Thermal Deformation & Heavy Dross
Thermal cutting methods generate extreme heat when processing thick metal plates, inducing physical warping, sheet buckling, and stubborn dross on the bottom edge. This forces shops into endless, costly manual grinding, deburring, and mechanical straightening before parts can be used.
High Tool Wear & Material Oxidation on Hard Alloys
High-value metals like Titanium, Inconel, and aviation-grade Aluminum suffer severe edge oxidation under heat, while traditional mechanical milling rapidly destroys expensive cutting tools. The resulting scrap rates and tooling expenses slice directly into factory profit margins.
Thick Plate Taper & Dimensional Deviations
Standard 2D cutting leads to natural kerf taper on thick metals as the waterjet stream disperses. This causes top-to-bottom dimension inconsistencies, poor assembly fit-up, and increased rejection rates during high-volume contract manufacturing.
