When innovative technology combines with creativity, the possibilities for surprises are limitless. The WAZER waterjet cutter is precisely such a fascinating tool, captivating small and medium-sized enterprises, schools, and artists worldwide with its compact size and affordable price. Let's uncover the magic of this waterjet cutter and see how it's changing the game in processing equipment.
The WAZER desktop waterjet cutter, from New York, was founded in 2015 by four students from the University of Pennsylvania's College of Engineering. Together, they made this processing equipment more affordable in terms of size and price. What is the magic of the WAZER waterjet cutter ?
WAZER is a waterjet cutter designed for engineers, capable of operating at 4,000 psi and easily cutting a variety of materials. Compared to traditional cutters, WAZER is easier to operate, disassemble, and maintain. Since its launch in 2018, it has continuously expanded, offering waterjet cutters of reasonable size and price to customers worldwide.
Key features and technical specifications
The WAZER desktop model measures only 856 x 648 x 551 mm, and with the floor stand, it measures 856 x 548 x 1220 mm. Considering its cutting capabilities, it is remarkably compact and convenient for use in industrial environments or studios.
Traditional waterjet cutting machines often cost millions of NT dollars, while the WAZER can be had for less than 400,000 NT dollars. As the first entry-level waterjet cutting machine, the WAZER is very affordable, with no other waterjet machine on the market offering this price. WAZER 's main customers are usually small and medium-sized enterprises that prioritize production speed, improved cutting quality, and accuracy. It is also suitable for schools and artists.
Waterjet cutters can handle a wide range of materials, including metals, glass, plastics, composites, ceramics, rubber, and foam. WAZER 's 305 x 460 mm cutting area boasts an impressively small size and low price, offering a suitable cutting range that will definitely meet most users' needs. Furthermore, customer support is provided by in-house experts, and the entire machine can be disassembled for repairs using the extensive resources available on the WAZER website.
WAZER 's shipping packaging is very secure, with each machine packed in a box on a pallet. Each WAZER machine is hand-assembled at the New York factory and undergoes 120 quality checks. Every part is wrapped in foam to ensure it is safely delivered to the customer.
It includes: two barrels of abrasive, a water filter, an accessory box, four replacement cutting beds, a pump box, two water sensors, a shelf, and the WAZER cutting tools themselves; the optional stand can increase storage space and facilitate easy movement.
In addition, an installation kit and accessories are included, containing the tools and parts needed to install and use the WAZER . It is also recommended to purchase additional washers, faucets, and other parts that may be consumed after using the WAZER. The user manual is, as always, highly recommended reading, as it can resolve most problems encountered. Although the WAZER is mostly pre-assembled, the water pump needs to be manually connected to the main water supply system; most users can complete this step by following the accompanying manual and online instructions.
Hardware and Structure
Structurally, this cutting machine uses three stepper motors to operate: two located on either side of the X-axis frame that controls the Y-axis movement, and one located inside the waterjet module that controls the X-axis movement.
For safety reasons, waterjet cutters cannot be operated with the cover open. During operation, the water jet is sprayed onto the material, causing the abrasive material to cut the object. The outer casing design ensures that the water and abrasive do not spill out.
The WAZER 's main body is made of steel, aluminum, and plastic. The aluminum frame is sturdy and durable, with designated notches for easier operation. This machine uses a single water jet to cut materials. Water and abrasive are mixed in a mixing tube with an inner diameter of 1.1mm. The nozzle is adjustable, allowing adjustment on the Z-axis to the appropriate distance to the part; the nozzle diameter is 0.48mm and is made of ruby or sapphire.
A separate water pump tank, located behind the waterjet cutter, controls the water pressure of the wafer . Measuring 533 x 379 x 251 mm and weighing 42 kg, the tank can be placed anywhere suitable for the user; however, due to its weight, it is not recommended to place it on a fragile chair. The stand, made of sturdy aluminum alloy, is very easy to assemble and place the machine, creating additional workspace within a single area and forming a good working range.
The included cutting mat is made of polypropylene and is a consumable item. It can be used for approximately 20-50 hours, depending on the cutting patterns and materials you frequently use. Once one side is used up, it can be flipped over for continued use.
The user interface is a small LCD screen on the right side of the device, controlled by directional buttons. The screen includes start/stop buttons for easy use during cutting, and also an emergency stop button to immediately stop cutting in case of danger.
Before starting the cut, WAZER offers the option to fine-tune the cutter head or perform a test run to ensure all parts are within the material boundaries; this feature is very useful as it allows for restarting the cut midway if it fails. Once the cutting file is confirmed, WAZER automatically returns to its original position, ensuring it can return to the correct location after an emergency stop or shutdown.
The WAZER team places great emphasis on customer service. Customers can access a wealth of resources and links on the WAZER official website to learn about potential machine problems or malfunctions. In addition, they offer various support methods including email, telephone, and video calls.
In addition to hardware and customer service, WAZER also offers cloud-based cutting software, WAM, which is recommended to operate with a stable Wi-Fi connection. When accessing WAM, both companies and users can easily manage the system. Users can import and export files, zoom and position, select materials, determine cutting paths, or manually or automatically add options within WAM.
While WAM's general user interface is user-friendly, it does not allow dragging or repositioning during scaling and repositioning; users must manually enter the positioning and scale in the menu, which is somewhat inconvenient but increases accuracy.
Having introduced the functions and applications of the WAZER cutting machine, let's look at some real-world tests for the clearest understanding. The first example is HDPE 3D printing industrial spray-painted sheet. Laser cutting machines often melt acrylic at the contact point, creating unsightly cut marks, while waterjet cutting machines can cut smoothly without leaving any marks. 
To test WAZER's ability to cut precise and neat copper alloys, we also tested cutting copper sheets. The cut surfaces were quite beautiful, without any jagged edges or burrs. 
What about making gears from 3mm thick aluminum? It's certain that they can be easily cut into small and complex structures. 
Additionally, stained glass windows were tested. A wafer was used to cut the aluminum frame and stained glass panels to see if they would fit together. The finished glass produced excellent results; there were no cutting failures, and no problems arose during the processing. 
The protruding parts on the aluminum parts could not be properly secured to the parts, and the cutting was paused three times to remove the loose parts and reduce the risk of collision with the cutting head; although the test was successful, it also showed some room for improvement.
Finally, they challenged themselves to create a "Live, Laugh, WAZER " logo from 8mm thick ceramic. This cutting method was perfect compared to methods such as laser cutting or hand carving, and it could produce very good results in a very short time. 
Next, carbon fiber sheets were tested to make an RC car chassis panel; while the cutting was acceptable, there were some delamination issues at the top of the workpiece. This was because water got between the two carbon sheets and the resin. WAZER has confirmed that this is a potential problem when using laminated materials, caused by stress from the jetting process during perforation. This issue could also be due to insufficient lamination by the material supplier during multiple operations, resulting in weaker bonding between layers, but it is still certain that WAZER can handle carbon fiber materials. 
Furthermore, cutting stainless steel is a common requirement, but laser-cutting mirror-finish stainless steel is very difficult. So, the next step was to test the cutting of stainless steel gears, a mathematical shape that follows the Fibonacci spiral. 
To test the WAZER 's ability to cut thick metal, it was also used to cut 12mm and 6mm stainless steel. During the process, the abrasive ran out and needed to be reloaded. In this test, the WAZER paused after one hour of cutting, indicating that the abrasive needed to be refilled, but there was no guarantee that the second cut after restarting would not leave any marks. 
The testing team was impressed with WAZER's cutting performance, achieving capabilities typically found only in large industrial cutting machines. While WAZER's precision is slightly lower than million-dollar models, its cost-effectiveness and versatility make it a top choice. Furthermore, WAZER 's hardware and software integration is remarkably seamless, a significant advantage in terms of ease of operation.
Regarding accuracy, in repeatability tests, all measurements were slightly higher than the reference values; the Y-axis was on average 0.37 mm higher, while the X-axis was on average 0.14 mm higher. The X-axis was more accurate than the Y-axis, with an overall standard deviation of 0.085 mm for both axes, less than 0.1 mm, which is a minor improvement in most applications. 
Overall, WAZER is an easy-to-use and easy-to-operate waterjet cutting machine. Contact us for more details; it's suitable to help you meet more needs with a more reasonable budget.
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