Waterjet cutting — cold, for material laser can't take.

An abrasive water stream that cuts thick, reflective or heat-sensitive material with no heat-affected zone — from 150 mm steel to copper, titanium, glass and composites, to tight tolerance.

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Quick definition

Abrasive waterjet cuts by firing a high-pressure stream of water and garnet abrasive through a fine nozzle. Because it cuts cold, it leaves no heat-affected zone, no melting and no burnt edge — so it handles thick plate, reflective metals like copper, heat-sensitive alloys, and non-metals like stone, glass and composites that a laser can't.

Cold, abrasive cutNo heat-affected zone
Thick metalTo ~150 mmOne pass
ReflectiveCu · brass · AlNo reflect issue
Non-metalStone · glassLaser can't
No HAZ, no melting, no burnt edge.
No HAZa cold cut — no heat-affected zone or edge burn
~150 mmplate thicknesses beyond most lasers' reach
Any materialmetal, stone, glass, composite — even reflective
±0.1 mmtight tolerance with a clean, ready-to-use edge

The cut that doesn't change the metal

Heat is what ruins the edge — so we cut cold.

A laser or plasma cut melts its way through, leaving a heat-affected zone, hardened edges and burn — a problem on thick plate, hardened or reflective metal, and anything heat-sensitive. Waterjet cuts cold with abrasive and water, so the edge comes off clean and unchanged, ready to use. OperGo picks waterjet exactly when heat would be the problem, and laser when speed wins.

Cut with heat
  • A heat-affected zone that hardens or distorts the edge
  • Reflective metals like copper that fight a laser beam
  • Thick plate at the limit of what a laser can cut
  • A burnt edge that needs a second cleanup pass
The OperGo way
  • A cold cut — no HAZ, no hardening, no distortion
  • Copper, brass and aluminum cut without reflectivity issues
  • Plate up to ~150 mm cut in one pass
  • A clean edge, ready to weld, form or use as-is

What we run

One cold cut, across material a laser can't take.

Thick metal cutting

Steel, stainless and aluminum plate up to ~150 mm, cut cold in one pass — beyond most lasers' range.

Reflective & non-ferrous

Copper, brass, titanium and aluminum cut cleanly, with none of the reflectivity trouble a laser hits.

Heat-sensitive & composites

Hardened steel, composites and laminates cut with no heat to delaminate, temper or scorch them.

Stone, glass & ceramic

Non-metals a laser can't touch — cut to shape with the same abrasive stream.

The spec sheet

Materials, thickness and tolerance.

Materials & thickness · Waterjet Cuttingno HAZ
MetalsCarbon and stainless steel, aluminum, titanium, copper and brass — including reflective metals that give lasers trouble.
Non-metalsStone, glass, ceramic, composites and laminates — materials that can't be laser-cut at all.
ThicknessFrom thin sheet up to roughly 150 mm in steel in a single cold pass, with heavier still possible depending on material.
Tolerance & edgeAround ±0.1 mm on typical parts, with a clean, square edge and no heat-affected zone — usually ready to use without a secondary operation.
NestingParts nested to use the plate efficiently, with common-line cutting where the geometry allows.

Full range of materials and finishes on Materials & finishes →

Picking a process

Waterjet wins on heat, thickness and material — laser wins on speed.

Waterjet vs. laser cutting →

Laser is faster and cheaper on thin steel and stainless. Waterjet wins the moment the material is thick, reflective, heat-sensitive or not a metal at all.

Waterjet vs. machining →

For a flat profile in thick plate, a single waterjet pass is far quicker than machining the outline from solid — then machine only the features that need it.

Then formed or welded →

Waterjet-cut blanks go straight into bending, welding or machining — one team, one account, no HAZ to clean up first.

Waterjet cutting, answered

When should I choose waterjet over laser cutting?

When heat is the problem. Laser is faster and cheaper on thin steel and stainless, but waterjet wins on thick plate, reflective metals like copper and brass, heat-sensitive or hardened alloys, and non-metals like stone, glass and composites — anything where a heat-affected zone or a burnt edge will not do.

How thick can you cut?

Up to roughly 150 mm in steel in a single cold pass, with heavier possible depending on material and edge requirements — well beyond what most lasers reach.

What is a heat-affected zone, and why does waterjet avoid it?

Thermal cutting melts the material, leaving a band along the edge that is hardened, tempered or distorted by heat — the heat-affected zone. Waterjet cuts cold with water and abrasive, so there is no HAZ, no hardening and no distortion; the edge is unchanged and usually ready to use.

What tolerance and edge quality can I expect?

Around ±0.1 mm on typical parts, with a clean, square edge. Because there is no burn, most parts need no secondary cleanup before welding, forming or use.

Can you really cut glass, stone and composites?

Yes — abrasive waterjet cuts non-metals a laser can't touch, including stone, glass, ceramic and composite laminates, without the heat that would crack or delaminate them.

What if waterjet isn't the right cut for my part?

For thin steel in volume, your engineer will requote it as laser cutting; for a three-dimensional part, as machining. Opening this page doesn't commit you to a process.

Laser Cutting →

The faster, cheaper cut for thin steel and stainless.

Sheet Metal Bending →

Where waterjet-cut blanks get formed into parts.

See all capabilities →

CNC, laser, sheet metal and everything else we run.

Materials × process

Materials we run in waterjet cutting.

Sourced, produced and finished under one quote. Tap a material to see the other processes it runs on — material and process are two axes you combine, not one nested inside the other.

SteelStainless SteelAluminumAll materials & finishes →

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