standard range; special systems up to 6,500 bar
for abrasive cutting
roughly two to three times the orifice diameter
sets the minimum internal radius
Pure-water cutting for suitable materials and processes
In pure-water cutting, jet energy is transferred to the workpiece without any added cutting medium. Suitable applications depend strongly on the material and the product requirement. A sound evaluation should therefore consider material, thickness, contour, required edge quality, and cycle time together, rather than any one of them in isolation.
Abrasive waterjet cutting extends the range of workable materials
In abrasive cutting, an abrasive is metered into the mixing chamber and then accelerated in the focusing tube together with the water jet. This makes it possible to cut hard materials as well. The process also introduces additional operating tasks: abrasive storage, metering, and handling of spent abrasive and workpiece particles.
Cutting head, pump, and axis kinematics form one system
An industrial cutting system typically comprises a high-pressure pump, a cutting head, an axis system, a cutting tank or catch basin, and control and process software. Depending on the part, multi-head, multi-axis, or full 3D kinematics may be required.
Cut quality and productivity must be evaluated on the actual part
Economic suitability depends on material, thickness, contour, tolerances, the required cut edge, and batch size. Pressure level alone is not a sufficient basis for comparison. For investment decisions, trials with representative parts and an assessment of cutting time, consumables, maintenance, and rework are advisable.
Guidance values for cutting performance
The following figures are for order-of-magnitude planning purposes only. Binding cutting data comes from the controller's own database, which accounts for the specific orifice and focusing-tube configuration, abrasive mass flow, and material batch.
| Material | Approx. traverse speed | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Mild steel S235 | 150–300 mm/min | Reference case for most cutting databases |
| Stainless steel 1.4301 | 130–260 mm/min | Somewhat lower than mild steel at equal thickness |
| Aluminium | 350–650 mm/min | Significantly higher traverse speed, lower abrasive demand per metre |
| Titanium | 150–280 mm/min | Cold cutting with no microstructural change is the key advantage |
| Glass | 300–600 mm/min | Lead-in ramp required to avoid chipping |
| Carbon-fibre composite (CFRP) | 600–1,200 mm/min | No thermal damage to the matrix; watch delamination risk at edges |
| Natural stone | 100–200 mm/min | Strongly dependent on structure and inclusions |
Guidance values for a standard operating point around 4,000 bar with mesh 80 abrasive. Variation between machines and batches is considerable.
Traverse speed alone does not carry a cost estimate. Pierce and lead-in time per contour, travel moves between contours, setup time, and scrap rate all add to it. For small parts with many internal contours, the sum of pierce operations can exceed the actual cutting time. This is why quotes based on a flat price per metre routinely miss the mark.
Material suitability and process limits
| Criterion | Abrasive Waterjet | Laser | Plasma |
|---|---|---|---|
| Material independence | |||
| No heat-affected zone | |||
| Thickness range in metal | |||
| Cutting speed, thin sheet | |||
| Edge quality without rework | |||
| Reflective materials | |||
| Operating cost per metre, thin sheet | |||
| Peripheral investment required |
Qualitative rating of typical systems; five points denotes the most favourable outcome. A detailed comparison is available under Waterjet vs. Laser.
Frequently asked questions about cutting
What workpiece thicknesses are achievable?
Technically, abrasive waterjet can cut well beyond 200 mm. Economically, the practical range is considerably lower, because traverse speed and edge quality fall off sharply with thickness and abrasive consumption per metre rises. The thickness at which another process becomes more economical is set by part count, not by a technical limit.
Why is there no heat-affected zone?
Because material removal is mechanical, through grain erosion, and the water continuously carries the input energy away. There is no melting and no metallurgical change to the microstructure. That is the decisive advantage for heat-treated steels, titanium, fibre composites, and anywhere a later heat treatment is not planned.
How are internal contours pierced?
Through a pierce operation that takes longer than cutting the same length of contour. For brittle materials such as glass or stone, piercing is done at reduced pressure, or a lead-in ramp is placed outside the contour, to avoid chipping. For fibre composites, a ramp additionally reduces the risk of delamination.
Is pure-water cutting faster than abrasive cutting?
For suitable materials, considerably. Gaskets, foams, paper, food products, and many plastics are cut at very high traverse speeds, with a very narrow kerf and no abrasive cost. For metals, stone, and glass the process does not apply. The distinction is covered under Pure Water or Abrasive.