When someone outside the stainless steel industry thinks about cutting metal, water probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. However, with enough force, water becomes one of the most powerful and precise cutting tools available. As a New England stainless steel distributor, our team at Alliant Metals relies on the power of waterjet cutting to precisely cut and shape products to meet our customers’ needs.
Waterjet cutting is a cold-cutting process that uses a jet of water pressurized to as much as 50,000 PSI to slice through materials with incredible precision. When combined with fine abrasive particles such as garnet or aluminum oxide, the process becomes strong enough to cut even the toughest metals, including stainless steel.
Developed in the 1970s, waterjet technology originally served simpler purposes, like cutting wood-fiber tubes. Over time, engineering advancements transformed it into a versatile method capable of shaping metals and composites that traditional cutting techniques struggle to handle.
Unlike thermal cutting processes such as plasma or laser cutting, waterjet cutting doesn’t rely on heat. This cold-cutting feature means no risk of heat distortion, hardening, or structural changes to the stainless steel. The result is a clean, smooth edge that requires minimal secondary finishing, making it ideal for high-precision projects.
The process begins when a high-pressure pump forces water through a small orifice in the cutting head, forming a narrow, high-velocity stream. The next step is to add the abrasives, and the mixture acts like liquid sandpaper, eroding the metal along a precisely controlled path. Computer numerical control (CNC) systems guide the jet, allowing for intricate cuts, tight tolerances, and repeatable accuracy across complex designs.
Waterjet cutting’s versatility has made it indispensable across multiple sectors. In the aerospace industry, it’s used to create intricate stainless-steel components that demand exact tolerances. Other industries, outside of stainless steel production, also continue to use waterjet cutting. The mining sector employs waterjets for drilling and cutting rock formations. In food processing, pure-water jets (without abrasives) cut soft materials, such as meat, bread, and produce. For metal fabrication, waterjets cleanly slice stainless steel, aluminum, titanium, and more, without generating dust, fumes, or heat-affected zones.
Beyond its precision, waterjet cutting stands out as an environmentally friendly process. It produces no hazardous gases, minimal waste, and operates quietly and cleanly. As industries continue to seek efficient and sustainable manufacturing methods, waterjet cutting remains a powerful example of how innovation and simplicity—just water and pressure—can deliver extraordinary results.
