Safety Precautions

Safety instructions must be followed when the equipment is installed, operated, or maintained. If ignored, death or physical injury can result, or damage can occur to the equipment. Always follow the applicable safety precautions when work is done with this equipment.

Use the equipment ONLY for its intended function

Read the installation manual before the equipment is set up to learn about important installation and safety information.
Read the documentation for recommended accessories. The use of incorrect accessories can cause a risk of injury to persons or damage to equipment.
Wear eye and hearing protection. Always wear ISO-approved impact safety glasses.
Make sure the equipment is installed correctly before the system is started.
Never stand on the equipment. Serious injury can occur if the machine tips or you touch the machining tool during operation.

Do not make changes

Do not make changes to the equipment or components that are not approved.
Changes to the equipment can cause a risk of physical injury to the operator and others and can cause damage to the equipment or other property. Changes to the equipment will void the warranty.
Do not change, defeat, or bypass the equipment safety features.

Do not remove panels

Do not remove the panels during operation. Only remove them when required by maintenance or to troubleshoot problems.

Check for damaged parts

Before the equipment is used, carefully examine guards or other parts that are damaged to make sure that it operates correctly and functions as intended. Examine to make sure parts that move, move freely, are aligned correctly, are not broken, are mounted correctly, and for other conditions that can have an effect on its operation. Replace guards or other damaged parts.

Use caution, stay alert, and be attentive

Do not install, operate, or service the equipment while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Read the warning labels on prescription and over-the-counter drugs. If in doubt, do not install or operate the machine.
Do not install, operate, or service the equipment when you are tired.
Always follow the safety precautions when the equipment is installed, operated, maintained, or serviced. Carefully operated, the abrasive waterjet is a safe tool. When operated carelessly, serious injury can result.
Wear a face or dust mask.
Do not reach over the machine to operate it. Keep feet on the floor and balanced at all times.
Keep a minimum of 16 in. (40 cm) away from pressurized equipment during operation.
Do not try to tighten the ultra high-pressure (UHP) fittings when the system is pressurized.

Keep the tools and equipment in good condition

Keep machine and accessories clean for the best and safest performance.
Always keep the equipment in good condition.
Follow the maintenance instructions for equipment and accessories.
Keep all protective guards and stop devices.

Keep the equipment and area around the equipment clean and free from clutter

Remove all installation, operation, or maintenance tools from the equipment before it is operated.
Keep the work area clean and clutter-free to prevent accidents.
Keep the equipment clean for the best performance.

Do not operate the equipment in a dangerous environment

Do not use the equipment in or around flammable gases or liquids.
Do not expose the equipment to rain or use it outdoors.
Keep the equipment in a bright work area.

Never leave the equipment unattended during operation

Always stop and turn off the equipment before leaving the area.
Keep visitors at a safe distance from the work area.
Keep children away from the equipment work area.
Do not let children play around or operate the equipment or its components.

Never operate the equipment without safety guards or covers

Do not change, bypass, or try to defeat the safety guards, covers, or switches.
Keep the guards in position and in working order.
Do not remove the safety cover or guard during operation.
Know the location of the ON/OFF switch.
Know how to disconnect the primary power supply to the equipment.
Start and operate the machine only when all side panels are in position.

Never put your hands in the area of the nozzle during operation

Seek immediate medical aid for all waterjet injuries. Injuries caused by high-pressure abrasive waterjets are serious. Do not wait!
Refer to the WaterJet Technology Association (WJTA) warning card for important medical aid information.

Figure 50

Be careful when material(s) is moved in the catcher tank

Do not operate the equipment when material is moved into the catcher tank.
Always stop the abrasive waterjet before adjustments are made to the material or the abrasive jet.
Always be careful when material is moved into the catcher tank. Fingers can be caught between a heavy part and the support slats.
Be careful around the support slats. The abrasive waterjet also cuts the support slats; the edges can become sharp and cause cuts or collapse.

Do not touch live electrical components or parts

Always use a licensed electrician or approved person to install the primary power source to use with the machine.
Examine the equipment power and control cables regularly for correct connection and installation. Damaged, exposed, and bare wires can cause electrocution or death!
Make sure the equipment is correctly connected and grounded in accordance with the national, state, and local codes. Do not remove the prongs from the plug. Always plug into the correct electrical outlet.
Never use any electrical plug adapter.
Make sure the power switch is in the OFF position before the equipment is plugged in to stop accidental starts.
Always disconnect the equipment from the primary power before service or maintenance work is done.

Noise Emission Precautions

Environmental factors, such as how the room or structure is built, other machines and power tools in the area, and other noise sources, can have an effect on the environment's true noise level. When installed and operated correctly, the equipment's A-weighted emission sound pressure level, LpA , is less than 75 dBA (LpA < 75 dBA). Therefore, OMAX recommends that the operator wear hearing protection during equipment operation.

Treat All Injuries with Caution

Injuries that involve contact with the catcher tank water should receive medical aid immediately. Refer to the WJTA Warning Card for important medical aid information.

Get medical aid immediately for an abrasive waterjet injury. Tell the physician the cause of the injury, the type of abrasive waterjet work that was done when the accident happened, and the water source.

Stagnant water in the catcher tank can introduce dangerous bacteria into cuts, scrapes, small breaks in the skin, and other types of wounds. Injuries that involve contact with the catcher tank water should receive aid immediately. Injuries that involve contact with the water should be attended to immediately.

Unusual infections with aerophilic microorganisms that occur at lower temperatures have been reported. These can be gram-negative pathogens, such as those found in sewage. Bacterial swabs and blood cultures may be helpful to assist a physician's diagnosis.

An injury caused by high-pressure waterjets can be dangerous. If there is a waterjet injury:

Get medical aid immediately. Do not wait!
Tell the physician of the cause of the injury.
Tell the physician about the type of abrasive waterjet work done when the accident happened and the water source.
Give this information to medical personnel:
This patient may be suffering from a waterjet injury. Evaluation and management should parallel that of a gunshot injury. The external manifestations of the injury cannot be used to predict the extent of internal damage. Initial management should include stabilization and a thorough neurovascular examination. X-rays can be used to assess subcutaneous air and foreign bodies distant from the site of injury. Injuries to the extremities can involve extensive nerve, muscle, vessel damage, and cause a distal compartment syndrome. Injuries to the torso can involve internal organ damage. Surgical consultation should be obtained. Aggressive irrigation and debridement is recommended. Surgical decompression and exploration may also be necessary. Angiographic studies are recommended pre-operatively if arterial injury is suspected. Bandages with a hygroscopic solution (MgSO4) and hyperbaric oxygen treatment have been used as adjunctive therapy to decrease pain, edema, and subcutaneous emphysema. Unusual infections with uncommon organisms in immunocompetent patients have been seen; the source of the water is important in deciding on initial, empiric antibiotic treatment, and broad-spectrum intravenous antibiotics should be administered. Cultures should be obtained.

Lockout/Tagout

Do standard practices and procedures to shutdown and stop the equipment, isolate it from its energy source(s), and prevent the release of potentially dangerous energy when maintenance and service work is done.

Equipment Grounding Requirements

Make sure the equipment is correctly grounded in accordance with the national, state, and local codes. Do not remove the prongs from the plug. Always plug into the correct electrical outlet.
The ground wire gives the electric current a path of least resistance to reduce the risk of electrical shock during a malfunction or breakdown. The machine has an electric cord with an equipment-grounding conductor (EGC) and a ground plug (United States, Canada, and Mexico only). The plug must be connected to a matching outlet that is correctly installed and grounded in accordance with all local codes and ordinances.
Do not change the plug—if it does not fit the outlet, have the correct outlet installed by a qualified electrician.
If the EGC is incorrectly connected, it can result in electric shock.
Contact a qualified electrician or service personnel if the grounding instructions are not understood or if not sure if the equipment is correctly grounded.
Do not use extension cords with the equipment.
If the cord is damaged or worn, immediately replace it. Contact OMAX for replacement parts and instructions. The insulation of the EGC is covered with a green or green with yellow-striped surface. If replacement of the electric cord or plug is necessary, do not connect the equipment-grounding conductor to a live terminal. Refer to the equipment-specific wiring configuration.

The equipment is intended to be used on a circuit with an outlet similar to the one shown (United States, Canada, and Mexico only):

Figure 51

The grounding plug is similar to the one shown (United States, Canada and Mexico only):

Figure 52

Make sure that the equipment is connected to an outlet that matches the plug configuration.
The equipment must not be connected to any different type of electric circuit.
No adapter is available or should be used with this equipment.
For countries other than the United States, Canada, and Mexico, OMAX does not supply a sufficiently rated industrial-grade plug.
Contact a qualified electrician or service personnel to install a sufficiently rated industrial-grade plug in accordance with national, state, and local codes.

A pin and sleeve plug, rated at least 30A, 230V, 2-pole+E (3-wire grounding), IP44 or better, having a first-make last-break protective bonding contact (earthing contact) in accordance with standards IEC 60309-1 and IEC60309-2 can fulfill this requirement.

Figure 53

The cord must be plugged into a matching outlet that is correctly installed and grounded in accordance with all local codes and ordinances.

Figure 54

Explosive Atmosphere Precautions

Machining certain types of material, such as titanium, with a waterjet can cause sparks. Do not operate the equipment in an explosive environment. Do not let explosive or flammable vapors collect in the area of the equipment.

Removal of Waste Materials

Discard all machining wastes correctly in accordance with all local and federal regulations. Abrasive waterjet machining causes two types of waste: the water used for machining and the solid material that collects in the catcher tank. Although the used garnet abrasive is not dangerous, the waste deposited from the cut material can require special treatment.

In abrasive waterjet machining, high-pressure water with garnet abrasive particles hits and cuts the material. The abrasive grit and eroded particles from the cut material collect and settle at the bottom of the catcher tank until discarded. Different materials can have different requirements to discard them correctly. Always refer to all local and federal regulations. For example, when poisonous materials such as lead or radioactive metals are cut, the correct steps must be taken to discard the poisonous or radioactive water, material debris, and used abrasive garnet; local and federal regulations must be followed. Always refer to the local utility company for sewage or water treatment requirements and procedures to discard waste materials.

Sufficient Shop Ventilation

Make sure there is good airflow in the work area to dissipate gases, vapors, and fumes. The machine contains a large amount of water. The ambient temperature in the shop and of the water can have an effect on water evaporation. To decrease the effect on other equipment in the shop, make sure there is good airflow in the shop. Also, some materials, such as aluminum particles, are known to make hydrogen in water.

When aluminum is cut, the small particles of aluminum dust in the catcher tank react with the water to make flammable hydrogen gases. Usually, hydrogen bubbles to the surface and is released into the shop in safe, low concentrations.

Make sure no ignition sources (open flame or electrostatic discharge) are near the abrasive waterjet system.

Monitor the catcher tank for hydrogen gas bubbles when large quantities of aluminum are cut. The aluminum powder (made from the removed material) and spent garnet collect at the bottom of the catcher tank. The aluminum then reacts with the water and releases hydrogen gas. The hydrogen gas can collect in bubbles in the garnet. The hydrogen gas bubbles are flammable. Keep the garnet levels in the catcher tank low to prevent hydrogen gas bubbles from being collected within the garnet.

Do not smoke near the machine. Keep other sources of ignition or flammable materials near the machine. Be careful when materials that create sparks are cut, such as titanium, which can fire the gases in the catcher tank and cause an explosion. Remove the aluminum powder from the catcher tank before machining materials that spark.