The quality of every finished product depends on the methods and tools used to get the product in that shape. Thus the performance of cutting and profiling methods directly effect particular products or machines overall productivity. Moreover in every machining and manufacturing system one simply cannot ignore the vital role that these metal cutting methods play. Laser cutting and water jet cutting are two commonly known powerful methods that are used to cut through many different types of surfaces or materials. Both these methods have the ability to produce complicated parts of machinery or create beautiful architectural arts.
Since both laser and water jet cutting methods are efficient, how you will determine which one will be the right process for your particular project. Here I have explained a few points that may help you in choosing the right method for your applications.
Laser cutting
Laser cutting technique is an effective cutting method that reduces costly tooling charges without leaving any rough projection on a work piece after drilling or cutting. This cutting method is a highly accurate approach for cutting aluminum, thin steel sheets, carbon steel and Stainless Steel Cutting up to 5/8 inches thick. This laser metal cutting method remarkably increases the cutting speed providing less turn around time and reducing production cost of your architectural applications.
Cutting accuracy acquired by laser cutting technique also makes it easy for the complicated parts to be machined easily. Laser cutting method allows cutting of materials for both short and long production runs and includes no set-up or tooling costs. High part to part repeatability is other guiding factor in choosing laser cutting technique. The method surpasses waterjet cutting method in terms of cost per inch and speed.
Water jet Cutting
This method can also be used to cut a variety of surfaces and materials like plastic, glass steel, copper, aluminum, Kevlar, Lexan, and more. This method has ability to process materials ranging from .001 inches up to 12 inches in thickness.
The precision of waterjet cutting method meets or exceeds that of other cutting methods, especially in terms of cutting thick materials. The method is most suited to cut complex architectural shapes with tight tolerances. The method involves a cut width of about .025 to
If both laser cutting method and waterjet cutting method are put to compete directly with each other, for materials like thin steels, stainless steel, and aluminum, waterjet may be the more expensive method per inch. But waterjet method’s versatility in reducing secondary operations makes it the best option for variety of projects.
