The difference between water cutting and laser cutting

In modern manufacturing, precision cutting technology plays a vital role. Among them, water jet cutting and laser cutting are the two most popular technologies. Although they both provide high-precision cutting results, there are significant differences in application fields, cutting capabilities, costs, etc. This article will compare these two cutting technologies in detail, discuss their respective advantages and disadvantages, and help readers better understand which technology is more advantageous in different application scenarios.

Water cutting technology and laser cutting definition

Water cutting, also known as water jet cutting, is a process that uses high-pressure water flow to cut materials. A high-velocity water jet is created by pressurizing water to extremely high pressures (usually between 30,000 and 90,000 psi) and then spraying it through a very small hole. This high-speed water jet has extremely strong cutting ability and can directly cut soft materials such as rubber, textiles and food. For hard materials such as metal, glass, stone, etc., abrasive materials (such as pomegranates) need to be added to the water. stone sand) to enhance the cutting effect.

Laser cutting is a technology that uses a highly concentrated, high-energy-density laser beam emitted by a laser to cut materials. This method enables high-precision cutting of a variety of materials, including metal, plastic, wood, paper and textiles. Laser cutting technology is often combined with a computer numerical control (CNC) system, allowing the cutting process to be automated and precisely controlled.

Is laser cutting more expensive than waterjet cutting?

The initial investment in laser cutting is usually higher. Laser cutting equipment requires high-power lasers and precision optical systems, and the acquisition cost of these equipment is much higher than that of waterjet cutting systems. The maintenance and power consumption of laser equipment are also large, which increases the overall operating cost. Nonetheless, laser cutting technology excels in mass production due to its fast cutting speed and high production efficiency, which allows it to complete more cutting tasks in a shorter period of time.

In comparison, waterjet cutting has a relatively low initial investment, but its operating costs are high. Waterjet cutting requires the use of high-pressure pumps and large volumes of water, and often requires the addition of abrasive materials such as garnet sand, consumables that increase long-term operating costs. In addition, the cutting speed of waterjet cutting is slow, especially the processing of thick materials takes a long time. Therefore, although waterjet cutting has lower equipment costs, it can result in higher overall costs during the production process. The choice of cutting technology should be considered based on specific application needs, production volume and budget.

Similarities between laser cutting and waterjet cutting

1.Complex shape cutting

Laser cutting: In manufacturing, laser cutting is often used to cut precision metal parts, such as complex structural parts in the aerospace industry. Laser cutting can cut complex geometric shapes, such as aircraft fuselage parts and engine parts, ensuring smooth and precise cutting edges.
Waterjet Cutting: Waterjet cutting can also handle complex shapes, especially common in stone and glass processing. For example, waterjet cutting is widely used for cutting complex patterns in architectural decoration, such as artistic patterns for marble floors or customized shapes for glass curtain walls.

2.High-precision processing

Laser cutting: used to manufacture precision electronic devices such as mobile phone casings and circuit boards. Laser cutting can handle cut widths as small as a few millimeters, ensuring high precision and consistency of equipment parts.
Waterjet cutting: It also shows its high-precision advantages in medical device manufacturing. For example, used to cut precision medical device parts such as surgical blades and diagnostic tools, waterjet cutting maintains the accuracy and dimensional stability of the part.

3.Suitable for a variety of materials

Laser cutting: widely used for cutting plastic, wood and metal. For example, laser cutting is used to produce advertising signs and decorative arts. It can quickly process a variety of materials and cut exquisite patterns according to design requirements.
Waterjet cutting: can also cut a variety of materials, such as frozen meat cutting used in the food industry. Waterjet cutting is able to cut food without the influence of heat, maintaining the original quality and shape of the food.

How water cutting works

Generation of high-pressure water flow: Water cutting (or waterjet cutting) uses a high-pressure pump to pressurize water to 30,000 to 90,000 psi (pounds per square inch) to form a high-pressure water flow. For hard materials, abrasive materials such as garnet sand are often added to the water stream to enhance cutting capabilities.
Nozzles and cutting: High-pressure water jets are ejected through small nozzles to form high-speed water jets. The water jet is concentrated on the surface of the material, and the high-speed impact of the water flow causes the material to be gradually cut. For harder materials, abrasive materials will further enhance the cutting effect, gradually breaking up the material through the grinding action.
Cooling and removal: During the water cutting process, the water flow is not only used for cutting, but also for cooling. During the cutting process, the water flow will take away the molten or broken material, reducing the thermal impact and deformation of the material.

How laser cutting works

Laser generation: Laser cutting uses a laser to produce a highly concentrated laser beam. Lasers produce high-energy laser beams of specific wavelengths by exciting a laser medium (such as a gas, solid, or liquid).
Laser beam focusing: The laser beam is focused onto the surface of the material through an optical system (such as a lens) to form a very small light spot with high energy density. This causes the material to rapidly heat to a molten or vaporized state at the light spot.
Material cutting: The laser beam moves along a predetermined path to achieve cutting by melting or vaporizing the material. During the cutting process, auxiliary gases (such as oxygen or nitrogen) are usually used to blow away the molten material and increase the cutting speed and quality.
Thermal impact: During the laser cutting process, a heat-affected zone will be generated. The material will be locally heated and melted in the laser irradiation area, which may cause thermal deformation or thermal damage of the material.

The difference between water cutting and laser cutting

There are significant differences in process principles and applications between waterjet and laser cutting. First of all, water cutting uses high-pressure water flow (sometimes with additives) to cut materials, and the required shape is cut through the powerful impact of the water flow, while laser cutting uses the high energy density of the laser beam to heat the material to a melted or vaporized state. This difference in basic principles leads to differences in the application scope and cutting effects of the two technologies.

Secondly, water cutting can process almost all materials, including metal, stone, glass and composite materials, while laser cutting is mainly suitable for metal, plastic and some non-metal materials. The non-heat-affected nature of waterjet cutting makes it excellent when processing heat-sensitive materials, while laser cutting is more efficient when processing metal materials.

Furthermore, water cutting is suitable for thicker materials (up to several inches), but the cutting speed is slow; laser cutting is usually used for thin materials (generally less than 1 inch), and its cutting speed is fast, especially suitable for large quantities. Production. In terms of accuracy, laser cutting provides higher cutting accuracy, but may produce heat-affected zones, while water cutting maintains better material stability due to no thermal effects.

In terms of cost, the initial investment of laser cutting equipment is high, but the long-term operating costs are low; relatively speaking, the initial investment of water cutting equipment is small, but the operating costs are high, especially consumables and maintenance costs. In general, which technology to choose depends on factors such as material type, cutting thickness, cost budget, and production efficiency.

conclusion

Waterjet cutting and laser cutting each have their own advantages and disadvantages. Choosing the appropriate cutting technology should be comprehensively considered based on factors such as specific application requirements, material properties, production efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. Waterjet cutting has unparalleled advantages in processing thick and heat-sensitive materials, while laser cutting excels in speed and precision, making it suitable for high-volume production and high-precision processing. Both technologies will continue to develop and play important roles in manufacturing in the future.