Laser Cutting vs Waterjet: Which Process Do You Need?

Two Ways to Cut Flat Parts

Laser cutting and waterjet cutting both produce parts from flat sheet and plate material. They both work from the same DXF or CAD files, and to a customer the end result can look similar. But the processes are fundamentally different, and each has clear advantages depending on your material, thickness, accuracy requirements, and budget.

Fibre laser uses a focused beam of infrared light (typically 1,070nm wavelength) to melt or vaporise material along the cut path. An assist gas (oxygen or nitrogen) blows the molten material out of the kerf.

Waterjet uses a high-pressure stream of water (up to 6,000 bar) mixed with abrasive garnet particles to erode through the material. It's essentially a very precise, very fast sandblaster.

Fibre Laser Advantages

For metal fabrication, fibre laser is the dominant process for good reason:

• Speed — On thin to medium metals, laser is dramatically faster. Cutting 1.5mm stainless steel, a fibre laser can run at 15-30 metres per minute. A waterjet on the same material might manage 0.5-1.5 m/min. That's a 10-20x speed difference.
• Accuracy — Laser positioning accuracy is typically ±0.05mm, versus ±0.1-0.2mm for waterjet. If tolerances matter, laser wins.
• Edge quality on metals — Nitrogen-cut stainless steel comes off the laser with a bright, smooth edge that needs no cleanup. Oxygen-cut mild steel has a thin oxide layer but is still clean and consistent.
• Kerf width — The laser kerf is 0.1-0.3mm, versus 0.8-1.2mm for waterjet. Narrower kerf means less material waste and the ability to cut finer details.
• Operating cost — No abrasive consumable (garnet is expensive). Lower cost per metre of cut.
• Production efficiency — Faster cutting + lower consumable cost = significantly lower cost per part for production runs.

Waterjet Advantages

Waterjet fills the gaps that laser can't reach:

• Material versatility — Waterjet cuts virtually anything: stone, glass, ceramic, carbon fibre composites, rubber, foam, Kevlar, titanium, hardened tool steel. If it exists as a flat material, waterjet can probably cut it.
• No heat-affected zone — Waterjet is a cold cutting process. There's no thermal distortion, no metallurgical changes, and no heat-affected zone. For heat-sensitive materials or applications where HAZ is unacceptable, waterjet is the answer.
• Thick material — Waterjet can cut through 150mm+ of steel. Laser is generally limited to 20-25mm for mild steel and 6-12mm for stainless and aluminium (depending on laser power).
• Reflective materials — Copper, brass, and some titanium alloys that can be tricky for certain lasers are straightforward on waterjet.
• No material distortion — Thin parts that might warp from laser heat stay flat when waterjet cut.
• Stack cutting — Multiple thin sheets can be stacked and cut simultaneously on waterjet.

When to Use Laser

For standard metal fabrication — which covers the majority of cut parts — fibre laser is the clear choice:

• Mild steel, stainless steel, and aluminium sheet and plate
• Parts requiring tight tolerances (±0.1mm or better)
• Production runs where speed and cost per part matter
• Thin to medium thicknesses (up to ~20mm mild steel, ~6mm stainless/aluminium on a 3kW machine, more on higher-power machines)
• When clean edge finish matters (nitrogen-cut stainless needs no post-processing)
• When you need fine details, small holes, or intricate geometry (the narrow kerf handles it)

When to Use Waterjet

Waterjet earns its place when laser can't do the job:

• Non-metallic materials — Stone benchtops, glass panels, rubber gaskets, composite materials, ceramic tiles
• Very thick metals — Anything above your laser's capacity
• Heat-sensitive applications — Where thermal distortion or HAZ is unacceptable (e.g., hardened tool steels, spring steels, materials that lose their temper from heat)
• Difficult-to-laser materials — Copper, brass, some titanium grades
• Low quantity, mixed materials — Waterjet has lower setup cost than laser for one-off parts in unusual materials

Cost Comparison

The cost difference comes down to speed and consumables:

• Laser — Fast cutting, low consumable cost (electricity, assist gas, nozzles/lenses wear slowly). Cost per metre of cut is low.
• Waterjet — Slow cutting, high consumable cost (garnet abrasive is the biggest ongoing expense, plus nozzle and mixing tube wear). Cost per metre is significantly higher.

For a typical mild steel or stainless steel part in standard thicknesses, laser cutting is almost always cheaper. The speed advantage alone makes it 3-10x more cost-effective per part, depending on complexity and thickness.

Waterjet only becomes cost-competitive when it's the only process that can do the job — exotic materials, extreme thicknesses, or zero-HAZ requirements.

The Practical Answer

If your parts are standard metals (mild steel, stainless steel, aluminium) in thicknesses under 20mm, fibre laser cutting is faster, more accurate, and more cost-effective. It's the default process for metal fabrication and the right choice for the vast majority of cut parts.

Waterjet is a specialist tool that fills the gaps laser can't reach — exotic materials, extreme thicknesses, and heat-sensitive applications. It's invaluable when you need it, but it's not the first choice for everyday metal work.

Get Your Parts Cut

Upload your DXF file to our instant quoting tool for immediate laser cutting pricing. We cut mild steel, stainless steel, and aluminium with fast turnaround and competitive pricing. Not sure which process is right? Try our Process Selection Guide. For design tips that reduce cost and improve cut quality, see our Laser Cutting Design Guide. For unusual materials or thicknesses that might suit waterjet, get in touch and we'll advise on the best process for your job.