Waterjet Cutting

Octane Workholding can Waterjet cut materials up to 8" thick with no Heat Affected Zone (HAZ) or change in material properties.. Whether your parts are simple or complex, we can process them efficiently with fast turnaround times.

How does Waterjet cutting work?

A waterjet utilizes an ultra-high pressure pump 60,000-90,000 psi to generate an intense cutting stream by focusing this water pressure through a diamond orifice. This high pressure water stream is powerful enough to cut soft materials like foam, rubber, and plastics with ease. For harder materials like metal and even carbide, the addition of Garnet (similar to playground sand) is introduced to the cutting stream to erode the material at a high removal rate precisely.

Waterjet cutting FAQ

  • There are very few materials a waterjet cannot cut, in fact we have never encountered one.
  • Cost per hour is less than many other cutting technologies.
  • Low quantities can be cut more affordably.
  • Edge quality is very good and more forgiving if additional machining is needed.
  • Etching is possible with low pressure settings.
  • Tolerances of + -0.005" can be held when required.
  • Small intricate parts can be processed. 
  • Waterjet vs. Laser - Many laser cutting services will not quote lower quantities.  Reflective materials such as aluminum, bronze and copper are difficult and sometimes even impossible to cut with laser.  Laser cutting leaves a heat-hardened edge that is problematic when doing secondary operations and can cause severe plate bowing. 
  • Waterjet vs. Plasma - While plasma cutting is typically faster than waterjet cutting, the cut edge quality of waterjet is far superior.  Waterjet is a cold cutting process with no heat-affected zone (HAZ), and does not change the material properties.  Plasma cutting often requires handwork to finish the rough edges left behind, and can cause severe plate bowing.