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Water Jet Cutting Technology Applications Samples in Shipbuilding Industry

By Alvin Chen on August 6, 2025 / Project Case

Waterjet Cutting Technology Revolutionizes Shipbuilding‌

In heavy shipbuilding, cutting technology critically impacts hull structural accuracy, production efficiency, and cost control. Traditional thermal cutting methods, plagued by large heat-affected zones and severe material deformation, increasingly fail to meet modern high standards. Waterjet cutting, with its cold-cutting process, environmental safety, and precision, is now a mainstream solution in shipyards globally

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Case 1: Steel Plate Cutting for Large Naval Vessels‌

A defense shipyard building a 10,000-ton military supply ship required extreme precision in cutting high-strength ship plates (120mm thick). Custom 350MPa waterjet systems delivered:

Smooth cuts with burr-free edges;
Zero thermal distortion, eliminating rework;
Precision within ±0.1mm, boosting assembly efficiency

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Case 2: Luxury Cruise Ship Interior Module Cutting‌

For stainless steel, aluminum, and fiberglass composites in cruise ship interiors, traditional methods caused edge discoloration and thermal warping. A 5-axis waterjet system resolved this by:

Maintaining consistency across diverse materials;
Accurately cutting complex contours for bespoke designs;
Eliminating secondary grinding, reducing labor by 30%

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Case 3: Ship Dismantling and Retrofit‌

In decomposing rusted structures, traditional methods posed spark risks and low efficiency. Remote-operated waterjets enabled:

Operator safety in confined/hazardous spaces;
Clean cuts for efficient scrap sorting/reprocessing;
Eco-friendly dismantling with no pollutants

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Case 4: Hull Penetration & Pipeline Interface Retrofitting‌

For retrofitting pipes onto existing hulls, portable waterjets achieved:

Cut accuracy <0.2mm error; Zero damage to adjacent coatings/structures; 30% shorter project cycles ‌

‌Case 5: FRP Component Processing‌

Cutting fiber-reinforced plastics (up to 30mm thick) without delamination or scorching was achieved via waterjets, resulting in:

Fuzz-free edges, no toxic dust;
Minimal material loss (<1mm kerf); Noise-free operation, improving worksite safety ‌Conclusion‌
From hull construction to precision interiors, dismantling to retrofits, waterjet technology drives sustainable transformation in shipbuilding through its material versatility, zero thermal impact, and precision. Continued innovation will further integrate this technology into smarter, greener maritime manufacturing

Key Technical Validation of Waterjet cutting machine:‌

‌Precision‌: Robotic systems ensure ±0.1mm repeatability

‌Material Integrity‌: Cold cutting preserves metallurgical properties

‌Eco-Advantage‌: No heat/toxins; wastewater is filterable/recyclable

‌Versatility‌: Cuts metals, composites, glass, and ceramics at thicknesses ≤250mm

New Tech Laser Cutting Applicated in Glass Precessing Industry

By Alvin Chen on August 2, 2025 / How & What`s, You May Like

Laser cutting is a promising new technology for glass production.‌ Its key advantages — high precision, speed, quality, and efficiency — make it ideal for this industry.

‌How Laser Cutting Works on Glass:‌
A high-power laser beam focuses intensely on the glass surface. This concentrated energy heats a tiny spot extremely quickly, melting or vaporizing the material. Assist gas (like air) then cools the area or blows away molten material, separating the glass.

‌Specifically with CO2 lasers:‌
When the CO2 laser hits the glass, over 90% of its energy is absorbed, causing rapid, intense heating. The key to cutting happens when the laser stops: The sudden cooling by air or gas creates strong internal stresses (thermal stress) within the heated zone. This stress causes tiny cracks to form and spread through the glass thickness, cleanly breaking it. CO2 laser cutting is a reliable, non-contact method that’s cost-effective and well-suited for glass.

‌Types of CO2 Laser Cutting for Glass:‌

‌Unfocused Beam Cutting:‌
A moderate-speed, unfocused CO2 beam heats the glass surface. Thermal stress (combining compression and tension) causes the glass to separate. Pros: Smooth cut edges with few burrs. Cons: Cut line isn’t perfectly straight; crack direction is random and uncontrolled.

‌Single-Beam Focused Cutting:‌
A single, focused CO2 beam moves across the glass. Cooling creates thermal stress, breaking the glass along a pre-defined path (score line). Pros: Controls the break direction. Cons: Cut edges have more cracks and burrs; requires higher laser power.

‌Dual-Beam Cutting:‌
Combines two steps: First, a low-power focused beam creates a precise score line. Second, an unfocused beam scans along this line. Cooling stress then causes the glass to break cleanly along the score. Pros: Controls break direction and produces high-quality edges. Cons: Cutting quality depends heavily on carefully controlling parameters like power for each beam, distance between beams, and scanning speed.

‌Areas Needing Further Research:‌

Determining the best settings (laser power, speed, spot size) through experiments and simulations.

Developing new laser cutting techniques, especially for: ultra-thick or ultra-thin glass, intricate small parts, and complex curved shapes.

Advancing the design and manufacturing of industrial-grade laser cutting machines for glass.

‌Key Changes Made and Why to Choose QOMOTECH Laser Cuting Machines:‌

‌Stronger Opening:‌ Starts directly with the main point (“promising new technology”) and clearly lists the key advantages upfront for impact.

‌Simplified Process Explanation:‌

Uses active voice (“heats,” “causes,” “blows away”).
Explains the critical event clearly: The sudden cooling ‌after‌ laser heating creates the stress that breaks the glass.
Clearly defines the role of assist gas.
Uses clearer terms like “internal stresses,” “cleanly breaking,” “breaking direction.”

‌Clearer Structure for Cutting Types:‌

Explicitly lists the three types upfront.
Uses numbered points for easy reference.
Clearly separates Pros and Cons for each type using italics.
Replaces ambiguous terms like “score” with the clearer “pre-defined path” or “score line.”
Explains why dual-beam is better (controls direction AND quality).

‌Concise Research Areas:‌
Uses bullet points for clarity and scannability.
Phrases actively (“Determining the best settings,” “Developing new techniques,” “Advancing the design”).
Clarifies the goals of the new techniques (cutting specific types/shapes).

‌General Improvements:‌

‌Shorter Sentences:‌ Breaks down long, complex sentences.

‌Stronger Verbs:‌ Replaces weaker phrases (“is concentrated into”) with active verbs (“focuses,” “heats”).

‌Reduced Jargon:‌ Uses simpler terms where possible (“tiny spot” instead of “tiny space,” “breaks” instead of “achieves separation”).

‌Terminology Consistency:‌ Uses “CO2 laser” consistently.

‌Improved Flow:‌ Uses transition words and logical connectors (“Specifically with,” “The key to cutting,” “Combines two steps,” “Pros/Cons”).

‌Western Style:‌ Adopts a more direct, concise, and logically structured approach preferred in Western technical communication.

This version retains all the essential technical information but presents it in a way that is significantly easier for a Western reader to understand and follow.

Glass Water Jet Cutting Machine Advantages and Things Need to Know

By Alvin Chen on September 14, 2024 / How & What`s

In today’s glass processing field, glass water jet cutting machines are gradually becoming the focus of the industry with their unique advantages. The waterjet glass cutting advanced technology brings completely new possibilities to glass manufacturing processing, especially when handling a variety of complex and high-precision cutting tasks. The glass waterjet cutting is seen more and more glass products manufactring factory and become popular worldwide.

1. Advantages of Glass Water Jet Cutting Machine

Waterjet cutting machines offer many significant advantages when cutting glass. First of all, cutting glass with water jet cutter does not produce a heat-affected zone, which means that the quality of the cutting edge is extremely high and there will be no glass breakage or deformation caused by high temperatures, thus ensuring the integrity and strength of the glass. For example, when producing high-precision optical glass devices, waterjet cutting can ensure that the optical properties of the glass are not damaged.

Second, waterjet cutting is extremely precise and repeatable. It can achieve precise cutting of complex shapes, whether it is curves, sharp angles or tiny details, it can be handled with ease. This is of great value for producing glass products with unique designs, such as art glass, decorative glass, etc.

In addition, glass waterjet cutting machines have a wide range of adaptability to glass materials and thicknesses. Whether it is a thin glass sheet or a thick glass plate, it can be easily handled.

2. Differences from Traditional Glass Cutting Machines

Compared with traditional glass cutting machines, water jet cutting glass machines show obvious differences in many aspects. Traditional glass cutting methods, such as mechanical cutting or laser cutting, often produce stress concentrations and thermal damage during the cutting process. Water jet cutting completely avoids these problems.

Mechanical cutting usually relies on the contact and friction between hard tools and glass, which can easily lead to scratches on the glass surface and chipped edges. Laser cutting, while capable of high precision, generates high temperatures that can cause thermal stress and discoloration of the glass.

The water jet cutting glass machine effectively protects the physical and chemical properties of the glass with its gentle and non-contact cutting method.

3. Advantages when Cutting Laminated Glass

In the processing of water jet cutting laminated glass, the advantages of water jet cutting glass machines are even more prominent. Laminated glass consists of two or more layers of glass with a polymer interlayer sandwiched between them. Traditional cutting methods may cause the interlayer to become loose or damaged.

The glass water jet cutting machine can accurately drill holes through the drilling device before cutting, effectively avoiding the loosening of the interlayer caused by pressure shock. This water jet cutting method of drilling first and then cutting with high pressure waterjet ensures the structural stability and safety of the laminated glass.

For example, in the production of automobile windshields, the use of water jet cutting glass machines can ensure that the laminated glass still maintains good performance after cutting, providing reliable safety protection for drivers.

4. Other special features

In addition to the advantages mentioned above, glass water jet cutting machines also have some other special advantages.

Glass waterjet cutting is an environmentally friendly processing method that does not produce harmful waste or exhaust gases. This feature is of great significance in today’s environmentally conscious production environment.

In addition, water jet glass cutting machines are relatively simple to operate and easy to program and control. Operators can easily design and adjust cutting paths through computer software, improving production efficiency and flexibility.

In short, the application of glass water jet cutting machines in the glass processing industry has brought higher quality, more possibilities and broader development space to the production of glass products. As technology continues to advance, I believe it will play an even more important role in the future.

Any interesting in our water jet glass cutting machines, please feel free to contact our engineers with below table: