Why a Waterjet, and Why Not a Blade?
Traditional Blade Cutting
- The blade metal touches the food — cleaning is essential
- The blade goes blunt → quality drops over time
- Compression deformation (particularly with soft food)
- Blade replacement and sharpening are a constant operating cost
- Complex shapes are difficult with a mechanical blade
- Frozen food cannot be cut straight from frozen (the blade slips)
Pure Waterjet Cutting
- Water only — cleanliness standards are very high
- The cutting jet never wears (it is always fresh)
- No compression → the original structure is preserved
- A single operating cost: pump electricity plus water
- Complex CNC-programmed patterns with ease
- Cuts even frozen food without trouble
5 Major Advantages
- HYGIENIC — Water, not a blade; there is no vector for bacterial transfer. HACCP compliance is straightforward. Cleaning between shifts takes 5 minutes.
- CONTAMINATION-FREE — No metal residue, blade oil or particles. Pure water is already of drinking-water quality.
- THE CUT STRUCTURE IS PRESERVED — A cold process (4°C at the cutting point), so foods that break down under heat (cheese, cream) are unaffected.
- LOW WASTE — Thanks to the fine cutting jet (0.1-0.3 mm), food loss is 2-4%. With a blade it is 8-15%.
- COMPLEX SHAPES — CNC-programmed; a bespoke logo, a heart-shaped cake, slicing an animal figure — all of it is possible.
Which Foods Can Be Cut?
| Food | Application | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Meat (fresh, frozen) | Portioning, slicing | Bone can be detected and avoided |
| Fish fillet | Cutting that avoids the bones | A programme for each individual fish with CNC |
| Chicken breast | Standard portioning | Zero compression deformation |
| Cheese (hard and soft) | Slicing, lattice format | No melting; the structure is preserved |
| Gateau, cake | Delicate slices, decorative cuts | The cream is not deformed |
| Sandwich (full cut) | Single-stage slicing | A traditional blade crushes it |
| Pizza | Equal slices | No cheese stringing |
| Frozen food | Standard production | A blade cannot do it |
| Vegetables (carrot, marrow) | Decorative shapes | Neat slices for the salad bar |
| Chocolate, confectionery | Shapes outside the mould | Cold cutting → the structure is preserved |
Hygiene and Certification
- Water quality — the drinking-water standard (ideally after RO)
- Stainless steel on every contact surface
- A CIP (Clean-In-Place) wash cycle integrated into the machine
- HACCP compliance — critical control points are defined
- Suitable for BRC and IFS food safety certification
- Components compliant with EU 1935/2004 (the regulation on materials in contact with food)
Production Speed
Modern pure waterjet food cutting machines run at industrial speed:
- Meat portioning: 60-200 pieces/min (depending on size)
- Fish fillet: 30-80 fillets/min
- Desserts / gateau: 5-20 cakes/min (depending on the CNC programme)
- Sandwich: 40-120 slices/min
- Pizza: 60+ slices/min
Operating Characteristics
The operating characteristics of industrial pure waterjet food lines:
- The main operating inputs are electricity and water — no garnet is used
- It removes the operating expense of blade replacement and sharpening
- CIP (Clean-in-Place) makes cleaning between shifts fast
- Compatible with HACCP, BRC and IFS certification processes
- Structurally a lower contamination risk than blade lines
The Trend in the Sector
A significant proportion of the large food producers in Europe have adopted pure waterjet technology on their portioning lines. In Türkiye the application is still at the stage of becoming widespread.