Waterjet cutting near you
Metal, stone, glass, plastic, rubber and composites, cut cold from your DXF. We match you with up to 3 waterjet shops nearby that handle your material and thickness, within 24 business hours.
Waterjet, laser or plasma?
Each process wins somewhere. Waterjet wins when heat, material or thickness rule the others out.
Waterjet
Cold cutting with high pressure water, usually with abrasive.
- Cuts almost any material
- No heat affected zone
- Thick plate is possible
- Slower on thin sheet
Laser
A focused beam melts or burns through the material.
- Very fast on thin sheet metal
- Fine detail, narrow kerf
- Heat affected edge
- Limited on thick and reflective metals
Plasma
An electric arc cuts conductive metals.
- Fast on thick steel
- Lower cost per inch
- Rougher edge, wider kerf
- Metals only
What waterjet cuts
| Material | Cut with | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Steel and stainless | Abrasive waterjet | Common for plate too thick or heat sensitive for laser |
| Aluminum, copper, brass | Abrasive waterjet | Reflective metals are no problem |
| Titanium and nickel alloys | Abrasive waterjet | No heat damage to the edge |
| Stone, tile and glass | Abrasive waterjet | Glass needs low pressure piercing, ask the shop |
| Plastics and composites | Abrasive or pure water | Carbon fiber and G10 cut cleanly |
| Rubber, foam and gaskets | Pure waterjet | No abrasive needed, very clean edge |
Typical pairings. Maximum thickness and tolerance depend on the shop's machine.
Is waterjet the right process for your part?
DXF at 1:1
Closed contours, no duplicate lines, units stated.
Material and thickness
Exact grade and thickness, or say you are supplying it.
Quantity
Number of each part and how many sheets.
Tolerance
Mark critical dimensions. Waterjet edges have slight taper.
What drives waterjet cost
- ThicknessThicker material cuts slower, so cost rises quickly with thickness.
- Cut lengthTotal length of all cuts drives machine time.
- PiercesEvery hole needs a pierce, which adds time.
- MaterialHard materials cut slower than soft ones.
- Edge qualityFiner edge quality means slower cutting.
- NestingHow well parts fit on the sheet decides material waste.
Get matched
Send the file
DXF, material, thickness, quantity and ZIP code.
We match locally
Up to 3 shops with the right table size and material experience.
Get quotes
Shops quote directly. Pick up or ship.
For cutting shops
Run a waterjet? List your shop for free and get cutting requests from buyers near you that fit your table size and materials.
Abrasive, parts and pump suppliers can contact us here.
Questions
Are you a waterjet shop?
No. We are a matching service. We find waterjet cutting shops near you that handle your material and size, and they quote you directly.
What file should I send?
A DXF or DWG with the cut geometry at 1:1 scale, one part per file or clearly separated, in inches or millimeters stated. A PDF with dimensions helps the shop check it.
How thick can waterjet cut?
Abrasive waterjet cuts metals several inches thick, though very thick cuts are slow and show more taper. Shops state their own limits, so give the thickness when you ask.
Is waterjet better than laser?
For thick material, heat sensitive parts, reflective metals, stone, glass and composites, often yes. For thin sheet steel in volume, laser is usually faster and cheaper.
Can I supply my own material?
Many shops accept customer material. Say so on the form, along with the sheet size.
Do you charge buyers?
No. Sending a request is free. Shops pay for requests they accept.