Waterjet Cutting for Glass, Ceramic and Brittle Materials

Waterjet cutting is better suited for glass parts where heat, thermal stress or laser micro-cracking must be avoided. By using high-pressure water mixed with garnet abrasive, it can cut thick glass, laminated glass, glass-ceramic, fused silica, quartz, sapphire and technical ceramics without creating a heat-affected zone.

For procurement or drawing review, waterjet cutting is usually considered when the part has complex contours, internal cutouts, large thickness, laminated structure or thermally sensitive material.

Typical suitable parts include:

Thick optical windows for laser, defense and industrial systems.
Borosilicate or quartz sight glasses for pressure vessels.
ZERODUR®, MACOR or PYROCERAM® glass-ceramic blanks.
Aerospace sensor windows and irregular glass components.
Laminated or armor glass panels requiring cold cutting.

We can process custom waterjet-cut glass parts from DXF, STEP or customer drawings, with optional 5-axis taper compensation, edge grinding, polishing, chamfering, ultrasonic cleaning and dimensional inspection.

What Is Waterjet Cutting?

Abrasive waterjet cutting is a cold-cutting process in which a high-pressure water stream (up to 90,000 psi / 620 MPa) mixed with fine garnet abrasive particles is focused through a precision nozzle and directed at the workpiece surface to erode material along a programmed cutting path. Unlike laser cutting, which relies on thermal energy, waterjet cutting is entirely mechanical — the abrasive particles physically abrade the material without generating heat, making it the only cutting method that produces zero heat-affected zone (HAZ) and zero thermal stress in the cut substrate. This makes waterjet cutting uniquely suited for thick glass, laminated glass, glass-ceramic composites, and thermally sensitive optical materials where laser or diamond wheel cutting would introduce unacceptable residual stress or micro-cracking. Modern 5-axis waterjet systems can cut arbitrary 2D contours and tapered profiles, with cutting depths from 1 mm up to 100 mm or more.

Process Capabilities

Cutting Pressure: Up to 90,000 psi (620 MPa)
Abrasive Media: 80 – 220 mesh garnet (grade selectable by finish requirement)
Material Thickness Range: 1 mm – 100 mm (standard); beyond 100 mm on request
Positional Accuracy: ±50 µm (precision mode); ±150 µm (standard)
Edge Roughness (Ra): 1.6 – 3.2 µm (fine cut); 3.2 – 6.3 µm (standard cut)
Kerf Width: 0.8 – 1.5 mm (nozzle-dependent)
Axis Configuration: 3-axis and full 5-axis (tapered and angled cuts)

Compatible Materials

1	Fused Silica	Corning 7980 / Tosoh ES-2000
2	Quartz Glass	SCHOTT Lithosil Q / Heraeus Suprasil 1
3	Borosilicate Glass	PYREX 7740 / BOROFLOAT 33
4	Soda-Lime Glass	Float / Laminated / Tempered
5	Sapphire	C-plane / A-plane
6	Glass-Ceramic	ZERODUR / PYROCERAM 9606 / MACOR
7	Technical Ceramics	Al₂O₃ / AlN / Si₃N₄ / ZrO₂
8	Optical Glass	BK7 / N-BK7
9	Silicon	Float Zone / Czochralski
10	Laminated Glass	PVB / SGP interlayer composites
11	Armor Glass	Multi-layer ballistic glass composites

Edge Quality & Finish

Ra 1.6 – 3.2 µm (Fine Cut): Slow feed rate, fine abrasive (220 mesh) — suitable for optical windows and precision components
Ra 3.2 – 6.3 µm (Standard Cut): Balanced speed and finish — general industrial and structural glass
Ra 6.3 – 12.5 µm (Rough Cut): High feed rate, coarse abrasive — rapid stock removal, requires post-processing
Taper Angle: ±0.5° (standard); compensated to 0° with 5-axis taper correction
Edge Chipping: ≤ 100 µm (standard); ≤ 50 µm (precision, with reduced pressure)
Post-Process Options: CNC edge grinding, polishing, chamfering, AR coating compatible

Typical Applications

Thick Optical Windows: Fused silica and borosilicate windows 10–100 mm thick for laser and defense systems
Aerospace Glass Components: Complex-contour cockpit glazing and sensor windows
Architectural Glass: Decorative and structural glass panels with curved and irregular outlines
Industrial Sight Glasses: Heavy-duty borosilicate and quartz sight windows for pressure vessels
Glass-Ceramic Blanks: ZERODUR and MACOR machining blanks for precision instruments
Armor & Ballistic Glass: Multi-layer laminated glass panels for defense applications

Custom Specifications

We accept custom waterjet cutting orders based on DXF, STEP, or customer-supplied drawings, for both prototype and production volumes. Custom parameters include abrasive grade selection, feed rate optimization for target surface finish, 5-axis taper compensation for vertical edge profiles, and multi-pass strategies for ultra-thick substrates. Post-cutting services — including CNC edge grinding, polishing, chamfering, ultrasonic cleaning, and full dimensional inspection — are available as part of an integrated processing workflow. All cut parts are delivered with edge quality documentation, dimensional reports, and material traceability.