Laser cutting and waterjet cutting are often used to create flat component geometry before bending, machining, welding, forming, or assembly. Both can reduce the need for dedicated hard tooling because profiles are generated from digital programs rather than a custom die.
Laser cutting uses concentrated thermal energy to melt, burn, or vaporize material along a programmed path. Waterjet cutting uses a high-pressure stream of water, often mixed with abrasive particles, to erode through the material without creating a conventional heat-affected cutting zone.
Laser Cutting vs. Waterjet Cutting
Laser cutting is a thermal profile-cutting process that focuses concentrated light energy on a workpiece, while waterjet cutting uses an extremely high-pressure stream of water or abrasive water to erode material along a programmed path.
Laser Cutting
Typically favored for fast, precise cutting of sheet and plate, especially when the material, thickness, geometry, and production quantity work well with thermal cutting.
Waterjet Cutting
Useful for materials that are heat-sensitive, thick, layered, difficult to thermally cut, or better suited to abrasive erosion than melting.
How Laser Cutting Works
A CNC laser system directs a focused beam onto the material while the cutting head or workpiece follows a programmed path. Assist gases may help remove molten material, control oxidation, improve edge quality, and stabilize the cutting process.
CAD files define the profiles, holes, slots, openings, and other two-dimensional features to be cut.
Components are arranged on available sheet or plate to improve material yield and reduce scrap.
Sheet or plate is positioned manually or through automated loading and material-handling systems.
The laser creates an initial opening when a cut begins away from the outer edge of the material.
The beam follows the programmed path while focused heat and assist gas separate the part from surrounding material.
Finished profiles are removed from the skeleton and separated from scrap or remnant material.
Dross, burr, oxidation, heat effects, cut quality, and dimensions are reviewed according to the part requirements.
Components may move to deburring, bending, machining, welding, coating, finishing, or assembly.
Types of Laser Cutting Systems
Fiber Laser
Fiber lasers are widely used for cutting metal sheet and plate and can provide high cutting speeds on suitable materials and thicknesses.
CO₂ Laser
CO₂ systems have historically been used for metal and nonmetal cutting, with process suitability depending on equipment, material, thickness, and beam delivery.
Tube Laser
Specialized machines rotate and position tube, pipe, channel, or other profiles so holes, slots, notches, and end geometry can be cut directly into structural material.
How Waterjet Cutting Works
Waterjet equipment pressurizes water and forces it through a small orifice to create a high-velocity stream. For many industrial materials, abrasive particles are added to the stream to increase cutting ability.
Why Waterjet Cutting Is Selected
Waterjet is particularly useful when avoiding heat is important or when the material is difficult to process using conventional thermal cutting.
Waterjet cutting speed depends heavily on material type, thickness, edge-quality requirements, abrasive flow, pressure, nozzle condition, and machine settings.
Materials Cut by Laser and Waterjet
| Material | Laser Cutting | Waterjet Cutting |
|---|---|---|
| Carbon Steel | Common laser-cutting material for sheet, plate, brackets, enclosures, structural parts, and fabricated components. | Can also be waterjet cut, especially where thickness or heat avoidance favors abrasive cutting. |
| Stainless Steel | Widely laser cut for food equipment, enclosures, machinery, process equipment, and industrial components. | Waterjet can cut stainless without a conventional thermal heat-affected zone. |
| Aluminum | Commonly processed using suitable laser equipment and settings. | Waterjet is also practical, including thicker sections and heat-sensitive situations. |
| Copper & Brass | Modern systems can process many reflective nonferrous metals when machine capability is appropriate. | Abrasive waterjet avoids concerns related to beam reflectivity. |
| Titanium | Can be laser cut with appropriate process controls and gas selection. | Waterjet is commonly considered where thermal effects should be minimized. |
| Plastics | Suitability depends strongly on the specific polymer and the effects of heat, fumes, melting, or decomposition. | Many plastics can be waterjet cut without thermal melting. |
| Composites | Laser suitability depends on composition and thermal response. | Waterjet can be useful for many composite and laminated materials. |
| Stone & Ceramic Materials | Generally not typical sheet-metal laser-cutting materials. | Abrasive waterjet is commonly considered for suitable stone, tile, ceramic, and brittle materials. |
Laser Cutting vs. Waterjet Cutting
| Factor | Laser Cutting | Waterjet Cutting |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Method | Focused thermal energy | High-pressure water or abrasive water |
| Heat Effect | Creates a localized thermal zone that may affect edge condition. | Does not rely on thermal melting and avoids a conventional heat-affected zone. |
| Cutting Speed | Often highly productive on suitable sheet-metal thicknesses. | Can be slower, particularly as thickness or required edge quality increases. |
| Material Range | Excellent for many metals and certain nonmetals depending on equipment and material behavior. | Broad material compatibility because cutting does not depend on melting the workpiece. |
| Thick Material | Capability depends on power, material, assist gas, and equipment. | Commonly selected for thicker stock when cutting speed remains acceptable. |
| Small Features | Can produce fine profiles and small details in suitable material. | Minimum practical geometry depends on nozzle size, abrasive, thickness, and taper. |
| Secondary Deburring | May be required depending on dross, oxide, burr, and downstream use. | Edge condition varies with quality settings and may require cleanup. |
| Best Selection | Often favored for efficient sheet-metal production. | Often favored when material diversity, thickness, or heat sensitivity is more important than maximum cutting speed. |
Kerf, Taper, and Edge Quality
Both processes remove a narrow path of material known as the kerf. Cutting programs compensate for this width so the finished component remains close to the intended geometry.
What Affects the Finished Edge?
Waterjet edges can show taper or striation, especially when cutting quickly through thick material. Higher-quality cutting settings reduce these effects at the expense of additional machine time.
Laser-cut edges can show dross, oxidation, discoloration, heat effects, or localized burr depending on material and process conditions.
Design Considerations for Laser and Waterjet Cutting
Small holes, narrow slots, thin webs, and close feature spacing should be reviewed against material thickness and process capability.
Internal corners reflect the kerf and cutting method rather than forming perfectly mathematical zero-radius corners.
Thickness influences cutting speed, edge quality, taper, pierce performance, minimum geometry, and process selection.
Part shape and orientation affect how efficiently components can be arranged on sheet or plate.
Some production layouts can share cut boundaries between suitable adjacent components to reduce cutting distance and material use.
Small retained connections may keep parts from shifting, tipping, or interfering with the cutting head before unloading.
Hole and edge locations should account for future bend lines, forming deformation, and tooling clearance.
Critical surfaces can be cut oversize when later milling, grinding, or other finishing will establish final dimensions.
Secondary Operations After Profile Cutting
Laser and waterjet cutting frequently create the starting geometry for a larger fabrication or machining sequence rather than a completely finished component.
What Drives Laser and Waterjet Cutting Cost?
Grade, thickness, sheet size, plate size, availability, certification, and purchased quantity directly affect cost.
Efficient nesting reduces scrap and spreads sheet or plate cost across more usable parts.
Longer total profile length increases machine time and operating cost.
Many separate holes and internal profiles increase piercing events and can add cycle time.
Thicker material generally requires slower cutting and more energy, abrasive, or process time.
Higher finish requirements may reduce cutting speed or require additional cleanup.
Larger runs can improve setup efficiency, nesting, automation, and material purchasing.
Deburring, bending, machining, welding, coating, inspection, and assembly may represent more cost than the initial cut itself.
Related Cutting and Fabrication Resources
Profile cutting commonly supports sheet metal fabrication, welding, CNC machining, forming, stamping, and finishing. Selecting the cutting method should therefore consider what happens to the component after the initial profile is produced.
Cutting & Fabrication Research
These manufacturing references correspond with cutting and downstream processes commonly used for fabricated components.
How to Select a Laser or Waterjet Cutting Supplier
Supplier selection should be based on the actual stock size, material, thickness, profile complexity, edge quality, tolerance, quantity, and downstream fabrication requirements.
Confirm the supplier has the appropriate laser power, waterjet pressure, abrasive system, cutting head, and machine configuration.
Verify experience with the specific steel, stainless, aluminum, copper alloy, plastic, composite, or other required material.
Maximum theoretical capacity matters less than whether the supplier routinely cuts the required thickness with acceptable quality.
Machine bed dimensions and loading systems should accommodate the raw material efficiently.
Efficient programming and nesting can materially improve yield and reduce scrap cost.
Discuss burr, dross, oxidation, taper, striation, roughness, heat effects, and whether secondary cleanup is required.
Bending, machining, welding, deburring, coating, and assembly under one supplier can simplify production flow.
Automated loading, unloading, material storage, and multiple cutting systems can support repeat-production schedules.
Laser and Waterjet Cutting Solve Different Profile-Cutting Problems
Laser cutting is especially effective for fast, programmable production of suitable sheet and plate components, while waterjet cutting provides broad material flexibility and avoids conventional thermal cutting effects. The best process depends on material, thickness, geometry, edge quality, tolerance, heat sensitivity, production quantity, nesting efficiency, and the secondary operations required after the profile is cut.