Comparing Waterjet and Laser Cutting

Abrasive water jet cutting and laser cutting are two very powerful ways to cut through many different types of material. Both have the ability to manufacture complicated parts or create beautiful art. But when you have a particular project in mind, how do you know which cutting method to choose? Here is a brief guide to choosing the right process for your application and/or material.

Abrasive Waterjet Cutting

<a onClick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/article_exit_link');" href="http://www.fedtech.com/waterjet2.html">Abrasive waterjet cutting</a> can be used to cut a variety of materials, including steel, copper, aluminum, plastic, glass, Kevlar, Lexan, and more. Abrasive waterjet can also process these materials ranging from .001 inches up to 12 inches in thickness.

Abrasive waterjet cutting has a narrow kerf, or cut width, of .025” to .000” and does not produce a heat affected zone (HAZ). Burrs are virtually non-existent with abrasive waterjet. Because of the lack of secondary operations necessary on most materials, water jet cutting eliminates the expenses of extra tooling making waterjet cutting a very cost-effective choice.

The accuracy of abrasive waterjet cutting meets or exceeds that of other cutting methods, especially in thick materials. Kerf can be adjusted to suit the material, along with adjustments made to the slight taper the kerf edge has. Abrasive waterjet is well suited to cut complex shapes, such as architectural or decorative pieces, with tight tolerances.

Although abrasive water jet is an excellent choice for most cutting needs, it does have some limitations, as waterjet’s lower cutting speeds bring a higher cost of operation when compared to laser. When abrasive waterjet competes directly with laser cutting, such as with thin steels, stainless steel, and aluminum, waterjet may be the more expensive method per inch.

Despite some limitations, the versatility of the abrasive waterjet to handle many materials and reduce secondary operations makes it the best option for a variety of jobs.

Laser cutting

<a onClick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/article_exit_link');" href="http://www.fedtech.com/laser.html">Laser cutting</a> is another effective cutting method that eliminates costly tooling charges and can create a burr-free edge. It is a highly accurate approach for thin steels, aluminum and stainless steels up to 5/8 inches thick. However, laser cutting does create a heat affected zone.

With laser cutting, the cutting speed is markedly increased, reducing production costs and enabling very quick turn-around times for a variety of projects. Excellent cutting accuracy also enables complicated parts to be machined easily. Laser cutting can also be used to create pieces for architectural or decorative applications. The versatility of a laser allows for both short and long production runs, no set-up or tooling costs as well as high part to part repeatability are other guiding factors in choosing laser cutting.

In addition to steels, laser cutting can also process aluminum and carbon steel, each material has its own limitations in thickness as laser cutting is typically used for thinner materials. When cutting these thin materials, laser cutting surpasses abrasive waterjet cutting in terms of cost per inch and speed.

Both abrasive waterjet and laser are effective methods of cutting a variety of materials. Depending on your application you may find that waterjet is the best option, or that laser will help you get a project turned around quickly.

<a onClick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/article_exit_link');" href="http://www.fedtech.com">Fedtech</a>, located in Minnesota, has some of the Midwest’s largest waterjet and laser cutting machines. They also have the expertise to assist you choosing the best-fit materials and cutting options to help you get your job done right the first time.