Quality and cost comparisons between laser and waterjet cutting

The lasers and waterjets have been used in industry for decades now. The two technologies have procured many overlapping applications and it is thus important for the industry to understand both processes, in order to select the more optimum method in different situations. The comprehensive knowledge on quality and operating cost would help the users to judge which method is more appropriate for each type of application. This paper presents the cost and duality aspects of both laser and waterjet culling methods. Cases on culling stainless steel, mild steel and aluminum alloy of different thicknesses are also discussed in a comparison study.