Decorative Waterjet Applications
- SIGNAGE — stainless steel, aluminium and acrylic logos
- FAÇADE PANELS — composite panel (Dibond), aluminium composite
- MOSAIC — small pieces of marble, granite and glass brought together
- WALL DECORATION — bespoke patterns, landscapes, abstract art
- FLOOR LOGOS — hotel entrances, corporate buildings
- LANDSCAPING — granite and marble ornament for the garden
- HEADSTONES — lettering plus decorative patterns
- GLASS DECOR — frosted glass, stained glass
- WOOD DECOR — door and cabinet work (pure waterjet)
Where It Beats Laser and Plasma
Waterjet — Decorative Advantages
- Marble, glass and metal in the same project
- Cold cutting → a composite panel stays clean
- Can manage thick metal (5+ mm)
- Reflective metals (copper, mirror) are no problem
- Coloured and coated surfaces — the paint is not damaged
- A fine cutting jet (0.8-1 mm) — precise detail
- Environmentally friendly — no fumes and no UV light
Laser/Plasma — Decorative Limits
- A laser is often limited to metal and acrylic
- A laser burns the lower layer of a composite panel
- Plasma works only on conductive metal
- A laser struggles with reflective metals (Cu, mirror)
- Thick metal is limited for a laser (CO₂ ~25 mm)
- Thermal effect — the metal edge oxidises
- Plasma gives off fumes and light (limited in an enclosed workshop)
Signage Applications
Stainless Steel Signage
- Max thickness: 25-30 mm (enough even for thick interior signage)
- Q4 quality is sufficient (a visible surface)
- 3D logos — layered front and back
- Durable outdoors (stainless 304/316)
- Polished (bright) or sandblasted (matt)
Aluminium Signage
- Light → ideal for large signage
- Max thickness: 50 mm comfortably
- Cutting anodised aluminium → the coating is not damaged
- Coloured aluminium panel (PVDF) → the colour is preserved
- Signage integrated into the façade
Acrylic Signage
- With a pure waterjet, or with very little abrasive
- Clear or coloured acrylic — the edge comes out glossy
- The inside of illuminated signage (integrated LEDs)
- An alternative to laser → greater thickness plus coloured composite
Mosaic Work
Mosaic — small pieces brought together in geometric or organic patterns. A waterjet offers precise internal contours and the advantage of working different materials:
- MARBLE MOSAIC — bathrooms, entrance halls, hotel lobbies
- GLASS MOSAIC — stained glass, decorative walls
- GRANITE AND MARBLE MIXED — a contrasting pattern
- CUTTING ACCURACY ±0.1 mm — the pieces fit together exactly
- Q5 quality — a visible surface, no further work
- Geometric (squares, triangles) or organic (leaves, waves)
Façade Panel — Composite
Aluminium Composite Panel (ACP) — brands such as Dibond and Alucobond. Ideal for a waterjet:
- Generally 4 mm thick (an aluminium-plastic-aluminium sandwich)
- A laser burns the plastic layer underneath — a waterjet cuts cold and clean
- A complex logo plus a decorative pattern — in one pass
- The coloured surface coating is preserved
- Integration with façade systems (ALUCOBOND and similar design systems)
Design Preparation
- The customer design (PNG, AI, CDR formats)
- CAD conversion — extracting the contours into DXF/DWG
- Detail preparation — checking fine lettering and fine contours
- Minimum internal corner radius — 0.8-1.2 mm (the limit of what the jet can reach in an internal corner)
- Slab size plus nesting — minimising waste
- Pierce points — somewhere out of sight
- Proof approval from the customer (PDF) — before cutting
The Minimum Detail Limit
The internal corner radius of a waterjet jet is 0.8-1.2 mm. A sharper corner (R0.5 mm) cannot be produced — and that limit is a low one set against the 0.1 mm of a laser. Very fine lettering (4-5 mm tall) is close to the limit.
Surface Finishing — Critical for Decorative Work
- Q4-Q5 quality cutting — minimum additional polishing
- Decorative marble and granite — polishing is needed (a mirror gloss)
- Stainless steel — sandblasting (matt) or polishing (bright)
- Aluminium — cutting after anodising (the surface is preserved)
- Composite panel — edge finishing (silicone fill, trim profile)
- Glass — a decorative edge (a ground edge or a polished one)
The Delivery Process
- Cleaning after cutting (garnet residue)
- Surface finishing (polishing)
- Quality control — customer approval
- Packaging — foam plus stretch film
- Installation on site — some signage is shipped after a final check in the workshop
- Briefing the customer — maintenance and cleaning instructions