What is the difference between water jet and plasma cutting?

What is the difference between water jet and plasma cutting?

Cut Edge Quality The highest quality cut would usually be from Waterjet, which gives a very square cut with no dross, and no pierce spatter. ... By comparison with these two processes, plasma cutting would have the lowest cut quality. Plasma will always have some edge bevel angle and often causes some dross.

What can a water jet cut that a laser and plasma can t?

Waterjet vs Laser vs Plasma - Max Cutting Thickness Waterjet cutters can cut up to 12 inches of thick materials. Plasma cutters come in second place with the ability to cut up to 6 inches thick mild steel or stainless steel sheets.Mar 9, 2021

Which is better laser cutting or plasma cutting?

Laser vs Plasma Lasers tend to be more accurate and a quicker than their plasma cutting cousin, yet plasma cutting can cut through every single metal type whereas lasers cannot. Plasma cutting is a more dangerous process than laser cutting, yet it is also best at cutting thick materials.May 22, 2015

Is waterjet cutting expensive?

Waterjet cutting machines are expensive to purchase, operate, and maintain. When you request to use a waterjet you are going to have to pay for more than just time occupying and utilizing the machine.Oct 9, 2018

Why is a water jet not a popular choice for cutting metal?

Some Downsides to Waterjet Cutting. As with a laser beam, the waterjet cutting stream is most effective when it is most concentrated. But when cutting through tubing, voids can cause the stream to diffuse, rapidly losing its accuracy and cutting ability.Jun 7, 2018

Is plasma cutting cheaper than laser cutting?

Plasma operating cost would again be the lowest, and is typically estimated at approximately $15/hour. The cost of laser would be slightly higher, typically estimated at around $20/hour. Waterjet is usually considered to be the most expensive, typically estimated at about $30/hour.

Do plasma cutters work underwater?

Stainless Steel and Aluminum up to 2 inches thick can be cut under water. This is achieved at 600 Amps with Nitrogen plasma, or up to 720 Amps with water-injection plasma. As with mild steel, the plate is submerged below 2 – 3 inches of water.