Trial cuts first. Then a custom machine for concrete pipes.

Based in Rhede, Germany, KRASO manufactures watertight installation components for concrete construction and sealing systems for pipes and cables. Both development and production take place in Rhede.

When KRASO contacted us in December 2023, it already had two waterjets from other manufacturers in its factory. This time it wanted to cut rubber by pure waterjet cutting, on a table of at least 2.5 × 1.5 m. Before ordering, the team asked detailed questions: how to maintain the intensifier pump, how long consumable parts would last, whether there was automatic lubrication, and how quickly spare parts could arrive; how the cutting head for pure waterjet cutting would be configured, along with filtration and safety devices; whether the software could run in German and nest directly from their DXF drawings; and how the machine would be laid out and how training would work.

We answered these questions one by one. Using KRASO's own DXF drawings, we demonstrated automatic nesting in Alma's almaCAM Cut nesting and programming software, and made trial cuts in the rubber they sent us. After seeing the results, they replied: “Automatic nesting seems to work very well.” They returned the signed contract the next day.

First machine (pure waterjet cutting): WCM-P60III-G3020-A3P-ECS — P60III intensifier pump, 3 × 2 m cutting table, 3-axis cutting head for pure waterjet cutting, ECS CNC system and water softener. The order also included almaCAM Cut, Alma's nesting and programming software.

Second machine (custom concrete pipe cutting): A few months later, KRASO brought us a new requirement: cut concrete pipes 1.2 m long, 100–400 mm in diameter and with a 30 mm wall thickness into 20–60 cm sections, while keeping dust and noise to a minimum. We designed a dedicated cutting table for rotating pipes: the pipe rotates in the catcher tank as it is cut, and the spacing between the rollers can be adjusted for different pipe diameters. The cutting head's height and forward and backward position can be adjusted manually. After checking the pipe guidance and cut edges in our trial cuts, KRASO approved the configuration and ordered the WCM-P60V5-T1015 in April 2024: P60V5 intensifier pump, 1000 × 1500 mm dedicated pipe cutting table, 3-axis cutting head, abrasive delivery system, automatic abrasive removal system for the catcher tank, and water softener.

The two machines arrived in Rhede a few months apart. Some issues arose during initial commissioning that remote support could not fully resolve, so we sent an engineer to KRASO's factory. The engineer completed commissioning of both machines, adapted the pipe cutting table, handed over the two machines together and trained the operators. The first waterjet cutting machine now cuts rubber from thin sheet up to 20 mm thick, with PP honeycomb panels supporting thin material and dedicated slats for thicker sheet.