CNC Waterjet Cutting Services
THICK PLATE, TIGHT TOLERANCES, AND SENSITIVE MATERIALS
Some parts do not belong on a laser, and some do not belong on a plasma table. Thick plate, hardened steel, layered assemblies, and heat-sensitive materials all need a cutting process that leaves the metal it started with. Lindsay Machine Works, Inc. runs full waterjet cutting services for parts that need a clean edge, a tight profile, and no heat damage on the way out.
You get a cold-cutting process that does not leave a heat-affected zone, does not warp thin material, does not case-harden the edge of a plate, and does not care whether the material is reflective or non-metallic. That opens the door to work that would be impossible or expensive on other cutting equipment.
Why Choose Waterjet Cutting
Waterjet is the right choice when heat, edge quality, or material versatility drive the decision. That comes up more often than most buyers realize.
- No heat-affected zone. The edge you get is the same metallurgy the plate came in with. That protects heat treat, hardness, and structural properties on parts that need them.
- Clean, burr-free edges. Most parts come off the table ready for the next step, without secondary deburring or edge cleanup.
- Thick material capability. Waterjet cuts through steel, stainless, and aluminum in thicknesses that stop other processes cold.
- Material versatility. One machine handles carbon steel, stainless, aluminum, tool steel, titanium, brass, bronze, plastics, rubber, composites, glass, and stone.
- Tight nesting. Narrow kerfs let more parts come out of a single sheet, which lowers raw material cost on production runs.
- Complex profiles. Intricate shapes, small radii, and detailed cutouts run on the same equipment as straight rectangles.
For buyers used to laser or plasma, the tradeoffs are straightforward. You give up some raw speed on thin material. You get thicker capacity, better edge quality, and material options that other processes cannot touch.
Waterjet Cutting Capacity at Lindsay Machine Works, Inc.
Waterjet cutting at Lindsay Machine Works, Inc. runs on CNC-controlled abrasive waterjet equipment with a working area up to 60 by 120 inches. That accommodates full 5 by 10 foot sheets and oversized plate that would need to be pieced together on a smaller table.
Cutting capability includes:
- Steel up to 4 inches thick
- Aluminum up to 6 inches thick
- Stainless steel, tool steel, and alloy steel in production and one-off thicknesses
- Non-ferrous materials, plastics, composites, glass, and rubber
- Complex 2D profiles, tight radii, and internal cutouts
- Cut tolerances as tight as approximately ±0.010 inches
Cuts come off the table with a smooth edge finish, minimal taper, and no burn marks. Most parts move directly to secondary operations without additional edge prep.
Tolerances and Edge Quality
Waterjet cutting at Lindsay Machine Works, Inc. holds cut tolerances as tight as approximately ±0.010 inches, with edge quality that lets most parts skip secondary deburring.
For parts that need tighter tolerances than the waterjet can hold on its own, the workflow does not stop at the cutting table. Milled or turned features can be added in-house after the profile is cut, and inspection runs the finished part against the print, not against the raw cut. Every job passes through a climate-controlled inspection area, with a Starrett AV350 vision and probe system, a Mitutoyo CMM, calibrated micrometers, and digital height gauges checking parts against the drawing.
First article inspection reports and material certifications are available on request. Programs and nests stay on file for repeat orders.
Applications Where Waterjet Cutting Fits
Waterjet cutting shows up across a wide mix of buyer applications, including:
- Structural plate parts for construction equipment, frames, and weldments
- Blanks for machined components that finish on a mill or lathe
- Gaskets, seals, and non-metallic components
- Wear plates, liner plates, and skid plates
- Cutouts and profiles in hardened or heat-treated material
- Prototype parts where tooling is not justified
- Small-batch production of custom profiles
- Artistic and architectural cutouts
If your part starts as sheet or plate and needs to come out as a specific profile — with or without additional machined features — waterjet is usually the first process to consider. Learn more about how we combine waterjet cut parts with in-house machining and fabrication on our OEM parts and metal fabrication for manufacturing page.
Industries We Serve
Waterjet cutting at Lindsay Machine Works, Inc. supports customers across:
Learn more about how we support these industries on our OEM parts and metal fabrication for manufacturing page.
Materials You Can Cut on the Waterjet
The waterjet handles the full range of materials that come through the shop, including:
- 1
Carbon steel plate and structural steel
- 2
Stainless steel
- 3
Aluminum
- 4
Tool steels and hardened plate that laser and plasma cannot cleanly cut
- 5
Titanium
- 6
Brass, bronze, and copper
- 7
Engineering plastics
- 8
Rubber, gasket material, and composites
- 9
Glass and stone
Because the process is cold, reflective metals and heat-sensitive materials cut on the same equipment as carbon steel. You can supply your own material or ask the team to source it with certifications on file.
Waterjet vs. Other Cutting Processes
Buyers new to waterjet often ask where it fits alongside laser and plasma. A quick sketch:
- Thin material, high volume, straight profiles: Laser and plasma usually win on speed. Waterjet is still an option when heat is a problem.
- Thick steel and thick aluminum: Waterjet handles thicknesses that push laser out of its range and force plasma into rough-edge territory.
- Hardened, heat-treated, or tempered plate: Waterjet cuts cleanly without changing the metallurgy. Laser and plasma can change the edge properties.
- Reflective metals: Waterjet does not care about reflectivity.
- Non-metallic materials: Rubber, plastics, composites, glass, and stone all run on the waterjet. Laser and plasma are limited or unsuitable.
- Tight nesting and material yield: Waterjet’s narrow kerf keeps more parts per sheet.
For most buyers, waterjet is a specialty tool that solves the parts other processes cannot. Send the drawing and the team will match the part to the right process.
Why Lindsay Machine Works, Inc. for Waterjet Cutting
You get more than a cutting service. Lindsay Machine Works, Inc. has been producing precision parts for OEMs, contract buyers, and end users for more than 30 years. The shop runs more than 80 machines in a 35,000 square foot facility, with waterjet cutting alongside laser, plasma, CNC milling, CNC turning, grinding, welding, and inspection all under one roof.
That means a waterjet cut plate does not have to leave the building for machining, welding, or finishing. Your part stays with one team from a raw sheet to a finished component, with one point of contact and one quality record.
Service Area
Lindsay Machine Works, Inc. is located at 4023 N. Cobbler Road in Independence, Missouri, just outside Kansas City. Waterjet cut parts and finished assemblies ship across the country. Local OEMs, dealers, and repair facilities can pick up finished parts directly, and shop tours are welcome.
Get Your Waterjet Cutting Project Quoted Today
Send a DXF, a drawing, or a sample. You will get a quote, a lead time, and clear answers fast.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for CNC Waterjet Cutting
Call Lindsay Machine Works at (816) 257-1166 or Request a Quote to Start your Project
Send a drawing, a 3D model, or the sample part you need reproduced. You will get a quote, a lead time, and a recommendation on the right machine for the job.
