Generally, cutting with waterjet costs less than traditional machining or cutting methods. In many cases, no secondary removal of slag or damaged material is necessary, and minimal to no burring is seen. Steels Waterjet is not always the most cost effective method to cut steels. As a rule, if the finished product is presently being cut using laser, plasma or oxyfuel, and no secondary work is needed to the part after being cut, it is unlikely waterjet will be an economical solution. Laminates Waterjet, in most cases, does not see any difference between laminated materials - e.g. acrylic, aluminum, stainless and honeycomb section all laminated as one.
Many aircraft parts consist of laminated materials where waterjet is the only solution.
Composites Many composites are very difficult to machine as the cutting tool tips 'gum' up and quickly becomes inefficient. Waterjet has no gumming at all and can leave a good clean surface requiring no additional work. It is possible to not only cut these materials effortlessly, but also drill start holes using specialized low pressure options available with certain systems. Rubber Depending on the darometer value, rubber can be cut with water only or with abrasive. Tests will quickly reveal what the best option is for your application.