Any material, any thickness, zero heat-affected zone.
We operate multiple OMAX abrasive waterjet systems with beds up to 5′×10′, cutting virtually any material up to 6 inches thick. The cold cutting process produces no heat-affected zone, no warping, no hardened edges, no molecular change to the material. Fast quote response from our Orange, CA facility. We ship nationwide for specialty work including carbon fiber, G-10, composites, foam, and exotic materials most shops won’t touch.
Our waterjet systems handle everything from single-piece prototypes to high-volume production runs. Multiple OMAX machines operate in parallel, which means we can take on rush work without disrupting scheduled jobs. The abrasive waterjet process forces water through a jewel orifice at 60,000 PSI, accelerating it to supersonic speed. The venturi effect pulls garnet abrasive into the stream, creating a focused cutting jet that erodes through material without heat. We can cut virtually anything, from soft foam to titanium and hardened tool steel. There is no tooling to change, no dies to swap, and no setup time between different materials on the same sheet.
Waterjet cuts by abrasion, not by melting or tearing, which means it handles virtually any solid material. That includes metals other processes struggle with (tool steel, titanium, hardened alloys), materials that can’t take heat (carbon fiber, G-10, composites, laminates), and fragile materials that a laser or saw would destroy (glass, foam, soft rubber). We cut stainless in thicknesses up to 6 inches and routinely handle stacked sheets of thinner material to get more parts per run. If you’re working with something exotic or you’ve been turned away from another shop, bring it to us first. The short list of things waterjet does not cut well is tempered glass (engineered to shatter on impact and not cuttable by any process), very thin films under 0.005″, and materials that absorb water permanently (some composites need to be sealed after cutting). Everything else is on the table.
Waterjet and laser cutting overlap on sheet metal work, but each process has a cleaner fit depending on material, thickness, and edge quality. The short version: if the material can’t take heat or needs to stay out of the heat-affected zone, waterjet. If the job is thin sheet metal in production quantities and edge quality needs to be weld-ready or paint-ready without secondary work, laser. Many of our customers use both. We run both processes in one shop, which lets us pick the right tool for each job and combine them on the same order.
Not sure which process fits your job? Send us the file and we’ll tell you honestly. If laser is the better call, we’ll quote laser. If both processes work and waterjet gives the cleaner result, we’ll say so. One shop, one recommendation.
Think of how a river carves through solid rock. Water carries sand and sediment across stone for thousands of years, and over time it wears a canyon into the hardest material on earth. An abrasive waterjet does the same thing, compressed into seconds instead of millennia.
A pump pressurizes ordinary water to 60,000 PSI. For context, your car tire holds about 35 PSI. A pressure washer runs around 3,000 PSI. A waterjet operates at twenty times that. The pressurized water is forced through a tiny jewel orifice, usually diamond or sapphire, with an opening between .010 and .015 inches in diameter. That restriction accelerates the water to roughly Mach 2.5, over 2,000 miles per hour.
As this supersonic water stream enters the mixing chamber below the orifice, the venturi effect takes over. The high velocity water creates a vacuum that pulls granular abrasive (garnet, an industrial mineral graded at 80 mesh) into the stream through a side port. No mechanical feeding is needed. The physics of the jet itself draws the abrasive in. The water and garnet mixture then travels through a ceramic mixing tube, typically .030 to .040 inches in diameter and about 4 inches long. By the time the stream exits the mixing tube, it is a coherent, focused jet of abrasive particles moving at supersonic speed.
When this jet contacts the workpiece, it erodes a narrow kerf (cut line) through the material, the same way that river erodes rock, just accelerated by a factor of billions. Because the process is erosive rather than thermal, the material never gets hot. There is no heat-affected zone, no recast layer, no hardening, no warping, and no molecular change to the material. The workpiece temperature stays below 100 degrees Fahrenheit during cutting. Parts come off the table with clean edges ready for most applications without secondary processing.
Our machines run on OMAX direct-drive pump technology. Unlike older hydraulic intensifier systems, a direct-drive crankshaft pump delivers 85% of its electric power directly to the cutting nozzle (intensifier pumps typically deliver 60% or less). That means more cutting power per horsepower, lower energy consumption, quieter operation, and simpler maintenance with no hydraulic oil to manage.
Every job moves through the same four stages, from the file review on the front end to inspection and handoff at the end.
You send us a CAD file (DXF, AI, DWG, STEP) or a sketch, drawing, or physical sample. We review material, thickness, quantity, and tolerance requirements and identify any file prep work needed before cutting.
We nest your parts into the optimal material layout to minimize waste and program the cutting path with appropriate lead-ins, lead-outs, and tab strategy for part retention during cutting.
The job runs on one of our OMAX systems. Setup is minimal. No tooling changes, no die swaps. Multiple jobs can run in parallel across our machines.
Parts are inspected against the original drawing and either staged for pickup at our Orange, CA facility or packed and shipped to your destination.
Our waterjet work spans aerospace structural components, automotive prototype parts, medical device housings, defense and tactical equipment, architectural elements, tile and stone fabrication, film and entertainment props, energy sector parts, and industrial production runs. The same machine that cuts a titanium bracket for an aerospace customer in the morning cuts a marble tile inlay for a designer in the afternoon. Range is the point. If you can draw it or hand us a sample, we can cut it.
Structural brackets, panels, shims, and fittings in aluminum, titanium, and specialty alloys. Tight tolerances on critical parts.
Prototype body panels, custom brackets, and aftermarket fabrication. Cut-to-bend workflows for custom exhaust and chassis components.
Precision components in medical-grade stainless, titanium, and engineered plastics. Clean edges without heat-affected zones critical for implantable parts.
Armor plate cutting, tactical equipment components, and ITAR-compliant production work.
Ornamental metal, decorative panels, custom railings, and sign fabrication. Complex patterns cut cleanly in one pass.
Custom medallions, inlays, and precision tile cuts in ceramic, porcelain, marble, granite, and natural stone through our JP Dynasty division.
Prop fabrication, set pieces, and production components for major studios. Precision work that holds up on screen.
OEM parts, sheet metal components, gaskets, and custom fabrication for manufacturers across industries.
The more complete the submission, the faster we can quote and cut. Ideal submissions include a vector file (DXF, AI, DWG, or STEP), the material specification, thickness, quantity, and any tolerance or finish requirements. Don’t have a CAD file? Send a dimensioned sketch, a photo of an existing part, or describe what you need. We convert most formats in-house and can work from just about anything that communicates the geometry.
We respond to most quote requests quickly. Complex multi-process jobs may take longer to scope accurately. We do not quote blindly. If we need clarification on material, tolerance, or geometry, we pick up the phone before guessing. Standard lead times run 3–7 business days depending on complexity and queue. Rush work is available regularly; call 714-278-9874 and tell us your deadline. We’ll tell you honestly whether we can hit it. Pickup is available from our Orange, CA shop (1410 N Manzanita St) during business hours (Mon–Fri 7:30 AM – 4:00 PM). We ship nationwide via standard freight, palletized or crated as needed.
A small cross-section of recent waterjet work. We cut a lot more than we can show here. Browse the full gallery for more examples across all our fabrication capabilities.
Send your file, tell us what you need, and we’ll get back to you fast.