Waterjet Cutting

Waterjet cutting slices sheet and plate with a high-pressure water stream (often abrasive), delivering burr-free cuts with minimal heat-affected zone.

Overview

Waterjet cutting (abrasive waterjet) uses ultra-high-pressure water, typically with garnet abrasive, to cut sheet and plate without significant heat input. That means no heat-affected zone, minimal distortion, and clean edges on materials that are heat-sensitive, thick, or difficult to laser.

Choose waterjet for prototypes through low-to-mid volumes, thick sections, mixed-material jobs, and parts where edge metallurgy matters (tool steels, titanium, laminated stacks). It handles large formats and complex 2D profiles, but it’s slower than laser on thin gauge and can leave light striations/taper on thick cuts. Small holes and sharp internal corners are limited by kerf width, and abrasive can contaminate some applications unless managed. Expect higher per-part cutting cost than fast laser on thin metal, but fewer thermal/secondary-ops problems.

Common Materials

  • Aluminum 6061
  • Stainless Steel 304
  • Mild Steel A36
  • Titanium Grade 5
  • Inconel 718
  • G10/FR4

Tolerances

±0.005"

Applications

  • Thick stainless equipment panels
  • Tool steel fixture plates
  • Titanium brackets and gussets
  • Architectural metal inlays and signage
  • Gasket and rubber sheet profiles
  • Composite laminate blanks

When to Choose Waterjet Cutting

Pick waterjet when you need 2D profiles with minimal thermal impact, especially on thick plate or heat-sensitive alloys and composites. It fits prototypes and short runs where material flexibility matters more than cycle time. It’s also a good choice when you want near-finished edges with minimal burr and distortion.

vs Laser Cutting (CO2)

Choose waterjet when you need to avoid a heat-affected zone, edge hardening, or warping on thicker plate or heat-sensitive alloys. Waterjet also cuts many non-metals and stacked materials that CO2 laser jobs often exclude. Expect slower cutting on thin sheet and less crisp micro-features than CO2 laser.

vs Laser Cutting (Fiber)

Choose waterjet for thick parts where thermal distortion, recast, or edge metallurgy is a concern, or when cutting reflective/heat-conductive stacks and mixed materials in one job. Waterjet is also safer for materials that don’t laser-cut cleanly due to fumes or delamination risk. Fiber laser wins on speed and fine features in thin-to-mid gauge metals.

vs Plasma Cutting

Choose waterjet when you need tighter tolerances, smoother edges, and minimal dross/secondary cleanup. Waterjet holds shape better on thinner parts and avoids the larger heat-affected zone typical of plasma. Plasma is usually faster and cheaper for rough profiles in thick carbon steel where finish and precision are less critical.

vs Shearing

Choose waterjet when you need internal cutouts, complex contours, tight fit profiles, or multiple features in one operation. Waterjet avoids roll-over and burr typical of shearing and works well on thicker plate where shear tonnage becomes limiting. Shearing is faster and cheaper for straight cuts on rectangular blanks.

Design Considerations

  • Keep minimum hole diameter at least 1.5–2.0× material thickness (and not smaller than the jet/kerf) to reduce taper and out-of-round holes
  • Avoid sharp internal corners; add inside radii at least equal to the expected kerf width
  • Specify edge quality (e.g., rough/medium/fine or striation limit) and which edges are cosmetic to control cycle time and cost
  • Call out tolerance-critical features and allow looser tolerances elsewhere; tighter specs often require slower passes
  • Plan for tabs or micro-joints on small parts to prevent tip-up and lost parts; define tab locations if edge finish matters
  • Provide the actual cut file format (DXF/DWG) with correct scale and material thickness to speed quoting and reduce errors