How does a laser compare to water jets?
Water jet cutting works well for certain types of materials, such as titanium, granite, marble, concrete, and stone. Cut edges are clean with minimal burr. Problems encountered with other methods, such as crystallization, hardening, and reduced machine- or weld-abilities, are eliminated. Parts remain flat and there is no tooling to design or modify. Costs associated with secondary processes also do not exist. In general, however, a water jet has lower precision than a laser because the focus is larger and it can not get the same level of detail that a laser can. Many materials cannot be cut by a water jet because they will shred or flutter. There are also lots of problems associated with the disposal of the abrasives used in the water jet, problems which do not exist for a laser cutting machine. The nozzles and parts wear out quickly, which leads to variations in the cut, as well as higher expenses for replacement components. With lasers, there are no parts to wear or break over time.
