Waterjet cutting from independent machine shops
A high-pressure stream of water and garnet cuts flat parts cold, so there is no heat-affected zone, no warping, and no hardened edge. It cuts very thick metal and nearly any material. Upload a drawing and hear back from shops set up for waterjet.
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Waterjet shops on OpenSpindle
Real shops that cut custom flat parts on abrasive waterjet. See their equipment and talk to the person making your part.
★ Top rated
"Precision Waterjet & CNC Plasma Cutting for Any Material, Any Design."
"Precision Waterjet & CNC Cutting in Central Texas"
"Custom countertops and casework serving Western New York since 1988"
"Full-Service Metal Fabrication & Waterjet Cutting Near Austin"
"Waterjet, Fiber Laser & Press-Brake Fabrication in Lake Elsinore, CA"
"Specializing in high-quality countertop solutions for Austin homes and businesses"
How it works
How OpenSpindle Works
Upload your files
Share your CAD files or drawings (STEP, DXF, DWG, PDF) and note material, tolerances, and quantity. It takes a couple of minutes.
Get matched quotes
We route your part to shops with the machines and materials to make it, and they send competitive quotes.
Compare and choose
Weigh quotes, methods, and lead times side by side, then pick the shop that fits your budget and timeline.
Materials our waterjet shops cut
Because the cut is cold, waterjet handles almost anything: metals to several inches thick, plus stone, glass, composites, ceramics, and thick plastics. Common metals are below; if your material is not here, ask when you request a quote.
Specs
Tolerances you can expect
| Feature | With a drawing | No drawing supplied |
|---|---|---|
| Part profile (thin material) | ±0.003 in | ISO 2768 Medium |
| Part profile (thick or fast cut) | ±0.005 in | ISO 2768 Coarse |
| Edge taper | ~0.005 in per side | Standard on fast cuts |
| Kerf width | ~0.030-0.040 in | Abrasive nozzle typical |
| Hole / position | ±0.005 in | ISO 2768 Medium |
Thin parts hold ±0.003 in; thicker stock and faster cuts open to ±0.005 in with more edge taper. There is no heat distortion, so flatness stays true. Tell the shop which edges are critical and they can slow the cut or add a taper-compensation head.
Secondary operations
Inserts, hardware and finishing
Threads and inserts
Waterjet cuts profiles and holes only; it does not tap or countersink. Threads, precision bores, and counterbores are added as a secondary drilling, tapping, or machining op.
Finishing
The cut edge is matte and sandblasted-looking, with no burr and no recast layer. As-cut ships fastest; parts can be deburred, ground, or coated after.
| Finish | Materials | Adds | Can be applied with |
|---|---|---|---|
| As-cut | All | +0 days | Anything |
| Deburr / edge break | All metals | +1 day | Before coating |
| Powder coat | Steel, aluminum | +3-5 days | Deburr first |
| Anodize | Aluminum, titanium | +3-5 days | Deburr first |
Parts come off the table wet. If your material can flash-rust, tell the shop so they dry and oil steel parts before they ship.
Get a better quote
Getting a quote that comes back fast
| Instead of | Send this |
|---|---|
| "Cut this plate" | "1/2 in 6061 aluminum, profile per DXF, qty 25, ±0.005 in" |
| "A few holes" | "Four ⌀0.375 in holes on the pattern, waterjet-pierced, no tap" |
| "Thick steel bracket" | "2 in A36 plate, outside profile only, one critical mating edge" |
Send a flat DXF or STEP with material and thickness. Call out which edge mates so the shop can slow that pass and control taper.
Applications
Industries we serve
Waterjet shops on OpenSpindle cut gaskets, brackets, plate, gears, and architectural panels where a clean, cold edge and thick material matter, including AS9100 and ITAR-registered shops.
More on OpenSpindle
Other capabilities
Need a different process? Browse shops for these too.
Designing for this process
What actually changes your quote
Not a definition of waterjet. The design choices that move your price and lead time.
Thickness sets the clock
Waterjet is billed by cut time, and time climbs fast with thickness. A 2 in plate cuts far slower than 1/4 in. If a feature does not need the full thickness, split the part or thin the stock.
Inside corners cost radius
The stream is round, so a sharp inside corner is not possible. Add a small corner radius (about half the kerf) so the shop is not forced into a slow, multi-pass corner.
Group parts to share pierces
Every hole starts with a pierce, which takes time. Sharing edges between nested parts or common-line cutting reduces pierces and drops the price on a full sheet.
Small holes near the thickness limit
A reliable pierced hole should be at least the size of the material thickness. Holes smaller than that in thick plate may need drilling instead, which adds a secondary op.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Laser and plasma cut with heat, which leaves a heat-affected zone, a hardened edge, and possible warping on thin parts. Waterjet cuts cold with abrasive-laden water, so there is no HAZ, no hardening, and no distortion. Waterjet also cuts far thicker material and non-metals, but it is slower than laser on thin sheet.
Get waterjet cutting quotes
Upload a drawing once and compare quotes from independent waterjet shops.
STEP · STL · IGES · DWG · DXF · PDF · and more
Uploads are secure & confidential