Comparative Cutting
Waterjets can cut any solid material including stone, tile, glass, metal, foam, rubber, plastic, and food.
When compared with plasma, laser, and EDM - waterjet cutting has distinct advantages. In addition to no heat-affected zone, the benefits and applications for waterjet technology are limitless and ever-expanding.
Process
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Waterjet | Erosion: using high-speed liquid sandpaper. |
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Plasma | Burning/Melting: using a high temperature ionized gas arc. |
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Laser | Melting: using a concentrated laser light beam. |
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EDM | Erosion: using an electrical discharge. |
Secondary Processing
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Waterjet | Usually none. Waterjet is a cold-cutting process that leaves a satin smooth edge. |
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Plasma | Typically, yes. Slag grinding for removal of HAZ (heat-affected zone) & flattening to eliminate distortion from heat. Assist gas used impacts depth of HAZ. |
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Laser | Sometimes yes. Removal of oxidized edge and HAZ. Gases used impact depth of HAZ. |
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EDM | Usually none. Very shallow HAZ imparted. |
Materials
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Waterjet | Virtually any material. |
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Plasma | Primarily steel, stainless steel, and aluminum. |
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Laser | A variety of materials, but primarily steel, stainless steel, and aluminum. |
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EDM | Conductive materials. |
Thickness
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Waterjet | Up to 24 inches, virtually any material. Z-axis constraint is only limit to thickness. |
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Plasma | Up to 2–3 inches, depending on the material. |
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Laser | Generally, 1 inch or less, depending on the material. |
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EDM | Generally, 12 inches or less. |
Part Accuracy
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Waterjet | Up to .001 inch |
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Plasma | Up to .010 inch |
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Laser | Up to .001 inch |
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EDM | Up to .001 inch |
Capital Investment
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Waterjet | $60k–$300k + |
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Plasma | $60k–$300k + |
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Laser | $200k–$1M + |
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EDM | $100k–$400k + |
Machine Setup
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Waterjet | Same setup for all materials. |
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Plasma | Different setup for different jobs. |
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Laser | Different gases and parameters for different jobs. |
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EDM | Different wire types for different jobs. |
Edge Comparison
With waterjet, you get a satin smooth edge right off the table. With other cutting
technologies there’s often secondary processing required to get that same satin smooth edge that waterjet produces.
Waterjet
Laser
Plasma
EDM
