MACH | CNC WATER JET

UNMATCHED PRECISION . VERSATILITY . COLD WATER

MACH CNC waterjet cutting machines deliver precise, high-quality cutting across an exceptionally wide range of materials and thicknesses. From metals and composites to glass, stone and engineered materials, our waterjet systems provide flexible 2D and 3D cutting without a heat-affected zone, supported across the UK & Ireland.

MULTI MATERIAL

Cut steel, stainless, aluminium, titanium, stone, glass, composites and many other materials on a single machine platform.

COLD CUTTING PROCESS

Cut without thermal distortion or conventional heat-affected zones, helping preserve material properties and edge integrity.

THICK MATERIAL CAPABILITY

Process everything from thin materials to heavy plate and thick sections where thermal cutting may be unsuitable.

PRECISION 2D & 3D CUTTING

Produce intricate profiles, accurate contours, bevels and complex components using advanced multi-axis cutting technology.

ADVANCED HIGH-PRESSURE TECHNOLOGY

High-performance pump and cutting-head systems deliver stable pressure, consistent cutting performance and reliable production.

LOW SECONDARY PROCESSING

Achieve clean, high-quality cut edges that can reduce grinding, finishing and additional machining requirements.

CUTTING TECHNOLOGY

Abrasive Waterjet / Pure Water / 2D / 3D & Bevel

TABLE FORMATS

Compact / 3 × 1.5 m / 4 × 2 m / 6 × 2 m / Large Format

MATERIAL RANGE

Metal / Stone / Glass / Composites / Plastics / Specialist Materials

CUTTING PROCESS

Cold Cutting / No Conventional HAZ / Minimal Thermal Distortion

PRODUCTION FOCUS

Precision / Versatility / Cut Quality / Material Capability

Technology & Features

PRECISION WITHOUT LIMITS

Advanced CNC waterjet cutting technology engineered for exceptional versatility, accuracy and cut quality. From ultra-high-pressure pumps and precision cutting heads to intelligent CNC control and advanced 2D & 3D cutting, MACH waterjet systems deliver reliable performance across metals, stone, glass, composites and specialist materials without heat-affected zones or thermal distortion.

01

HI-PRECISION TECH

Advanced waterjet pump technology generates an ultra-high-pressure cutting stream for powerful, precise processing of thin materials, thick plate and demanding industrial applications.

02

PRECISION MOTION

Rigid machine construction, precision guide systems and advanced CNC motion control deliver smooth contouring, accurate positioning and consistent repeatability across the entire cutting area.

03

INTELLIGENT CUTTING

Intelligent CNC control optimises cutting speed, piercing, abrasive flow and process parameters around material type, thickness and required edge quality for consistent waterjet performance.

04

CUTTING HEAD TECH

Precision-engineered waterjet cutting heads maintain accurate jet alignment and efficient abrasive mixing for stable cutting performance, clean edges and dependable operation across demanding materials.

05

MATERIAL EFFICIENCY

From precision 2D waterjet cutting to advanced multi-axis and 3D bevel cutting, configure MACH systems for intricate profiles, angled edges, weld preparation and taper-controlled components.

06

2D, 3D & BEVEL CUTTING

From precision 2D waterjet cutting to advanced multi-axis and 3D bevel cutting, configure MACH systems for intricate profiles, angled edges, weld preparation and taper-controlled components.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎SMARTER TECHNOLOGY. ‎ ‎ ‎MORE SPEED. MORE OUTPUT. MORE FROM EVERY SHEET.

MACH TECHNOLOGIES & AUTOMATION | UK & IRELAND

CNC WATER JET QUESTIONS? WE’VE GOT ANSWERS

TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE CENTRE

Practical answers to the key technical, application and investment questions surrounding CNC waterjet cutting machines, abrasive waterjet technology and industrial waterjet systems.

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A CNC waterjet cutting machine uses an ultra-high-pressure stream of water to cut material under programmed CNC control. For harder materials, garnet abrasive is introduced into the water stream to create an abrasive waterjet capable of cutting metals, stone, glass, composites and other engineered materials.

Unlike laser, plasma and oxy-fuel processes, waterjet removes material through erosion rather than heat, allowing complex profiles to be produced without a conventional heat-affected zone (HAZ).

Waterjet is one of the most versatile CNC cutting technologies and can process mild steel, stainless steel, aluminium, titanium, copper, brass, specialist alloys, stone, glass, ceramics, composites, plastics, rubber and many other materials.

Because cutting does not depend on melting or electrical conductivity, a waterjet can process materials that may be difficult or unsuitable for conventional thermal cutting.

Material type, thickness, required edge quality and production rate determine the optimum pump, cutting head, abrasive and process settings.

Primary search intent: what materials can waterjet cut / metal waterjet cutting / waterjet cutting steel / waterjet cutting glass and stone

Internal link: Waterjet Materials & Applications

CNC waterjet systems are capable of processing very thick materials, but there is an important difference between a machine being physically capable of cutting a thickness and doing so at a commercially useful speed and quality.

Practical cutting capability depends on material type, thickness, pump pressure and flow, nozzle configuration, abrasive flow rate, cutting speed and required edge quality.

For production applications, MACH recommends assessing waterjet capacity against the customer’s actual materials and components rather than relying solely on a headline maximum thickness.

Pure waterjet cutting uses only high-pressure water and is primarily suited to softer materials such as rubber, foam, insulation and selected plastics.

Abrasive waterjet cutting introduces garnet into the high-speed water stream, providing the cutting power required for harder materials including steel, stainless steel, aluminium, titanium, glass, stone and composites.

The correct process depends on the material being cut and the required production result.

Industrial waterjet systems operate at ultra-high pressures, typically specified in bar or PSI. Pressure is important, but it should not be used as the sole measure of waterjet performance.

Effective cutting depends on the relationship between pressure, water flow, pump efficiency, orifice size, mixing tube, abrasive flow and required cut quality.

A correctly specified complete cutting system is more important than simply selecting the machine with the highest advertised pressure.

A waterjet intensifier pump converts hydraulic pressure into ultra-high-pressure water through a pressure multiplication system. The pressurised water is then delivered to the cutting head, where it passes through a precision orifice to create the high-velocity cutting stream.

Pump design influences pressure stability, cutting performance, seal life, maintenance requirements and machine uptime.

An intensifier pump typically uses a hydraulic system and pressure intensifier to generate ultra-high-pressure water, while a direct-drive pump mechanically drives plungers to pressurise the water.

Both technologies can be effective, but they differ in areas such as pressure characteristics, efficiency, maintenance, operating behaviour and suitability for different duty cycles.

The correct pump should be selected around the required pressure, flow, cutting hours and production application rather than pump type alone.

Garnet is the abrasive most commonly used for industrial abrasive waterjet cutting. It mixes with the high-speed water stream inside the cutting head and provides the abrasive action required to cut harder materials.

Consumption depends on the orifice and mixing-tube combination, abrasive flow setting, material, thickness, cutting speed and required quality.

Because garnet can represent a significant proportion of waterjet operating costs, efficient abrasive delivery and correct cutting parameters are important when calculating cost per component.

CNC waterjet can produce highly accurate components, but finished-part tolerance depends on material thickness, cutting speed, machine motion accuracy, nozzle condition, kerf compensation, cutting-head technology and selected edge quality.

Waterjet should therefore not be assessed using machine positioning accuracy alone.

For precision applications, the complete cutting process must be considered, including how the machine manages kerf, taper and jet behaviour through the material.

Waterjet taper is the angular variation that can occur between the top and bottom of a cut as the jet passes through the material.

The amount of taper is influenced by material thickness, cutting speed, jet behaviour, nozzle condition and process parameters.

Advanced multi-axis waterjet cutting heads can actively compensate for taper by controlling the angle of the cutting stream, producing straighter edges and improved finished-part accuracy.

A 3D or 5-axis waterjet uses a multi-axis cutting head capable of angling the cutting stream rather than cutting only perpendicular to the material.

Depending on machine configuration, this enables bevelled edges, angled cuts, weld preparations, complex profiles and active taper compensation.

Multi-axis capability expands waterjet beyond conventional 2D profile cutting and can reduce secondary machining or edge preparation on suitable components

Waterjet is a cold cutting process and does not create the conventional heat-affected zone associated with thermal processes such as laser, plasma and oxy-fuel cutting.

This helps avoid thermal distortion, heat discolouration, hardened cut edges and unwanted metallurgical changes.

The absence of a conventional HAZ makes waterjet particularly valuable for heat-sensitive materials, specialist alloys, composites and components where maintaining material properties is important.

Neither technology is universally better.

Fibre laser cutting is exceptionally productive for many sheet-metal applications and can deliver very high cutting speeds, particularly across thinner and medium-gauge metals.

Waterjet cutting provides greater material versatility, strong thick-material capability and cold cutting without a conventional heat-affected zone.

The right technology depends on material, thickness, tolerance, edge quality, production volume and cost per finished component.

MACH supplies both technologies and can assess the application before recommending a cutting process.

CNC plasma cutting offers fast and economical processing of electrically conductive metals, particularly across medium and heavy plate.

Waterjet can process a much wider range of metallic and non-metallic materials and cuts without a conventional heat-affected zone, but production speeds and operating economics differ considerably between the processes.

The decision should be based on the actual material mix, thickness range, required edge quality, tolerance and production volume.

Waterjet table size should be selected around the standard stock dimensions, largest components, loading method, available factory space and future production requirements.

Machines can range from compact waterjets through common industrial sheet formats to large-format CNC waterjet systems for oversized plate and specialist applications.

Selecting unnecessary table capacity increases machine footprint and investment, while undersizing the machine can restrict future production capability.

Modern waterjet CAD/CAM software manages far more than the component profile.

Depending on the system, software can control nesting, cutting speed, edge-quality levels, piercing strategies, kerf compensation, abrasive control, lead-ins, lead-outs and multi-axis cutting.

Intelligent nesting can also increase material yield and reduce unnecessary cutting time, helping improve overall cost per component

The operating cost of a CNC waterjet includes electricity, water, garnet abrasive, cutting-head consumables, high-pressure pump maintenance, labour and abrasive disposal or removal.

For abrasive waterjet applications, garnet consumption can be one of the most important variable costs.

However, hourly running cost does not provide the complete picture. Buyers should evaluate cost per finished component, including material utilisation, secondary finishing and processes eliminated by waterjet cutting.

Routine waterjet maintenance typically includes the high-pressure pump, seals, orifices, mixing tubes, cutting heads, high-pressure lines, abrasive delivery equipment and cutting tank.

Service intervals depend on pump technology, operating pressure, water quality, cutting hours and machine utilisation.

When comparing machines, buyers should consider consumable life, maintenance access, spare-parts availability and technical support alongside initial purchase price.

Compare the complete system rather than simply maximum pressure and purchase price.

Important considerations include:

table size → material range → thickness → pump technology → pressure and flow → cutting head → 2D/3D capability → accuracy → taper compensation → abrasive consumption → software → nesting → maintenance → operating cost → service and support.

The best starting point is the customer’s actual production requirement.

MACH can assess material types, thickness range, sheet dimensions, component drawings, required tolerances, edge quality, production volumes, cutting hours and 2D or 3D requirements.

From this information, the appropriate machine size, pump technology, cutting head, software and supporting equipment can be specified around the application rather than simply selecting a standard machine from a catalogue.

MACH supplies CNC waterjet cutting machines across the UK & Ireland, supported from initial application review through machine specification, installation, commissioning and operator training.

Ongoing support can include technical assistance, preventative maintenance, spare parts, consumables and waterjet service, helping customers maintain reliable production throughout the working life of the machine.

For new projects, MACH can review representative materials and component drawings before recommending a waterjet configuration.