Soapstone is a top choice for countertops, sinks, fireplace tiles, and more in kitchens, bathrooms, outdoors, and more. As we continue to expand and modernize our fabrication and installation methods, we have added the latest technology in stone fabrication: a Robot Saw Waterjet. Explore this guide to see how this technology works and what benefits it provides both in-house and to our customers.
What Is a Robot Saw Waterjet?
A robot Saw Waterjet, also known as a “Sawjet”, is a robotic stone-cutting saw. The piece we have added to our machinery lineup also includes an advanced waterjet cutting head and specialty software that generates and follows set cutting paths. M Teixeira Soapstone has added this high-tech tool to our headquarters in New Jersey, which will be used for fabricating and finishing soapstone and other stone varieties.
Benefits of a Robot Sawjet
The robot sawjet two offers the flexibility of different technologies in one piece of equipment. The combination of a standard diamond saw blade on one side and a waterjet nozzle on the other offers numerous cutting benefits, and the assistance of software-controlled robotic technology makes this sawjet faster, more accurate, and more versatile than traditional options.
Accuracy
A robot sawjet allows us to cut soapstone and other materials with incredible precision. That makes it safer to operate than a traditional stone-cutting saw, and it reduces the risk of human error. By using a robot sawjet, we’re able to improve quality control with more accurate cuts—even when creating intricate designs. The cutting heads are designed to completely prevent misalignment, and the machine is equipped with high-tech sensors to reduce the need for manual measurements.
Efficiency
A robot sawjet can help us eliminate one or more steps in the stone fabrication process. While before we would use a saw to cut the tops to size and a CNC milling machine to open sink and cooktop cutouts, this machine allows us to do this all in one place, eliminating the number of times the pieces are handled and how many computer programs are written for each task.
- The stone-cutting path is pre-determined by software, so there’s less time spent measuring, checking, and aligning each piece.
- High-pressure axis coils increase speed, allowing the robotic sawjet to move faster between cuts than traditional manual techniques.
- Soapstone or other material pieces can remain in place for cutting holes, arcs, and openings, without the need to move the slab to a secondary station to complete the process.
- PC-based software allows quick programmed cutting that can be controlled from the workfloor or remotely.
- Because the software automatically determines whether saw- or waterjet-cutting is best and switches between the two, pieces can remain in place throughout the finishing process without risk of damage.
- A dual table option means slabs can be loaded on one side while cutting remains in progress on the other for continual operation.
Versatility
A robot sawjet can be used to cut a variety of materials beyond soapstone. This allows highly accurate fabrication of the natural and engineered stone materials we work with. A heavy-duty motor coupled with an extended saw blade provides enough power and control to slice through hard materials such as Quartzite, Dekton (AKA ultra compacts), porcelain, and more with ease—and the system’s ability to swap between saw or waterjet nozzle cutting allows cleaner cuts, especially for edges and more delicate cutting routes.
Waste Reduction
We already work to reduce soapstone waste by offering reclaimed soapstone tiles and discounted remnant soapstone slabs. Adding this new robotic saw technology to our collection of soapstone-cutting tools allows us to limit wasted material even further, including these factors:
- The precise robot-guided cutting system means there is less wasted material to begin with because less material gets trimmed to create the necessary cuts. In other words, there is no blade overcut, which sometimes can save one full slab!
- The finishing system eliminates moving pieces between cuts, preventing accidental damage that could occur during movement, which could ruin the stone.
- Because this machine requires less maintenance, there is less downtime due to recalibrations for the saw blade and waterjet nozzle.
- The smaller footprint of the robot sawjet takes up less area on the factory floor to prevent wasted space.
The latest addition to our soapstone fabrication equipment line-up, the robot sawjet, allows us to produce more accurate cuts and reduce waste. If you’re looking for an upgrade in your kitchen, bathroom, or elsewhere, reach out for a quote or visit our headquarters showroom.