The kindest cut

If you doubt water's ability to cut hard materials, just think of the Grand Canyon. Granted, it was on a longer turnaround than the average cutting job, but by using a thin high-pressure jet initially of water alone, but then including abrasive powder the process can be made to work rather faster. Cutting machines of this type are now widely used. An inevitable consequence of employing water is of course that it has to go somewhere, so a waterjet can usually be recognised by the large tank that absorbs the leftover power of the jet once it has cut through the workpiece. The latter is mounted upon an array of vertical slats sitting in the tank. Alternative cutting technologies, which let you cut metal and other materials non-mechanically using lasers or water, are becoming increasingly powerful and accurate.