Is waterjet cutting economical?

Yes. There are many ways the process proves to be a time and cost saver:

• Eliminates the need for dies, holding fixtures, and special set-ups
• Parts can be nested for higher material yield
• Ability to cut multiple layers of material
• Low cost for prototype parts or large run production
• Edge finish reduces or eliminates the need for secondary processing operations
• Fast turnaround – virtually no set-up
• Narrow kerf – less material waste
• Cuts both non-metallic and metallic materials without heat

How does abrasive waterjet cutting compare to other processes?

• Saws (Bandsaws) – Waterjet is faster, requires less labor, can cut harder materials, cuts tightly curved shapes and can make holes.
• Lasers – In most cases waterjet cuts thicker materials, all types of reflective metals, and non-metallic substrates leaving no heat affected zones.
• Wire EDM – Where +/-.005 tolerance is required, waterjet is faster, less expensive, can cut non-metallic substrates and can make holes.
• Plasma / Gas Torch Cutting – Waterjet is more accurate and can cut cleaner, “ready to use” edges and no secondary process is required.
• Traditional Machining – Waterjet requires no tooling or set up and can cut harder materials. There is less material waste which optimizes parts yield.

Does waterjet cutting have a high degree of Accuracy? What about Quality?

Yes to both. Here are examples:

• Holds tolerances down to +/- .005” in most cases
• Edges are free from burrs and resemble a sandblasted surface
• Edge quality can be adjusted through cutting speed
• Flexible materials can be cut with less taper than with die cutting
• Cut quality typically needs no further processing and allows you to use ”as is”
• Intricate, complex shapes with small inside corners can be easily cut
• Soft materials can be cut without distortion
• CNC controlled - parts are repeatable

What material sizes can you cut?
Our machine cutting envelope area is 55 x 100 inches but we can handle material up to 63 x120 inches within the machine bed. Please contact us for your oversized cutting needs. We have the capability to handle larger shapes with multiple set ups.

How thick or thin can you cut?
We can cut thicknesses from .003 up to 6 inches.

How do you charge?
Each job is priced individually based upon machine run time, the material selection, and the quantity of parts.

What types of electronic files can you accept?
We prefer .DXF format but we can also accept Solid Works, AutoCAD, Adobe Illustrator or any of the following suffix extensions: *.A,*.AI, *.ART, *.CAM, *.CDL, *. CMX, *.DWG, *.EPS, *.HPG, *.HPGL, *.IGES, *.IGS, *.N, *.NC, *.NCC, *.ORD, *.PDF, *.PLT, *.PRF, *.PTE, *.SHX, and *.TXT.

What if I don’t have an electronic file, can you work from blueprints, hand sketches or artwork?
Yes, we can scan your drawing, sketch or artwork and provide you a quote. If extensive re-creation of artwork is required, we will create a CAD file that can be waterjet cut for you.

What do you need from me to cut a job?
Please refer to our Get a Quote page. We need a drawing or file of the part you want cut, the material type and thickness, the quantity of parts you want, if you want to provide material or would like us to provide it and job completion date.

How does a waterjet work?
Please see this video.

Is waterjet machining a green process?
Yes, it is an environmentally friendly process that uses no gases or chemicals .