What factors affect the price of a waterjet cutting system?

2022-08-26

What factors affect the price of a waterjet cutting system?

If you're in the market for a new or used waterjet cutting system, then we don't have to tell you how much these machines cost. Waterjet cutting systems are complex machines with high powered pumps, automatic cutting heads, many moving parts and optional accessories, all of which contribute to the expensive nature of the machine.

However, the cost of any one system can vary significantly compared to another. Depending on a variety of factors, from the type and pressure of the pump to the type of table and cutting head system, the cost difference between the two systems can be in the tens of thousands of dollars. Which specific factors have the greatest impact on price? How to calculate system cost? In this article, we'll explore the factors that have the biggest impact on the cost of any one system.

Pump and Horsepower
Which pump you need depends on your product and/or application. However, the various properties of the pump required can have a large impact on the price of the pump and thus the price of the entire system. In general, the more pump power required in the system, the higher the cost. The type of cutting system you are using (and the various parts of the system) will affect the pump power rating you need.

To calculate the required horsepower. Please contact your distributor, supplier and/or manufacturer. This is often a complex issue, so we think it's best to discuss it with a professional.

Cutting head and  Axis
Again, just as the attributes of most cutting systems can affect the total system cost, the type of cutting head and shaft really depends on your product and/or application. However, the type of cutting head and shaft required for cutting will greatly affect the price of the cutting system.


For basic cuts involving simple edges and materials, a three-axis system may be sufficient. However, for more complex cuts that require greater motion capability, a 5-axis cutting head may be required. 5-axis systems are more expensive; however, they have more flexibility in the types of cuts they can perform.

For applications where the same part is to be cut multiple times, adding a spreader with more cutting heads can greatly increase the efficiency of the machine, but of course increases the cost.

Abrasive water jet system and pure water system
Stop us if you've heard this before, but the need for abrasive waterjet cutting systems often depends on your product and/or application. Adding grinding capacity to your system can greatly increase the cutting capacity of a water jet system. However, it also greatly increases its complexity. There are several ways to do this:

An abrasive hopper is required to store the abrasive during the cutting process

Requires additional piping from the hopper to the cutting head to deliver the abrasive smoothly

Pump coolers extend the life of pumps and cutting systems, including those using abrasives

Works as an abrasive removal system, which greatly reduces downtime and reduces sump maintenance

As additional system components and complexity increase, so does the cost. Out-of-the-box grinding systems are more expensive, and as you add optional components (such as environmental systems, etc.), the total system cost increases.

table size and length
There is a very simple rule about the size of the table/length of the table and possible custom configuration: the bigger the table, the more expensive it is. In addition to this, if your product and/or application requires custom table sizes, it usually increases the overall cost of the system.

Environment systems and other add-ons
As mentioned above, when discussing the additional costs associated with abrasive systems, there are other additional components that add to the overall cost of the system. One such example is a closed loop recycling system. These systems are very effective in mitigating environmental issues associated with mixing abrasives with water. With a closed loop system, you can eliminate the need for drainage by filtering out the used abrasive and washing the water, sending it to the cooler to cool the water before sending it back to the high pressure pump. This saves water and sewage costs.