LASERWATERJET CUTTING

The laserwaterjet process (LWJ) combines the advantages of laser machining with those of a fine waterjet and thereby enables a cutting result of especially high quality. Holes can be made near-perfectly cylindrical, cuts have completely vertical faces and the permanent cooling means there is rarely any damage by melting, burr formation or breakage. Especially when machining sensitive or brittle materials, the technology provides a noticeable advantage in quality of results.

On the technical side, the laser radiation – typically a nanosecond laser – is coupled directly into a thin, stable water jet. The jet serves as a light transmitting medium and guides the radiation into the workpiece. Unlike with typical laser processes, there is no clearly defined focal plane. Instead, one can imagine the focus being elongated along the axis of the entire water column. The laser energy is applied to the material along the depth of the cutting or drilling channel, which helps to stabilize the machining process of thicker materials.

The water serves multiple purposes: it guides the beam, cools the material in the immediate area around the ablation and reduces thermal influences significantly. At the same time, it supports the transport of removed material away from the processing zone. This leads to cleaner processing results with a minimal heat-affected zone.

Aside from straight cuts or classic bore holes, complex shapes and contours are also achievable. Individual geometries can be implemented with high flexibility and without any particular restrictions regarding their shape.

The LWJ process competes with dry laser cutting, conventional waterjet cutting as well as in part with spark erosion and mechanical cutting processes. Its strengths are most evident wherever high edge quality, low thermal impact and precise geometries are required – such as in electronics applications, medical technology, tool manufacturing or in the machining of demanding materials.