Waterjet vs. Laser Cutting

General Overview

When it comes to comparing waterjet versus laser cutting, you might find that there are a few differences from company to company. However Fedtech's custom manufacturing services include both laser and waterjet cutting services with engineering capability, complete CAD/CAM capability, same day quotations and competitive pricing. The differences lies primarily in thickness cutting ability, and accuracy required for different applications. With the largest equipment in the Midwest, Fedtech has the capacity required for your waterjet or laser cutting needs.

Waterjet Cutting: Our ultra-high pressure waterjet cutting uses water compressed up to 60,000 psi as a precise and powerful cutting tool with no heat affected zones (HAZ) or part distortion. The jet streams generated are capable of cutting material ranging from .001" thick to 12" thick. Waterjet cutting is most commonly used for cutting aluminum, copper, brass, glass, titanium, plastic, and rubber.

Laser Cutting: On the other hand, laser cutting is an efficient option for small to large quantities and irregularly shaped parts. Laser cutting eliminates costly tooling charges and provides a quick turnaround. This method of processing is mostly used for stainless steels or steels up to 5/8" thick. You can see a simply comparison in the table below.

Waterjet Cutting:

The abrasive waterjet can pierce or drill holes as small as .030" in diameter (0.004" for water jet without abrasive). All waterjet machines are equipped with multiple cutting heads which dramatically enhances the effectiveness of cutting, making our process competitive over other comparable methods. Also offering lean manufacturing techniques.

Sample Waterjet Cutting Application:

Fedtech's new waterjet cutting machine was able to provide a patterned series of small holes in a 4'x 8' sheet for a recent customer. The process could utilize three heads to cut production time in one third. If the customer had used conventional methods, the number of holes would have caused constant drill breaking and increased production time. This unique waterjet cutting process allows tighter nesting of parts thus saving material costs.

Other benefits from this waterjet cutting application include cutting tolerances as close as +/- .003, burr-free parts, low contact force of the cutting stream, no heat affected zones, cutting of all materials, no distortion or warping of materials, high accuracies of +/-.003, and a small kerf width to allow tight nesting and optimal material usage.

Since waterjet cutting utilizes a high velocity, coherent stream of water and abrasive, it can be used to cut most materials. This includes: stainless steel, carbon steel, all tool steels, titanium, aluminum, brass, armor plate, wood, Kevlar, plastics, rubber, UHMW, phenolic, all foams, ceramics, marble, granite, glass, ceramic tile, copper and Hastelloy.

Typical waterjet cutting applications include:

Shape cutting of 1/4" and thicker aluminum Net size cutting of 1/2" and thicker stainless steel Blank cutting of parts for final machining Short run lots of sheet metal parts Screen cutting without burrs or warping Converting plate stock to bars Precision cuts in 1/2" and thicker mild steel All types of hardened materials Intricate shapes in delicate materials Custom shims in stainless steel and exotic materials Tube cutting without affecting its inner diameter, and more.

Laser Cutting:

We currently have two large laser cutting machines on our production floor. Our state of the art laser machine, the Bystronic Bystar 4020, has a production rate reaching speeds of 1,969 inches per minute. The new laser-cutting machine provides faster turnaround from job order to shipping.

Our Byspeed 3015, coupled with a 4400 Watt resonator, has speeds exceeding 250 inches per minute and a 120" x 60" work envelope. This laser cutting machinery features an automated loading system to enable quick turnaround on parts in production. To further ensure that turnaround rate, this machine features lights-out capability as well.

This laser cutting cell is designed for short to long run production. Along with this, we have the capability to process materials such as; acrylic, Hastelloy, stainless steel (SST), aluminum, titanium, wood, and carbon steel.

Customers often choose laser cutting for its cost effectiveness, burr-free parts, cutting tolerances as close as +/- .003, repeatability +/- .001, and for its cutting capacity up to 1" carbon steel and 5/8 SST. With the automatic dual pallet loading system and lights out capability we can ensure quick turnaround on your cutting application. 


             Contact Fedtech today to request more information on industrial 
              laser cutting or waterjet cutting, or to receive a custom quote!