mm)
thick must be worn. The
FLOW recommends that work-site safety personnel toe-cap must cover at least 30%
approve all safety equipment and clothing for every- of the footwear length.
one working around waterjet cutting equipment.
• The operator’s footwear must
be equipped with metatarsal
Eye protection guards to provide instep
protection.
• Operators must wear visors and
goggles to guard against spray
and flying debris. Body protection
• A goggles and visor combination • Waterproof garments only protect the operator
is a typical requirement for from spray and flying debris. They do NOT de-
waterjet cleaning. flect direct jet impact.

Head protection
• Helmets must be worn at all
times by all personnel in the WARNING
work area. NEVER point a waterjet cutting or cleaning
tool at yourself or at any person. Do not aim a
• Helmet material must withstand waterjet tool at anything you do not want to cut.
mechanical shock to 10 G in
8 ms without fracturing.

Hand protection
• The operator must wear gloves
at all times. Leather gloves are
preferred.

Hearing protection
• Operators and other personnel
exposed to noise levels of more
than 90 dBa for more than
1 hour must wear suitable hear-
ing protection. Ear plugs and
muffs are usually adequate.

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PASER ECL Plus
Operation & Service Manual

Emergency medical information

Anyone who receives equipment-related injuries
while operating high-pressure water equipment
should be given immediate hospital attention. It is
vital that medical personnel have information about
this type of injury. Therefore, all waterjet operating
personnel should carry a waterproof emergency
medical tag or card that describes their work and
the nature of injuries inherent in using waterjet cut-
ting devices. The card illustrated below can be pur-
chased from FLOW (P/N A-8466).
The tag or card should contain the following stan-
dard information:

MEDICAL ALERT
This card is to be carried by personnel working
with high-pressure waterjet equipment. Obtain
medical treatment immediately for ANY
high-pressure waterjet injuries.

FLOW INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION

23500 64th Avenue South
Kent, Washington 98032 USA
(253) 850-3500

This person has been working with water jetting at pres-

sures to 60,000 psi (379 MPa, 3793 bar, 3867 kg/cm2)
with a jet velocity of 3000 fps (914 mps). This should be
taken into account during diagnosis. Unusual infections
with microaerophilic organisms occurring at lower temper-
atures have been reported. These may be gram-negative
pathogens, such as those found in sewage. Bacterial swabs
and blood cultures may therefore be helpful. A local poi-
son control center should be contacted for additional
treatment information.

44 | M-359 © Flow International Corporation

 CHAPTER 3
Optimizing Performance

Adjusting the equipment

The PASER ECL Plus needs to be adjusted in order 1. Use one of the following orifice/mixing tube
to achieve optimum cutting performance. The fol- combinations. Make sure the combination in
lowing are discussed in this chapter: your cutting head matches the table.
• Selecting operating parameters
Orifice Mixing tube ID
• Evaluating operating parameters
.007 .020
• Adjusting for part quality
.010 .030
• Adjusting for speed
.013 .040
• Adjusting the mixing tube stand-off
.014 .040
• Selecting the mixing tube length
.016 .040
• Adjusting the abrasive metering valve
.018 .050

Selecting operating parameters

In general, the combinations are used as
Abrasivejet process variables include water pressure, follows:
cutting speed, abrasive size and type, orifice diame-
· 10/30—for materials thinner than 0.25-in.
ter, mixing tube length and ID, abrasive flow rate,
You can use a 10/30 on thicker materials
and mixing tube stand-off. Each of these variables
by reducing the cutting speed. See the
directly affects the operation of the PASER ECL Plus.
end of this chapter for more information.
FLOW has developed combinations of settings to · For materials thicker than 0.25 in., oper-
optimize abrasivejet efficiency. These parameters ate the largest cutting head your pump
provide the fastest possible cutting speed for a given can support. A good rule of thumb is that
surface finish. larger heads (up to 16/40) cut faster at a
lower overall cost per inch.
2. Refer to the abrasive flow rate table in this
chapter to set the abrasive metering valve.
3. Always wear eye and hearing protection.

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PASER ECL Plus
Operation & Service Manual

4. Start the PASER ECL Plus using the startup pro- Evaluating operating parameters
cedure in Chapter 2. Do not adjust the water
pressure above idle. There is only one adjustable operating parameter for
the PASER ECL Plus—the cutting speed. There are
CAUTION edge smoothness and kerf quality advantages in us-
Do not cycle the equipment at this point. Operate only ing a slower cutting speed, but the overall produc-
the high-pressure water system at idle pressure.
tion rate may be reduced. Conversely, the cutting
5. De-activate the cutting head. speed can be increased, but it will probably result in
rougher edges or reduced kerf quality.
6. Adjust water pressure to 40,000–60,000 psi
(2759–4138 bar). Note that a higher pressure
produces a faster cutting speed, and results in Procedure
a lower cost per inch. 1. Perform a test cut, following the instructions
· See the table below for recommended on the previous page.
abrasive flow rates for different pressures. 2. Compare processing time and quality to your
7. Set the manipulator to move at a reasonable production specifications.
speed for the material being cut. · If processing speed, part quality, and cost
8. Select the correct abrasive media and size for of operation are acceptable, the parame-
your cutting. See Certified abrasives. ters need no adjustment.
9. Position a sample of the material to be cut on · If one or more of the parameters is unac-
the worktable. ceptable, the following will help you de-
cide what adjustments to make.
10. Activate the abrasivejet cutting head and test
cut the sample material. Refer to the manipu-
lator manual for cutting procedures. Adjusting for part quality
11. Evaluate the operating parameters according
to your production specifications and the fol- Improve edge smoothness
lowing instructions.
You can usually improve edge quality by slowing
down the cutting speed. Make a test cut before
changing other operating parameters.

Reduce kerf
You can reduce kerf by increasing cutting speed, or
by switching to a smaller orifice/mixing tube combi-
nation (see table on this page).
• Increase cutting speed: In FlowMaster, increase
water pressure in 10% increments and make a
test cut after each adjustment. Cutting speed
should increase as pressure goes up.
• Change mixing tube: A worn mixing tube has a
large ID, which causes increased kerf size. If the
kerf was OK when the mixing tube was new, re-
place it with a new one of the same size. If the
mixing tube is not worn, change to the next
smaller orifice/mixing tube combination.
Note: Large-mesh abrasives may not be compatible
with small ID mixing tubes.

46 | M-359 © Flow International Corporation

 CHAPTER 3
Optimizing Performance

Straighter kerf Adjusting mixing tube stand-off

You can get straighter kerf (more parallel cut edges) Mixing tube stand-off (height above the cutting sur-
by adjusting mixing tube stand-off, reducing the cut- face) is critical. In theory, the ideal stand-off is zero.
ting speed, or by making a second pass through the In reality, some stand-off is necessary to accommo-
cut. The last two adjustments are made at the oper- date imperfections in the cutting surface and devia-
ator control station; refer to your control station tions in manipulator movement.
manual.
FLOW recommends that the tip of the mixing tube
The reduction required for straighter kerf is highly be as close to the cutting surface as practical without
subjective. Reduce speed in increments of 10%, actually touching the material.
make a test cut after each reduction, and evaluate
• If stand-off is too small, the mixing tube can
the results. On some materials, you may not be able
damage the cutting surface or break cutting head
to completely eliminate the taper of the cut edges.
components. Abrasive and water can also back
If you have questions, contact FLOW Technical
up into the cutting head and feed line, especially
Service.
when piercing.
• If stand-off is too large, the abrasivejet stream is
Adjusting for speed diffused before it cuts. This results in inconsistent
performance; wider, more angled kerf; and in-
If the material being cut does not require exact tol-
creased operating costs.
erances, or if the quality is well within specifications,
the PASER ECL Plus can be adjusted for economy or
Try to keep stand-off less than or equal to the inside
for speed. You can adjust for cutting speed if the
diameter of the mixing tube. Typically, the stand-off
material being cut is thicker than 1.5 in. (38 mm).
distance between the workpiece and the mixing
1. Run the largest of the orifice/mixing tube tube should be maintained at 0.01–0.10 in.
combinations
Because the PASER ECL Plus is used on different
2. Increase the abrasive flow rate by installing the manual and robotic cutting stations, it isn't possible
correct metering disc for the orifice/mixing to provide a single stand-off adjustment procedure.
tube combination. It is important to evaluate nozzle stand-off and ad-
3. Increase cutting speed in 10% increments. just as necessary for the material being cut.
Make a test cut after each adjustment until Refer to the manipulator or control station manual.
edge quality or kerf become unacceptable.
4. Reduce cutting speed in 10% increments until
Adjusting the abrasive metering valve
the cut quality is acceptable.
The metering discs determine the abrasive flow rate
to the cutting head. At a given pressure, each mixing
tube/orifice combination has one optimum abrasive
flow rate. Using a larger or smaller disc than recom-
mended increases the cost per inch and most likely
will produce a slower cutting speed. It is generally
not recommended.

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PASER ECL Plus
Operation & Service Manual

Abrasive delivery system

Feed lines Abrasive flow rates for Flow Alluvial Garnet
The integrity of the feed line is extremely important to This table is only a guideline—it does not guar-
abrasive flow. Even a small pin hole in the line will allow antee a specific abrasive flow rate over a cer-
air into the system, which adversely affects abrasive flow. tain feed line length.
Check your feed line frequently and change it regularly. Flow rate is shown in lb/min.

Abrasive hose movement Flow rate

Disk size
The abrasive hose moves during cutting. If the hose is vi- 100 mesh 80 mesh 60 mesh
olently moved, air flow in the line will change, which
0.154 0.40 0.40 0.35
changes abrasive flow. If at all possible, you should mini-
mize unnecessary feed line movement. 0.168 0.55 0.50 0.45
0.184 0.65 0.65 0.60

Abrasive 0.196 0.80 0.80 0.75

Because the type and quality of abrasive is very impor- 0.206 0.90 0.90 0.85
tant, only Flow Alluvial Garnet is optimized for use in the 0.215 1.00 1.00 0.95
PASER ECL Plus abrasivejet systems. You will get maxi-
0.222 1.15 1.05 1.00
mum life from the long-wearing components in the
PASER ECL Plus cutting head ONLY when certified abra- 0.229 1.20 1.15 1.10
sives are used. 0.237 1.30 1.30 1.25
It is critical that you only use certified abrasives in 0.246 1.45 1.40 1.35
FLOW's abrasivejet equipment. Non-certified abrasives
can contain potential health hazards such as free silica, 0.255 1.60 1.55 1.45
arsenic, mercury, or chlorides. Non-certified abrasives can 0.263 1.70 1.65 1.55
also drastically reduce cutting performance, which in-
creases your operating costs. 0.269 1.85 1.80 1.70
0.275 2.00 1.95 1.85
Abrasive flow rates
0.281 2.15 2.05 1.95
Recommended abrasive flow rates (lb/min) at different pressures
0.288 2.20 2.15 2.05
Pressure 0.295 2.30 2.25 2.15
Orifice/nozzle
combination 40,000 psi 50,000–55,000 psi 60,000 psi 0.302 2.40 2.35 2.25
(2759 bar) (3448-3793 bar) (4138 bar)

7/20 0.3 0.4 0.4

10/30 0.6 0.8 0.8
13/40 1.0 1.2 1.2
14/40 1.1 1.3 1.3
16/40 1.2 1.4 1.5
18/50 N/A 2.1 2.4

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 CHAPTER 3
Optimizing Performance

Determining abrasive flow rate

Although the abrasive flow rate table can be used
fairly accurately with most types of abrasive, flow
characteristics can vary among suppliers, and even
among different batches from the same supplier. For
this reason, you may want to generate your own
flow curves for the specific type of abrasive you’re
running. The procedure is outlined below, and a
blank flow chart is provided in Chapter 6.

Tools
• wrench
• small container (like a coffee can)
• scale
• stop watch (or watch with a second hand)

Procedure
1. Weigh the container and record the weight.
2. Make sure the metering valve is closed.
3. Remove the abrasive feed line from the valve
outlet.
4. Use the wrench to remove the fitting at the
metering valve diverter.
5. Position your container under the outlet of the
metering valve.
6. Install the metering disk.
7. Actuate the metering valve to begin abrasive
flow.
8. Begin timing at the same second the metering
valve is actuated.
9. Allow the metering valve to run for one min-
ute, then shut off the abrasive flow.
10. Remove the container and weigh it; subtract
the container weight.

The weight (lb) of abrasive in the container is the

amount of abrasive flowing through the metering
valve per minute (lb/min).
Repeat the procedure using the other metering
disks. Checking the flow rate of the abrasive at dif-
ferent settings will help you compile your own flow
charts.

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PASER ECL Plus
Operation & Service Manual

Abrasivejet operating tips

Specific guidelines for abrasivejet cutting do not ex- Stand-off
ist, because every cutting situation is unique. We The distance between the end of the mixing tube
hope the following information will give you some and the cutting surface.
basic knowledge of abrasivejet cutting, help you
overcome typical problems, and shorten the learning Stream deflection
curve so you can become more productive.
The angle at which the jet exits the bottom of the
This information is provided for reference only. material being cut. In general, the smaller the de-
FLOW shall not be held liable for any incidental or flection, the smoother the surface finish.
consequential damage resulting from the use of this
information. By watching the deflection and how far the bottom
of the cut lags behind the top of the cut, you can
get an idea of the surface finish being produced.
Terminology This technique is successfully used by many experi-
enced abrasivejet cutting operators for surface finish
Kerf control. (This technique does not work, however, in
cases where the stream exit cannot be seen.)
The slot created as the abrasivejet removes material
from the workpiece.
Striations
Manipulator marks Water marks primarily found on the lower region of
the cut face, created as the jet loses cutting power
Surface defects caused by inconsistent manipulator
while cutting through thick material. Process incon-
motion. If the manipulator vibrates or changes
sistencies such as poor manipulator motion or abra-
speed, you will see marks on the cut surface above
sive clumping will greatly magnify these marks.
the transition zone (see below). These marks will be-
come very large striations at increasing depths below
Taper
the transition zone.
The change in kerf width from the top (entrance) of
Mixing tube the cut to the bottom (exit).
Composite carbide tube used to entrain the abrasive
Transition zone
into the high-pressure waterjet. Sometimes it is in-
correctly called a nozzle. Horizontal area of the cut surface that separates a
smooth, well-cut area from a striated, poorly cut
Orifice area. As cutting speed increases, the zone moves
upward on the cut surface.
The PASER ECL Plus uses a diamond orifice to cre-
ate the high-pressure jet of water.

Piercing
Drilling with an abrasivejet.

Rooster tail
The stream kickback at a deflection of 90° or more.
As the jet approaches maximum cutting speed, the
angle of the stream kickback becomes greater. Even-
tually the jet cannot remove material fast enough,
and can’t cut through the entire cross section. The
stream then sprays back, creating a rooster tail. A
rooster tail can also be created when piercing on the
fly.

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 CHAPTER 3
Optimizing Performance

Abrasivejet operation &

maintenance concepts

Abrasive and abrasive delivery Abrasive feed lines

Harder feed lines usually provide the best abrasive
Abrasive effectiveness flow, but they may also wear out faster. Feed lines
Some abrasives are better for cutting than others. should be as short as possible. A good tip is to al-
ways have more than one length of feed line avail-
• A sharp, angular, heavy abrasive carries more able, so you can choose the shortest possible line for
momentum. each cutting envelope.
• Abrasive should be as hard as or harder than the
material being cut. Clearing abrasive feed lines
• Abrasive with good flow characteristics is more
effective. Clean the abrasive line after each cut by turning off
the metering system, waiting 1–3 seconds, then
• Abrasive quality and dryness will greatly turning off the high-pressure water.
affect cutting characteristics.
This reduces the possibility of abrasive clumping in
the line, and keeps moisture out of the mixing
Mesh size chamber and line. Note that clearing the line may
In general, larger orifice/mixing tube combinations not be practical if you are piercing sensitive materi-
can use larger abrasive mesh sizes. Fine abrasive als.
mesh sizes are often used with smaller orifice/mixing
tube combinations, but fine abrasive must be of high
quality.
If an abrasive with a large amount of dust and in-
consistent grain size is used in smaller orifice/mixing
tube combinations, the flow characteristics will be
poor. This is not as important with a larger ori-
fice/mixing tube combination because of the much
higher venturi (suction) in the abrasive feed line.

Abrasive separation
Some abrasives contain a large range of grain sizes
in one bag. Excessive handling can cause smaller
grains to settle to the bottom of the bag.

Foreign objects/wet abrasive

Any foreign objects or moisture in the abrasive will
limit or even stop abrasive flow. Be very careful
when adding abrasive that you do not accidentally
include small pieces of the paper bag. Use the
drawstring on the bag, or cut the bag with a sharp
knife. Use only clean, dry compressed air to power
the bulk transfer.

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PASER ECL Plus
Operation & Service Manual

Cutting materials with the

abrasivejet
The following are cutting concepts and guidelines Cutting through large air gaps
related to cutting materials. Please note that these
Some materials contain an air gap. The jet must cut
are tendencies, not rules.
a layer of material, pass through the gap, then con-
tinue cutting. If the gap is less than 0.1 in., the sur-
Improving surface finish face finish may be acceptable. With a larger gap
the stream will tend to expand in the open air, gen-
• The abrasivejet cuts with a stream of water/ abra- erating a 'blowout' on the next layer of material.
sive slurry. If the cutting speed is relatively fast,
Sometimes it is possible to fill the void to decrease
the jet will lose power as it penetrates the
the blow-out. One example of reducing blowout is
workpiece. Thus, surface finishes tend to be
when cutting honeycomb parts. By angling the mix-
roughest at the bottom of the cut face.
ing tube so that the stream does not hit perpendicu-
• Surface finish quality decreases as cutting speed lar to the material surface, a superior cut can be
increases. However, there is a point where a fur- produced. This process is called raking the cutting
ther decrease in cutting speed will not improve head. (Note that the blow-out cannot always be
surface quality. avoided with this cutting process).
• Increasing abrasivejet power will improve surface
finish. Increase water pressure to increase water
velocity. Cutting thin materials

Exit burr
Cutting thick materials
You can limit exit burr by using a smaller orifice/
nozzle combination at higher pressures and using
High-speed cornering
smaller abrasives. On some materials it is difficult to
When cutting thick material at relatively high speed, completely eliminate exit burr.
the stream exit lags behind the stream entrance
(stream deflection). Corners or small radii cause the
lower region of the stream to deflect outward, creat- Kerf control
ing a less accurate cut. To avoid this, slow the nozzle Entrance kerf width can be affected by stand-off. By
traverse rate at all small radii: increasing the stand-off, the entrance kerf can in-
• Manually slow down at corners. crease from 0.001–0.005 in.
• Set the acceleration/deceleration ramping of the
manipulator motion to the appropriate value at
the controller. This will change the motion char-
acteristics of the manipulator for every program.
• Change cutting speeds in the part program when
necessary. This changes the motion characteristics
only for a particular program.

52 | M-359 © Flow International Corporation

 CHAPTER 3
Optimizing Performance

Taper Piercing composites, laminates,

If you increase the cutting speed for a hard material
and brittle materials
(such as a metal), the taper will also increase. Most Piercing these materials can produce two
hard material tapers are V-shaped (widest at the top failure types:
of the cut). Some soft materials, such as glass or
• Fracture in brittle materials such as glass, hard
plastics, may have a reverse taper—wider at the bot-
plastics, ceramics, and some stone (the fracture
tom of the cut.
occurs from the initial blast of water).
Note: taper is a product of the cutting effectiveness.
• Delamination in composites and laminates, such
A change in cutting power or cutting speed could
as graphite epoxy and Kevlar laminates
drastically alter the taper.
(delamination occurs from the horizontal force
created by the exiting jet before it passes through
Taper on laminates the material).
Some laminates consist of two or more materials Begin piercing at idle pressure (10,000 psi) with
with very different properties. Cutting with the abrasive already in the feed line (do not bleed out
harder material on top might minimize taper. the abrasive from the feed line). The low pressure
limits the force of the initial blast of water, and the
abrasive in the feed line helps to ensure that water
Piercing does not hit the workpiece without any abrasive to
begin cutting. Use this technique in conjunction
with pierce-on-the-fly.
Pierce-on-the-fly
Pierce with oscillations
Refer to the FlowCUT manual.

Stand-off during piercing

Maintain stand-off at approximately the same dis-
tance as the diameter of the mixing tube I.D. Too
high a stand-off produces an entrance hole with an
excessively large diameter. If the stand-off is too low,
the jet may force its way back up into the mixing
tube as it exits the target material. This can damage
the cutting head and orifice, and could force
high-pressure water up the abrasive feed line and
into the hopper. Too-low a stand-off could also
damage the mixing tube if it contacts an irregular
cutting surface.

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General practices

Clearing abrasive feed lines Abrasive hose movement

Clean the abrasive line after each cut. This reduces During cutting, the abrasive hose moves. If the abra-
the chance of abrasive clumping in the line, and sive line is violently moved, the air flow in the line
keeps moisture out of the mixing chamber and line. will change, which changes abrasive flow. Minimize
Clearing the line may not be practical if you are unnecessary feed line movement.
piercing sensitive materials.
At a minimum, purge the feed line of all abrasive
The 10/30 combination
when the abrasivejet will be idle for an extended
period (lunch breaks) and at the end of each cutting A 10/30 orifice/mixing tube combination with 120
day. After purging the line, it is also good practice to mesh abrasive is often desirable. Unfortunately,
run the waterjet for an extra 30 seconds or so to some users have trouble getting consistent abrasive
evacuate spare abrasive from the mixing chamber. flow, surface quality, and cutting speed with this
combination because the relatively small orifice size
generates less airflow in the abrasive feed line.
Stand-off distance
To get the largest possible airflow through the hose,
Typically, the stand-off distance between the the following guidelines are recommended:
material and the mixing tube should be kept be- • Use the shortest possible abrasive feed hose, and
tween 0.020-in. and 0.100-in. A good rule is to try limit the number of loops, arcs, and corners in
to keep the stand-off equal to the inside diameter of the feed line.
the mixing tube. Stand-off is not as important as wa-
ter pressure or abrasive flow rate. However, when • Use a higher water pressure, between 40,000
exact kerf width or high cutting efficiency are re- and 60,000 psi (2759–4138 bar).
quired, stand-off becomes important. • Use high-quality abrasive (a high percentage of
dust and inconsistent grain size may cause flow
problems with these smaller-grained abrasives).
Surface frosting (glass, plastic) • Use a smaller inner diameter abrasive feed line.
When piercing or cutting materials such as glass and • Make sure the abrasive line connections at the
plastic, a slight frosting may appear around the cut hopper and cutting head are securely fastened to
entrance. The bullet nose on the PASER ECL Plus keep suction loss at a minimum.
mixing tube tends to reduce or eliminate frosting
• Elevate the hopper so the abrasive does not have
during piercing and cutting. The chance of frosting
to climb a great height.
can be further reduced by applying a layer of duct
tape to the material surface. If production volume
will not allow stopping to do this, experiment with
the following: maintain proper stand-off, check ori-
fice and mixing tube alignment and combination,
vary abrasive flow rate, or change water pressure.

54 | M-359 © Flow International Corporation

 CHAPTER 4
Maintenance & Service
Periodic maintenance can help minimize production Use the maintenance and service log from your in-
downtime, maximize equipment utilization, and tensifier pump manual to record all maintenance
eliminate potentially unsafe operation. Periodic performed. Reproduce the log sheet as necessary.
maintenance is service to be performed on the
equipment at regularly scheduled intervals and in-
cludes both a daily inspection and a longer-term Maintenance tips
maintenance schedule. Periodic maintenance can in-
The following maintenance tips have proven to be
clude regularly scheduled preventive maintenance,
helpful in avoiding unscheduled maintenance.
such as the items listed on the following pages, or
replacing worn parts which have reached the end of • Stock enough spare parts to minimize downtime
their service life. and emergency parts orders.
• Be extremely careful to keep abrasive particles
out of all threads.
Establishing a maintenance schedule
• Keep abrasive particles out of the on/off valve
Since every abrasivejet cutting application is unique, and the poppet.
it’s impossible to create a maintenance guide that • Practice good housekeeping.
applies to all abrasivejet system components in all
applications. Use this chapter as a starting point to • Assign a separate set of routinely used service
develop a maintenance schedule for your cutting tools to the work station.
application.
We suggest you use the periodic maintenance
schedule in the following way.
• Follow the suggested inspection intervals pro-
vided in the manual and in this table. Modify the
service intervals to reflect actual service life of
each component.
• By comparing actual wear over time, you will be
able to see patterns of wear or depletion and be
able to customize the maintenance schedule for
your own installation. This will give you a com-
prehensive preventive maintenance schedule
compatible with your cutting application and
production requirements.

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Periodic maintenance schedule

Abrasive storage

Abrasive has an indefinite shelf life when kept dry.

Abrasive hopper

The unit itself has an indefinite life. Check the following:

• Moisture/contaminants—check every time abrasive is added.
• Abrasive media level—add as needed.
• Check water level in the regulator sight glass and empty as necessary.

Abrasive metering valve

Periodically blow it off with compressed air. Valve has an indefinite life.
Abrasive delivery line

If clarity is important for visibility of abrasive flow, replace every 160-200 hours (monthly).
If clarity is not important, replace every 2000 hours (annually).
Inspect daily for damage to the line; replace as needed
Intensifier pump/booster pump and filtration system

Refer to your intensifier pump and booster pump manuals for maintenance schedules.
On/off valve high-pressure components

Refer to manual M-127.

High-pressure orifice

Replace DuraFlow orifice every 500-1000 operating hours (actual hours will depend on filtration, water
treatment used, and resulting jet quality).
Inspect and attempt to clean the orifice before replacing it. See ultrasonic cleaning procedure in this
chapter.
Replace a ruby orifice every 20-200 operating hours (actual hours will depend on filtration, water treatment
used, and resulting jet quality).

PASER ECL Plus cutting head

Mixing chamber Inspect when changing an orifice.

body
Abrasive delivery Carbide-lined. With care, this part has indefinite life.
line nipple
Mixing tube Replace when wear causes unacceptable kerf width or cutting performance
Mixing tube collet With care, these parts have indefinite life.
& locknut
Pierce shield & Replace pierce shield and blast disk when they show excessive wear.
blast disk Note: the blast disk will require more frequent replacement than the pierce shield.

56 | M-359 © Flow International Corporation

 CHAPTER 4
Maintenance & Service

Troubleshooting
The Troubleshooting Guide will help you identify the
probable cause of a system malfunction and estab-
lish the most effective corrective action.

Troubleshooting tips
The following tips will help isolate and fix system
malfunctions quickly and effectively.
• Take a few minutes to listen to the machine and
observe it in operation. Learn to recognize the
normal noises and operating conditions of the
system. This will enhance your ability to notice
any unusual machine behavior.
• Maintain a record of all service performed on the
equipment. This record will provide valuable in-
formation to help you stock spare parts and
schedule maintenance.

Using the troubleshooting guide

The probable causes of each malfunction are listed
in order from the most likely to the least likely to
occur. The corrective action is a condensed,
step-by-step summary of the service required to
remedy the problem. When you encounter a system
malfunction:
1. Carefully and precisely define the problem.
2. On the Troubleshooting Guide, locate the
problem.
3. Identify the most likely cause.
4. Follow the service instructions.

If the problem is not listed, or if the problem is not

solved when you follow the instructions, contact
FLOW Technical Service.

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Troubleshooting the abrasivejet system

Most common causes of each problem are in the left column, and the suggested corrective action in the right column.

1. There is no high-pressure water at the mixing chamber

Pump is not turned on. Turn on the pump/restore to service.
Cutting head on/off valve is not • Connect control air line to on/off valve.
actuating. • Make sure operator control station is supplying air to on/off valve.
• Actuator diaphragm ruptured or jammed. Replace on/off valve.
Manual HP valve(s) between intensi- Open valve(s).
fier and cutting head is closed.
HP lines, hoses, swivels, or fittings Repair leaks as required. Refer to manual M-127.
are leaking.
HP inline filter is clogged. Replace if necessary. Refer to manual M-127.

2. There is no abrasive at the mixing chamber when waterjet is activated

Bulk transfer is empty. Load abrasive into hopper.
Abrasive metering valve is not • Connect control air line to the metering valve air cylinder. Make
actuating. sure control air pressure is correct as directed by the operator
control station.
• Remove valve and check for debris.
Abrasive metering valve actuates but • Opening is blocked. Drain hopper and remove obstruction.
abrasive is not flowing. • There is moisture in the abrasive. See Problem 7.
No delivery line suction at the me- • Connect the delivery line to the cutting head.
tering valve outlet port. • Check for cracks or leaks caused by excessive wear; replace if
necessary.
• Check for kinks, crimps, or other external obstructions; remove
obstructions and replace line as necessary.
• Check for clogged abrasive; see Problem 7.

3. Cutting speed is slower than it should be for a given surface finish and kerf width
Insufficient abrasive flow. Make sure the abrasive flow rate is set correctly.
Insufficient water pressure. Make sure the intensifier pump is providing proper pressure (idle if
operating). Check demand by adjacent work stations.
Abrasive is too fine. Make sure that finer abrasive than normal is not being used.
Different target material properties. Check for consistency of target material.
Mixing tube stand-off is too great. Check the stand-off. If it is too large, check for worn mixing tube stop,
and make sure the correct length mixing tube is installed.
Waterjet orifice is worn. Check integrity of the waterjet stream. Replace orifice if necessary.

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 CHAPTER 4
Maintenance & Service

4. Cutting speed is lower than normal; kerf is too wide

Mixing tube is worn out. Replace the mixing tube.
Mixing tube ID is too large. Make sure the correct mixing tube is installed; replace if worn.
Mixing tube stand-off is too great. Check the stand-off. If it is too large, check for worn mixing tube stop,
and make sure the correct length mixing tube is installed.
Damaged or worn HP orifice. Check for flaring stream or high reading of performance monitor. Re-
place orifice.

5. Rough surface finish

Abrasive is too coarse. Change to a finer abrasive.
Cutting speed is too fast. Reduce cutting speed.
Mixing tube stand-off is too great. Check stand-off and mixing tube stop. Is the mixing tube installed?
High-pressure orifice is worn out. Replace the orifice.

6. Inconsistent kerf width

Inconsistent abrasive flow rate. Metering valve disk may be too large. Change disk; reduce cutting
speed if necessary.
Inconsistent water pressure. Check for steady water pressure; correct any pump problems.
Erratic material feeding. Robotic systems: check end effector drive mechanism.
Stationary jet: check material feeding mechanism.
Intermittent water demand from Stagger workstation demand or increase pumping capacity. Make sure
other pumps on same HP circuit. other workstations are not excessively loading the pump.
Inconsistent material being cut. Check material.

7. Abrasive starts clogging the line

Metering valve flow rate is too high. Shut down system and change to a smaller metering disk. Reduce cut-
ting speed if necessary.
Water in abrasive delivery line. Replace actuator poppet if leaking excessively. Replace HP orifice if
damaged. Make sure line is dry before starting the system.
Wet abrasive in bulk transfer or iso- 1.Make sure the abrasive storage, bulk transfer, & isolator are dry.
lator. 2.Check for excessive water in the control air line.
3.Drain abrasive from hopper & hoses and discard. Replace with dry
abrasive.

8. Kerf has a pronounced “V” shape

Cutting speed is too fast. Reduce cutting speed.
Water pressure is too low. Increase water pressure.
Abrasive flow rate is too low. Increase abrasive flow rate.
Mixing tube stand-off is too great. Decrease stand-off if possible.

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9. Short mixing tube life

Damaged or worn HP orifice. Replace orifice according to the orifice procedure.
Abrasive flow rate is too high. Reduce to minimum required flow rate.

10. High-pressure water does not shut off

Nozzle body extension tube not Shut off high-pressure water source, then tighten nozzle body to
tight. 35–40 ft-lb (47–54 N-m).
Foreign material in poppet seat. Disassemble valve and remove foreign material. (See manual M-127.)
Poppet tip erosion & failure (drop- Completely rebuild abrasivejet cutting head actuator.
lets or light spray)
Actuator failure (major water leaks) Replace the actuator.

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 CHAPTER 4
Maintenance & Service

Troubleshooting the bulk transfer

1. Abrasive does not reach receiving hopper

Make sure the air compressor is turned on.
Hose may be plugged or kinked. Check for plugs and make sure hose is straight.

2. Abrasive does not exit delivery hopper

Make sure the air compressor is turned on.
Make sure there is abrasive in the hopper.
Check for obstruction in the hopper. Press STOP to shut down air and bleed off pressure. Disconnect
compressed air supply from the bulk transfer. Open access door and
remove the obstruction.
Abrasive is damp. 1.Press STOP to shut down air and bleed pressure. Remove damp abra-
sive; replace with dry abrasive. Drain water trap on regulator.
2.Remove metering valve and drain abrasive from receiving hopper.

3. No air to delivery hopper

Make sure the air compressor is turned on.
Make sure power is turned on. Check connections and fuses.
Faulty regulator or solenoid valve.
Clogged filter. Contact FLOW Technical Service.
Faulty solenoid valve.
Make sure there is abrasive in the Fill hopper as described in Chapter 1.
hopper.
Clogged muffler filter. Shut down the system, remove the muffler. Discard any abrasive
caught there, and reinstall the muffler. Do not reuse this abrasive.

4. Delivery hopper does not purge rapidly

Clogged muffler filter. Clean and replace filter.

5. Abrasive does not exit receiving hopper

Damp abrasive. Remove metering valve; drain abrasive from the receiving hopper.

6. Regulator poppet valve makes a clicking noise

Compressed air utility line is too small. Air line must be at least 34-in. diameter.
Not enough scfm or psi of air pressure. Make sure there is at least 80 psi at 5 scfm.

7. Excessive puff of air exhausts out of bulk transfer at shutdown

Piston inside bulk transfer is dropping Locate small screw on the speed control (left side of bulk transfer).
before vessel is depressurized. Turn it clockwise to slow the descent of piston and ball stopper.
Piston drop valve is set too high. Turn the small screw counter-clockwise to speed the descent of the
piston and ball stopper.

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Notes

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 CHAPTER 5
Parts Lists
PASER ECL Plus cutting heads include the
mixing chamber, cap, precision collet,
o-ring, nozzle nut, pierce (spray) shield,
and blast disk (illustrated here).
The cutting head does not include the
nozzle body, orifice, or the mixing tube.
These items are sold separately. See parts
lists in this chapter.

Note: PASER II and PASER 3® parts will

NOT fit the PASER ECL Plus cutting head.
These parts include 001821, 009519,
010460, 012018, 012468, 012649, and
012680.
Contact FLOW Technical Service for
more information.

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Cutting head
014192-1 (Rev. 03) Standard cutting head assembly
Standard cutting head assembly shown with nozzle nut extension
(014266)

# Part # Qty. Description This configuration allows use of a 4-in. nozzle—thenozzle

nut extension provides room for the extra length.
1 014197-1 1 Mixing chamber assembly
2 710806-1 1 Nozzle collet
3 711589-1 1 Nozzle nut
4 711621-1 1 Spray shield
5 711933-1 1 Blast disk
6 A-15034-1 1 O-ring
7 A-11080 2 Cap

014266
Nozzle nut extension
For use with 4-in. mixing tubes

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 CHAPTER 5
Parts Lists

014239 (Rev. 01) 712401 (Rev. A)

5-axis cutting head WMC cutting head

# Qty Part # Description # Qty Part # Description

1 1 014197-1 Mixing chamber assy 1 1 014197-1 Mixing chamber assembly
2 1 014241-1 Nozzle nut 3 1 710806-1 Nozzle collet
3 1 710806-1 Nozzle collet 4 1 712234-1 Spray shield
4 1 A-15034-1 O-ring 6 1 712365-1 Slide nozzle nut, carbide
5 2 A-11080 Cap 7 1 712366-1 Wear foot
8 1 712367-1 Carbide insert
Note: the o-ring is installed in the nozzle nut and is 9 2 A-11080 Cap
hard to see. Be sure to check o-ring for damage dur- 10 2 A-0275-209 O-ring
ing cutting head service.
11 1 A-15034-1 O-ring

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014155-X (Rev. 12) Nozzle bodies

Orifice mount assembly
With the DuraFlow diamond orifice. 014196-1
Standard nozzle body

Part # Description
014155-3 Orifice assembly, 0.003
014155-4 Orifice assembly, 0.004
014155-5 Orifice assembly, 0.005
014155-6 Orifice assembly, 0.006 712269
014155-7 Orifice assembly, 0.007 WMC nozzle body
014155-8 Orifice assembly, 0.008
014155-9 Orifice assembly, 0.009
014155-10 Orifice assembly, 0.010
014155-11 Orifice assembly, 0.011
014155-12 Orifice assembly, 0.012
014155-13 Orifice assembly, 0.013
014155-14 Orifice assembly, 0.014
014155-15 Orifice assembly, 0.015
014155-16 Orifice assembly, 0.016
014155-17 Orifice assembly, 0.017
014155-18 Orifice assembly, 0.018

014240
5-axis nozzle body

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 CHAPTER 5
Parts Lists

014194-X (Rev. 06)

PASER ECL Plus premium
mixing tube assembly

Tube Tube Tube length

part # ID (in.) (mm)
014194-15-25 .015 2.50 63.5
014194-20-20 .020 2.00 50.8
014194-20-30 .020 3.00 76.2
014194-30-30 .030 3.00 76.2
014194-30-40 .030 4.00 101.6
014194-40-30 .040 3.00 76.2
014194-40-40 .040 4.00 101.6
014194-50-30 .050 3.00 76.2
014194-50-35 .050 3.50 88.9
014194-50-40 .050 4.00 101.6
014194-60-30 .060 3.00 76.2
014194-60-40 .060 4.00 101.6
014194-70-40 .070 4.00 101.6

014214-X (Rev. 03)

PASER ECL Plus standard
mixing tube

Tube Tube Tube length

part # ID (in.) (mm)
014194-30-30 .030 3.00 76.2
014194-40-30 .040 3.00 76.2
014194-30-40 .030 4.00 101.6
014194-40-40 .040 4.00 101.6

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Metering valve
P/N 009930-2 is shown.

009930-1 (Rev. P)
Metering valve assembly
With metering disk kit
# Part # Qty Description
47 010295-1 1 Metering disk kit
52 009930-2 1 Metering valve w/o disk kit
53 006317-1 1 “Danger” label
54 A-0027-16 4 Hex head screw
55 A-0406-3 4 Lock washer
56 A-0407-3 4 Washer

009930-2 (Rev. P)
Metering valve assembly
Without metering disk kit

# Part # Qty. Description

1 009922-1 1 Mini-hopper top cap
2 009925-1 1 Mini hopper
3 009927-1 1 Valve body
4 009928-1 1 Shroud
5 009929-1 1 Locking diverter
24 009932-1 1 Plunger rod
25 A-12093-4 1 Nipple
28 A-0192-4 1 90° elbow
29 A-0275-133 3 O-ring
31 A-0448-8 4 Screw
34 A-11072 1 Air cylinder
35 A-11073 1 Bumper
36 A-11077 1 Wave spring
37 A-11093 1 Air gauge
38 A-11142 1 Air regulator
39 A-4516 2 Street elbow
40 A-0275-126 1 O-ring
41 010014-1 1 Mini-hopper label
42 A-0652-1 1 Street elbow
43 A-00513-04-02 2 Swivel
46 A-0591-11 1 Pipe nipple

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 CHAPTER 5
Parts Lists

009930-3 (Rev. P) 009931-X (Rev. E)

WMC metering valve assembly Metering disks
With metering disk kit
Orifice Flow rate
Part # diameter lb/min*
# Part # Qty Description
47 010295-1 1 Metering disk kit 009931-1 0.1543 0.3
51 009930-4 1 WMC metering valve 009931-2 0.1681 0.4
w/o disk kit
009931-3 0.1840 0.5
009931-4 0.1964 0.6
009931-5 0.2068 0.7
009931-6 0.2153 0.8
009930-4 (Rev. P)
WMC metering valve assembly 009931-7 0.2228 0.9

Without metering disk kit 009931-8 0.2296 1.0

009931-9 0.2372 1.1
# Part # Qty Description 009931-10 0.2464 1.2
1 009922-1 1 Mini-hopper top cap
009931-11 0.2553 1.3
2 009925-1 1 Mini hopper
3 009927-1 1 Valve body 009931-12 0.2634 1.4
4 009928-1 1 Shroud 009931-13 0.2694 1.5
5 009929-1 1 Locking diverter 009931-14 0.2755 1.6
24 009932-1 1 Plunger rod
009931-15 0.2819 1.7
29 A-0275-133 3 O-ring
31 A-0448-8 4 Screw 009931-16 0.2886 1.8
34 A-11072 1 Air cylinder 009931-17 0.2955 1.9
35 A-11073 1 Bumper 009931-18 0.3021 2.0
36 A-11077 1 Wave spring
37 A-11093 1 Air gauge
38 A-11142 1 Air regulator * when using FLOW Alluvial Garnet
39 A-4516 2 Street elbow
40 A-0275-126 1 O-ring
41 010014-1 1 Mini-hopper label
42 A-0652-1 2 Street elbow
43 A-00513-04-02 2 Swivel
49 A-0652-10 1 Street elbow
50 A-0665-2 1 Pipe nipple

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Abrasive delivery system

009950-1 (Rev. F) 009950-3 (Rev. F)
Abrasive delivery hopper with hose Abrasive delivery hopper
(for single cutting heads) (for single cutting heads)

# Qty Part # Description # Qty Part # Description

9 50 ft A-00256-12 Braided hose, PVC 1 1 009962-1 Label
17 1 009950-3 Hopper 2 1 A-11070 Hopper
3 1 009813-1 Enclosure assembly
4 1 009877-1 Cover assembly
8 2 202719-11 Fitting
10 1 A-0676-6 Street elbow
009950-2 (Rev. F) 11 1 202719-29 Bushing
Abrasive delivery hopper with hose 14 2 A-0807-4 Hose clamp
(for dual cutting heads) 15 1 A-0825-11 Hose fitting
16 1 A-0825-12 Hose fitting
# Qty Part # Description 18 1 014039-1 Abrasive strainer assembly
8 2 202719-11 Fitting
9 100’ A-00256-12 Braided hose, PVC 009950-4 (Rev. F)
10 1 A-0676-6 Street elbow Abrasive delivery hopper
12 1 A-0678-6 Tee (for dual cutting heads)
13 1 A-0766-6 Nipple
14 2 A-0807-4 Hose clamp
# Qty Part # Description
15 1 A-0825-11 Hose fitting
8 1 202719-11 Fitting
16 1 A-0825-12 Hose fitting
10 1 A-0676-6 90° street elbow
17 1 009950-1 Hopper
12 1 A-0678-6 Tee
13 1 A-0766-6 Nipple
14 2 A-0807-4 Hose clamp
15 1 A-0825-11 Hose fitting
16 1 A-0825-12 Hose fitting
17 1 009950-3 Hopper

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 CHAPTER 5
Parts Lists

A-11070
Abrasive delivery hopper
For use with FlowMaster systems

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Electrical

009813-1 (Rev. O)
CE enclosure assembly
See also 009812, Elementary electrical diagram.

# Part # Qty Description

1 009884-1 1 Enclosure
2 009885-1 1 Panel
4 A-00038-4 2 ft Coated acrylic tape, 1 in.
5 A-00097-03 1 2 AMP circuit breaker
6 A-11088 1 Pushbutton
7 A-00495-6 1 Relay
11 A-0886-2 3 1 -in. locknut
2

12 A-0921-12 2 ft Duct
13 A-0922-3 2 ft Duct cover
15 A-5867 13½ in. Rail
16 A-5871 4 Terminal end clamp
17 A-6186 1 Light
18 A-7770 1 Selector switch
19 A-9736 1 Legend plate
25 006419-2 1 Label
26 A-11143 1 Light bulb
27 A-12067 1 CE timing relay
28 A-11087 1 Legend plate
29 A-7783 1 Relay
30 006008-1 1 Label
31 A-0876-1 1 Plug
35 009812-DWG 1 Electrical diagram
43 013648-1 1 Prox switch w/disconnect
44 014471 1 Terminal block
45 014487 1 Wiring harness
46 014488 1 Pigtail
47 A-9209 2 Adapter

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 CHAPTER 5
Parts Lists

009812
Elementary electrical diagram

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PASER ECL Plus
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Spares & consumables

Recommended spares
009932-1 Metering valve plunger rod
014192-1 Mixing chamber assembly
711589-1 Nozzle nut for standard cutting head (014192-1)
014241-1 Nozzle nut for 5-axis cutting head (014239)
712240-1 Nozzle nut for WMC cutting head (712401)

Nozzle body
As used in your installation
014196-1 Standard nozzle body
712269 WMC nozzle body
014240 5-axis nozzle body

Mixing tube
As used in your installation
014194-X Premium mixing tube
014214-X Standard mixing tube

Recommended consummables
014155-X Orifice mount assembly
A-11073 Metering valve bumper
A-15034-1 O-ring for cutting head assembly
711933-1 Blast disk (for standard cutting head, 014192-1)
712234-1 Spray shield (for WMC cutting head, 712401)
711489-1 Wear foot (for WMC cutting head, 712401)
712367-1 Carbide insert (for WMC cutting head, 712401)
A-0275-209 O-ring (for WMC cutting head, 712401)

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 CHAPTER 6
Reference
Place additional information on your FLOW equip-
ment in this chapter of the manual.

• Typical Abrasivejet Cutting Speeds

• Abrasive Flow Rate Chart (blank)

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Operation & Service Manual

Typical abrasivejet cutting speeds

for composite and heat-sensitive materials*

Material Thickness (in.) Cutting speed (in/min)

0.250 5-25
Aluminum 0.500 2-10
1.00 1-8
0.125 50-150
Carbon/carbon 0.500 10-40
0.250 6-18
Carbon steel 0.750 4-8

Epoxy/glass 0.125 100-300

Fiberglas 0.250 100-200

Graphite/aluminum 1.000 5-20

honeycomb
0.250 15-70
Graphite/epoxy 0.650 5-20
1.00 3-10
0.390 8-25
Kevlar 0.800 6-12
1.00 3-8

Kevlar/honeycomb 0.250 20-80

laminate
0.250 8-15
Nickel alloy 0.500 0.5-1.5
1.00 0.1-0.3
0.250 10-50
Phenolic 1.00 4-25
2.00 0.5-8

Porcelain/metal/fiberboard 0.465 10-50

0.100 10-30
0.250 4-15
Stainless steel 0.500 2-11
1.00 0.8-3
0.250 5-30
Titanium 0.500 2-10
1.00 0.5-4
* Cutting speeds achieved with the abrasivejet will vary according to operating parameters and de-
sired surface finish. The cutting speed ranges listed in the table produce a variety of surface finishes.
Typically, the slower the cutting rate, the smoother the surface. The slow end of the range usually
yields a surface finish between 65 and 110 m-inch Ra. The fast end of the range gives a rough cut
or separation cut. All material listed in the table was cut with FLOW's PASER ECL Plus system and
garnet abrasive.

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© Flow International Corporation
METERING VALVE FLOW CHART

FLOW RATE (LB/MIN)

2.5

2.0

1.5

1.0

0.5

0
-1 -2 -3 -4 -5 -6 -7 -8 -9 -10 -11 -12 -13 -14 -15 -16 -17 -18

METERING DISK SIZE

Reference
CHAPTER 6

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PASER ECL Plus
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Notes

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