# US 11,110,626 B2 · Liquid pressurization pump and systems with data storage > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,110,626 B2 - Document ID: US11110626B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/521,319 - Filed: 2019-07-24 - Published: 2019-11-14 - Granted: 2021-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2014-03-07 - Assignees: Hypertherm, Inc. - Applicants: Hypertherm, Inc. - Inventors: Cedar J. Vandergon; Jon W. Lindsay; Steve E. Voerding; Brett A. Hansen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11110626B2 ## CPC - B26F 3/004: {by means of a fluid jet (methods for use of abrasive blasting for cutting B24C1/045; guns for abrasive fluid jets B24C5/02; perforating by non-mechanical means, e.g. by fluid jet B26F1/26)} - G01K 1/024: for remote indication - G01K 1/14: Supports; Fastening devices; Arrangements for mounting thermometers in particular locations - G01K 1/143: for measuring surface temperatures - B24C 5/04: Nozzles therefor (nozzles in general B05B) - B26F: PERFORATING; PUNCHING; CUTTING-OUT; STAMPING-OUT; SEVERING BY MEANS OTHER THAN CUTTING (marking-out, perforating or making buttonholes A41H25/00; shoemaking A43D; surgery A61B; punching metal B21D; drilling metal B23B; cutting of metal by applying heat locally, e.g. flame cutting, B23K; cutting by abrasive fluid jets B24C5/02; details common to machines for severing B26D; drilling wood B27C; drilling stone B28D; working of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29; making boxes, cartons, envelopes or bags, of paper or similarly worked materials, e.g. metal foil, B31B; of glass C03B; of leather C14B; of textile materials D06H; for light guides G02B6/25; of tickets G07B) - G01K: MEASURING TEMPERATURE; MEASURING QUANTITY OF HEAT; THERMALLY-SENSITIVE ELEMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (radiation pyrometry G01J5/00) - B24C: ABRASIVE OR RELATED BLASTING WITH PARTICULATE MATERIAL ## Abstract The invention features methods and apparatuses for altering a cutting operation during operation of the pressurized liquid jet cutting system. A pressurized liquid jet cutting system includes a pressurized fluid jet cutting head having a plurality of components. The cutting head further includes a sensor configured to sense an operating condition. The sensor transmits a value of the operating condition to a computing device, which alters a subsequent cutting operation. Further, the fluid jet cutting head is configured to work with a data storage mechanism and a reader, such that the data storage mechanism in contact with a body of the fluid jet cutting head is configured to communicate information to a reader of the pressurized liquid jet cutting system. The information is usable to determine a condition of replacement (e.g., a remaining usable life) of the replaceable component, change an operating pressure, change a cutting speed, or alter another operating parameter of the pressurized liquid jet cutting system. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of operating a pressurized fluid jet cutting head, the method comprising: providing a cutting head having a plurality of component parts and a sensor configured to sense an operating condition of at least one of the component parts, wherein the operating condition comprises at least one of temperature, leakage, moisture information, or number of operational cycles; providing a computing device in communication with the sensor; sensing the operating condition for a cutting operation; transmitting a value of the operating condition to the computing device; and altering an operating parameter of a subsequent cutting operation based on the value of the operating condition. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the operating parameter is at least one of an operating pressure or a cutting speed. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising storing the value of the operating condition in a data storage mechanism. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3 further comprising comparing the value of the operating condition to existing information stored in the data storage mechanism. ### Claim 5 A pressurized fluid jet cutting system, comprising: a cutting head having a plurality of components parts; a sensor, configured to sense an operating condition of at least one of the component parts, wherein the operating condition comprises at least one of temperature, leakage, moisture information, or number of operational cycles; and a computing device in communication with the sensor, the computing device configured to alter a subsequent cutting operation based on a value of the operating condition. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The pressurized fluid jet cutting system of claim 5 wherein the computing device alters at least one of an operating pressure or a cutting speed based on the value of the operating condition. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The pressurized fluid jet cutting system of claim 5 wherein the subsequent cutting operation is altered to extend a life expectancy of at least one of the component parts. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The pressurized fluid jet cutting system of claim 5 wherein the computing device includes at least one of a computer numeric controller or a pump programmable logic controller. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The pressurized fluid jet cutting system of claim 5 wherein the sensor is disposed within or near at least one of the component parts. ### Claim 10 A pressurized fluid jet cutting system, comprising: a cutting head having a plurality of components parts; a sensor, configured to sense an operating condition of at least one of the component parts; and a computing device in communication with the sensor, the computing device configured to alter a subsequent cutting operation based on a value of the operating condition, wherein the computing device is further configured to record a time of installation of at least one of the component parts. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The pressurized fluid jet cutting system of claim 10 further comprising: a data storage mechanism, configured to store the value of the operating condition during operation of the fluid jet cutting system; and a reader configured to read information from the data storage mechanism and transmit information to the computing device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The pressurized fluid jet cutting system of claim 10 wherein the data storage mechanism is configured to store at least one of a use metric or identification data of at least one of the component parts. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The pressurized fluid jet cutting system of claim 10 wherein the data storage mechanism is an RFID tag. ### Claim 14 A pressurized fluid jet cutting system, comprising: a cutting head having a plurality of component parts; sensing means for detecting an operating condition of at least one of the component parts, wherein the operating condition comprises at least one of temperature, leakage, moisture information, or number of operational cycles; means for altering a subsequent cutting operation based on a value of the operating condition communicated by the sensing means. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The pressurized fluid jet cutting system of claim 14 wherein the means for altering a subsequent cutting operation alters at least one of an operating pressure or a cutting speed based on the value of the operating condition. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The pressurized fluid jet cutting system of claim 14 wherein the sensing means detects at least one of temperature, pressure, leakage, moisture, humidity, or detected strain. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The pressurized fluid jet cutting system of claim 14 further comprising: storage means for storing the value of the operating condition; and means for reading the value of the operating condition from the storage means. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The pressurized fluid jet cutting system of claim 17 wherein the means for reading the value of the operating condition is further configured to transmit the value of the operating condition to the means for altering a subsequent cutting operation. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The pressurized fluid jet cutting system of claim 16 wherein the storage means is configured to store multiple values of the operating condition over time. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The pressurized fluid jet cutting system of claim 16 wherein the means for altering a subsequent cutting operation compares the value of the operating condition to existing information in the storage means.