Workshop services
Waterjet
cutting
High-pressure waterjet cutting of steel, aluminium, composites, rubber, plastics, stone and ceramics — all in-house at our Nelspruit facility. Send your DXF file, we'll cut it and courier the parts back. No heat-affected zone, no distortion, no secondary finishing required on most materials.
The process
From DXF file to finished part
Waterjet cutting uses a highly pressurised stream of water mixed with garnet abrasive to cut through virtually any material. Because there is no heat involved, there is no heat-affected zone, no hardening of cut edges, and no distortion of thin or heat-sensitive materials.
Send your DXF file
Email your DXF file to sales@sawmilling.com with the material type, thickness and quantity. If you don't have a DXF file but have a drawing or a sample part, contact us — we can discuss options.
Quote
We'll come back with a price based on cutting time, material complexity and quantity. Waterjet pricing is per-cut-length and per-piercing — simple profiles in standard material are straightforward to quote. Complex nested parts with many piercings take longer.
Material
You can supply your own material or ask us to source it. We regularly cut customer-supplied plate, sheet and bar. If you need us to supply the material, give us the spec and we'll include it in the quote.
Cutting
We import your DXF, nest the parts to minimise material waste, and cut on our in-house waterjet. Most jobs are completed within 2–5 working days of confirmation, depending on workload and material availability.
Delivery
Finished parts are deburred, inspected and packed. We courier across Southern Africa or you can collect from Riverside Industrial Park. Delivery is added to the invoice.
No heat, no distortion. Laser and plasma cutting both introduce heat into the cut zone — this hardens the material at the edge, creates a heat-affected zone that must be ground off before welding, and can warp thin sections. Waterjet has none of these effects. It is the right process for hardened steel, aluminium, rubber, plastics and composites where heat is a problem.
What to send us
- DXF file (AutoCAD 2013 or earlier, or current — all versions accepted)
- Material type and grade (e.g. 304 stainless, 6082 aluminium, mild steel)
- Material thickness in mm
- Quantity required
- Any critical tolerances or surface finish requirements
- Whether you are supplying the material or need us to source it
DXF file tips
Draw parts at 1:1 scale in millimetres. Use closed polylines for cut profiles — open geometry causes the machine to skip cuts. Internal cutouts must be separate closed loops. If you're unsure, send the file anyway and we'll check it before quoting.
Materials we cut
One process, almost any material
Waterjet is one of the few cutting processes that works across metals, non-metals and composites without changing tooling. If you're not sure whether your material is suitable, send us the spec — we'll tell you straight.
Steel & stainless
Mild steel, tool steel, hardened steel, 304 and 316 stainless. Up to 150mm thick on mild steel. No heat-affected zone — ideal for pre-hardened plate.
Aluminium & alloys
All aluminium alloys including 6082, 5083, 7075 and cast plate. Waterjet leaves no burr on aluminium and requires no deburring before anodising or welding.
Rubber & gasket material
Natural rubber, neoprene, EPDM, silicone and gasket sheet up to 100mm. Waterjet is the only clean cutting method for thick rubber — scissors and die-cutting both distort the edge.
Plastics & composites
Acrylic, polycarbonate, HDPE, Delrin, nylon, fibreglass, carbon fibre and G10/FR4. No melting, no fumes, no tool pressure — ideal for brittle or precision plastic parts.
Stone & ceramics
Granite, marble, sandstone, ceramic tile and technical ceramics. Profile cutting of stone for inlays, countertop cutouts and architectural elements. No cracking, no chipping at the cut edge.
Glass
Float glass, toughened glass and laminated glass up to 20mm. No thermal shock, no cracking from tool contact. Suitable for shaped panels, instrument glass and display cutouts.
Foam & insulation
Closed-cell foam, polyurethane, acoustic foam and rigid insulation board. Clean, accurate cuts without compression — no saw-induced tearing or edge distortion.
Not sure?
If your material isn't listed, contact us with the spec. Waterjet cuts most solid materials up to 150mm — the main exceptions are tempered glass and very porous stone.
Capabilities
Tolerances & surface finish
Waterjet accuracy depends on material type, thickness, and the cutting speed specified. We can cut faster (slightly rougher edge) for parts that will be welded or painted, or slower (smoother edge) for precision-fit parts. Tell us the application and we'll set the right parameters.
For parts that must mate precisely — bearings, shaft fits, precision flanges — waterjet may not be the last operation. In those cases we can advise whether a machining allowance is needed.
| Parameter | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Positional tolerance | ±0.1–0.2mm on steel and aluminium |
| Kerf width | 0.8–1.2mm (depends on material and nozzle) |
| Max steel thickness | ~150mm mild steel · ~80mm stainless |
| Max aluminium thickness | ~200mm |
| Max rubber / plastic | ~100mm |
| Minimum internal radius | ~0.5mm (nozzle-limited) |
| File input format | .DXF, .DWG, .CDR |
| Taper angle | 0.5–1.5° typical (can be corrected with head tilt) |
| Lead-in / lead-out | Included — we add automatically, not billed separately |
Send us your DXF file
Email the file with material spec and quantity — we'll come back with a quote. No obligation, no setup fee.