The Cut

There are several different advantages that water jet cuts have: accuracy, power, and cold cuts.

While plasma cutters typically operate within a tolerance range of +/- .01" - .030", a water jet can maintain a tolerance of +/- .005" (and if you have the right accessories, even tighter tolerances are available). The raw power of water jet cutters also allows for thicker pieces of material to be cut - something that plasma cutters begin to struggle with past a certain thickness (depending on the model).

Perhaps the greatest advantage is the cold cut - because there is minimal heat generated with water jet cutting, your cut pieces will have much more precise edges that won't suffer from slag or other defects.

Environmental Benefits

As the world becomes more aware of the need to be environmentally conscious, more manufacturers are interested in learning about the environmental issues surrounding their processes. Fortunately, water jet cutting is a great way to reduce your environmental impact. Not only is there less heat generated with water jet cutting, but there are no gases involved and it minimizes the amount of dust/particles that are generated from the cutting process.

While there may be additional costs and maintenance associated with water jet cutting, the benefits that it provides are very much worth the trade-offs. If you have any more questions about the benefits of water jet cutting or anything else related to stainless steel, feel free to contact us here at Action Stainless and we'll be happy to answer your questions!