Waterjet Cutting Services

Waterjet cutting can cut thick metal plates up to 300 mm with a very high-quality finish, making it a standout manufacturing method for specific projects.

Fractory’s waterjet cutting services will ensure your growing needs never outpace your production capabilities. Our Project Engineers are ready to assist in planning and execution, making certain your projects are completed cost-efficiently and up to high standards.

Capabilities

Maximum material thickness
Maximum material thickness Up to 250 mm
Maximum cutting area
Maximum cutting area Up to 6000 x 3000 mm

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Manufacturing for 2500+ Businesses

Why Order Waterjet Cut Parts From Fractory?

  • Scale your production without switching suppliers, we can handle single orders upwards of 2 million pounds.
  • Discuss your waterjet cutting project with Fractory’s engineers for cost-efficient solutions.
  • Fractory handles everything from quoting to delivery, including quality control.
  • A single point of contact simplifies project management, freeing up time for value-added activities.
  • Quick quotes and lead times.

What Is Waterjet Cutting?

Simply put, it is another way of cutting materials, including metals. The main difference between waterjet cutting and other cutting methods is that it is a non-thermal process. Non-thermal means it does not use heat. It is rather a mechanical process where material is removed by physical contact and material wear.

Cutting with water is possible because of the waterjet’s speed. It’s supersonic, meaning it comes out of the nozzle faster than sound travels. But water alone could not cut such a wide range of materials. Therefore, abrasives are added to the mix. The abrasive material is usually crushed garnet. You may recall it as the stone that makes sandpaper rough.

Using high pressure, the abrasives hit the material at a great speed. This erodes the metal bit by bit. The pressure for waterjet cutting is usually around 380 MPa but newer systems use pressures up to 620 MPa.

As the material removal is gradual, the temperatures cannot rise high. And any possibility of this happening is eliminated by the use of water. The waterjet is straight throughout its path, providing a straight cut along the material thickness.

Read more about the waterjet cutting process from our engineering blog.

Choosing the Right Fabrication Method

Fractory’s offers capabilities to cut metals up to 300 mm thick. This applies to carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminium and many other metals and alloys. If you need waterjet services, be aware that materials with this kind of thickness may not be readily available in stock.

When cutting materials up to 50 mm, we advise going with plasma cutting because of lower costs. Oxyfuel cutting is an alternative up to 150 mm. Although it is definitely a cheaper option, it cannot cut aluminium and the quality is in waterjet cutting’s favour.

Advantages of Waterjet Cutting

  • No heat-affected zone – Typically, thermal cutting methods leave a HAZ. This hardens the edges of the cut. Waterjet cutting, on the other hand, provides a result without hardening, distorting or warping the material.
  • Cuts almost any material – Although our waterjet cutting service focuses mainly on metal cutting, it can actually be used for pretty much anything. Some examples include rubber, foam, plastics, glass and of course metal.
  • Outstanding precision – The tolerances are close to +/-0.15 mm. Fractory’s manufacturing partners can produce very accurate results using their CNC-operated waterjet machinery.
  • Great cutting quality – Waterjet cutting can provide excellent results that don’t need additional finishing processes. The quality, however, depends on the cutting speed. Slower speed leaves a smoother finish but this, in turn, raises the costs.
    Waterjet Cutting Quality Grades
    Waterjet cutting quality grades – from 1 to 5
  • Environmental impact – This is a growing concern with many manufacturing methods. Waterjet cutting helps to reduce hazardous waste compared to other cutting possibilities. There are no dangerous gases or fumes created as a by-product. In addition, no cooling oils or lubricants are required and the used water is also recyclable.

Waterjet Cutting Online

While our CNC machining, bending and laser cutting quotes are automated on the platform, waterjet cutting still needs manual reviewing.

If you are looking to get some thick metal parts manufactured, send us a request for quote or log in and do it via our platform.

Waterjet Cutting FAQ

Can you provide material certificates?

Yes, we can! Please add the request to the order notes if you need material certificates.

Do you provide manufacturing consultation?

Yes, business customers can rely on expert advice from our seasoned manufacturing engineers to find the most suitable solution for manufacturing your parts.

What is the maximum material thickness?

We can cut metals up to 300 mm with waterjets. Depending on the project’s requirements, waterjet cutting may not always be the most cost-effective option, get in touch with our Project Engineers to work out the most suitable solution to manufacture your parts.

Do you deliver to my address?

Yes, Fractory offers UK-wide delivery for all orders.

We deliver your parts straight to your selected address. Fractory takes care of transportation and delivers your parts straight to your selected address, so you can focus on the engineering side of things.

Let us ease your workload! Order metal fabrication from Fractory and experience the benefits yourself: 1-1 engineering support, payment terms for companies, a single point of contact, competitive pricing, on-time deliveries and quality control.
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