Cutting guide
Laser vs. waterjet cutting
A waterjet cuts almost anything, cold. A fiber laser cuts metal faster and for less. Here's how they compare on edge, accuracy, heat, thickness, and cost, from a fiber laser shop that will tell you when a waterjet is the better tool.
The short answer
- Choose a laser for steel, stainless, aluminum, brass, and copper within its thickness range, where it is typically several times faster and costs less per part.
- Choose a waterjet for stone, glass, tile, composites, rubber, and plastics; for metal thicker than even high-power lasers cut; and for parts where no heat-affected zone is allowed.
- Both hold tight tolerances in metal, so accuracy rarely decides it on its own.
How each one cuts
A fiber laser focuses a beam of light to a small spot that melts the metal, and an assist gas, oxygen or nitrogen, blows the melt out of the cut. The cut is narrow, and the heat stays close to it.
An abrasive waterjet forces water through a tiny orifice at very high pressure and mixes in garnet, which wears through the material like a fine saw. No heat goes into the part, and the stream doesn't care whether the material is metal at all.
Laser vs. waterjet, side by side
Typical figures for CNC fiber laser and CNC abrasive waterjet cutting in metal. Every machine, setting, and thickness differs, so treat these as a guide, not a quote.
| What matters | Fiber laser | Waterjet |
|---|---|---|
| Edge finish | Smooth, nearly square edge. Oxygen-cut carbon steel carries a thin oxide layer; nitrogen-cut edges are bright | Smooth, matte, sandblasted look with no oxide; slight taper and striations at faster speeds |
| Kerf (cut width) | Typically 0.004" to 0.020", wider in thick plate | Typically 0.030" to 0.050" |
| Heat-affected zone | Narrow, but present | None: it's a cold cut |
| Tolerance | Typically ±0.005" or better. Ours: ±0.005" standard, ±0.003" demonstrated | Typically ±0.003" to ±0.010", depending on the machine, thickness, and speed |
| Small features and corners | Fine details and tight inside corners, from the narrow kerf | Inside corners limited by the wider stream, and corners can round off at speed |
| Thickness range | Set by the laser's power: high-power fiber lasers cut 2" and more in steel. Ours, a 6 kW, cuts carbon steel to 1" | Thin gauge to about 6" of steel, and more on slow cuts |
| Materials | Metals: carbon steel, stainless, aluminum, brass, and copper | Almost anything: metals, stone, glass, tile, composites, rubber, and plastics |
| Speed | Typically several times faster in metal within its range | Slower, most of all in thin sheet |
| Cost per part | Typically lower in metal within its range | Typically higher: slower cutting, garnet used up, and high-pressure pumps to maintain |
| Parts come off | Dry | Wet; carbon steel can flash rust if it isn't dried |
Industry figures are typical ranges, not measurements of any one machine. Texas Laser Services figures are our own, as stated on our quality page.
Speed and cost by thickness
In metal, the gap in cost is mostly a gap in speed, and it is widest in thin material. Typically:
| Metal thickness | Usually the better tool | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Sheet, up to 3/16" | Laser, by a wide margin | A fiber laser cuts thin sheet many times faster than a waterjet, with a narrower kerf and sharper detail. |
| 1/4" to 1/2" | Laser | Still several times faster in steel, stainless, and aluminum. A waterjet earns its cost only if heat isn't allowed. |
| 5/8" to 1" | Laser | Our laser cuts carbon steel to 1", stainless to 3/4", and aluminum to 5/8", and higher-power lasers cut thicker still. |
| Over 1" | Laser, from a shop with a high-power fiber laser | High-power fiber lasers cut 2" and more in steel, far faster than a waterjet. Past what they cut, or where no heat is allowed, a waterjet takes over. |
| Non-metals, any thickness | Waterjet | A fiber laser is built for metal. Stone, glass, composites, and rubber go to a waterjet. |
When a waterjet is the better choice
- Stone, glass, tile, composites, carbon fiber, rubber, gaskets, foam, and plastics.
- Hardened or heat-treated parts, or a spec that allows no heat-affected zone at all.
- Metal thicker than even high-power lasers cut.
- Stacked or laminated materials that heat would melt, burn, or separate.
If that's your part, a waterjet shop is probably the right call, and we'll say so if you send it to us.
When a laser is the better choice
- Carbon steel, stainless, aluminum, brass, and copper within the laser's thickness range, which covers most sheet and plate parts.
- Cost per part, from cutting several times faster.
- Fine details, small holes, and tight inside corners, from the narrower kerf.
- Parts that should come off dry and ready to bend, weld, or coat.
- Production runs with a short lead time, where a waterjet's speed would hold the job up.
Why send your laser work to Texas Laser Services
- ±0.005" standard tolerance, ±0.010" routine across our whole material range, and ±0.003" demonstrated in production runs.
- Thickness: carbon steel to 1", stainless to 3/4", aluminum to 5/8", brass to 9/16", and copper to 1/4" on our 6 kW fiber laser.
- Measured to your print on a Keyence image dimension measurement system, with mill certs traced to the parts we ship when you need them.
- A quality system certified to ISO 9001:2015, with our on-time, first-pass yield, and uptime figures published live.
- Bending, welding, threading, and powder coating in the same shop, so cut parts don't wait on another supplier.
- Shipped across the US from our shop in Santa Anna, Texas.
Comparing plasma too?
Plasma cuts with a wider kerf, a beveled edge, and looser tolerances than a laser, and its one remaining advantage is price. Read our guide to laser vs. plasma cutting.
Laser vs. waterjet questions
Is waterjet more accurate than laser cutting?
Not as a rule. In metal both hold tight tolerances: a waterjet typically holds ±0.003" to ±0.010", depending on the machine, thickness, and speed, and a fiber laser commonly holds ±0.005" or better. Our standard is ±0.005", and we've held ±0.003" in production runs.
Does laser cutting leave a heat-affected zone?
Yes, a narrow one along the cut edge. For most steel, stainless, and aluminum parts it doesn't matter. It matters for hardened or heat-treated parts, and for specs that don't allow one; that's where a waterjet's cold cut earns its cost.
What can a waterjet cut that a laser can't?
Non-metals such as stone, glass, tile, composites, rubber, and plastics, and metal thicker than even high-power lasers cut. Our laser cuts carbon steel to 1", stainless to 3/4", aluminum to 5/8", brass to 9/16", and copper to 1/4".
Why does waterjet cutting cost more?
In metal, mostly because it is slower, often several times slower than a fiber laser, and machine time is most of a part's price. It also uses up garnet abrasive and needs high-pressure pumps maintained.
Will waterjet-cut steel rust?
Carbon steel comes off a waterjet wet and can flash rust if it isn't dried quickly. Laser-cut parts come off dry.
Do you offer waterjet cutting?
No. We cut metal with a fiber laser. If your part is better suited to a waterjet, we'll tell you.
Have a drawing ready? We'll quote it.