| Attribute |
Water jet Cutting |
Laser Cutting |
Plasma Cutting |
| Materials |
Almost all materials including metals, stone, ceramics, composites |
Metals, plastics, some composites |
Metals, particularly conductive types |
| Max Material Thickness |
Up to 8''(203mm) m for metals, more for softer materials |
Up to 1'' (25mm)for metals, less for reflective materials |
Up to 2''(50mm) for most metals |
| Material Stress | Minimal, no heat-affected zone | Can cause thermal stress, HAZ | Significant thermal stress, HAZ |
| Cost | High, due to operational costs | Moderate to high, varies with material and thickness | Lower, especially for thick metals |
| Cutting Waste | Minimal, mostly water and garnet operational costs | Moderate, includes fumes and particulate matter | Moderate to high, includes fumes and slag |
| Need for Secondary Finishing | Low, often produces a smooth edge | Variable; may require cleaning or deburring based on material | High, often requires grinding or deburring |
| Shape | Capable of cutting complex 2D and 3D shapes | Best for 2D shapes; limited 3D capability | Primarily 2D shapes; not suitable for complex 3D shapes |
Precision
| High precision, especially with fine abrasives | Extremely high precision, best for detailed work
| Lower precision compared to waterjet and laser |
| Cutting Speed | Generally slower than laser and plasma | Fast, especially for thin materials | Fast for most metals, especially thinner materials |
