【Waterjet Cutter】WAZER: Multi-functional in one machine! WAZER waterjet cutter unboxing and hands-on review!
When innovative technology meets creativity, the possibilities are endless. The WAZER waterjet cutter is precisely such a fascinating tool, conquering the hearts of small and medium-sized businesses, schools, and artists worldwide with its compact size and affordable price. Let's uncover the magical charm of this waterjet cutter and see how it's changing the rules of the game for processing equipment.
The WAZER desktop waterjet cutter, hailing from New York, was founded in 2015 by four engineering students from the University of Pennsylvania. Together, they made this processing equipment more accessible in both size and price. What exactly is the magical appeal of this WAZER waterjet cutter's functions?
WAZER is a waterjet cutter designed for engineers, operating at 4,000 psi to easily cut various materials. WAZER is easier to operate, disassemble, and maintain compared to traditional cutting machines. Since its release in 2018, it has continuously expanded, providing reasonably sized and priced waterjet cutters to customers worldwide.
Key Features and Technical Specifications
Traditional waterjet cutters often cost millions of Taiwan dollars, while the WAZER can be owned for less than four hundred thousand. As the first entry-level waterjet cutter, the WAZER offers excellent value, with no other waterjet machine on the market able to reach this price point. WAZER's main customers are typically small and medium-sized enterprises that prioritize production speed, cutting quality, and accuracy, but it is also suitable for schools and artists.
Waterjet cutters can be applied to various materials, including metals, glass, plastics, composites, tiles, rubber, and foam. The WAZER has a cutting area of 305 x 460 mm, which is impressive for its small size and low price. This moderate cutting range is definitely sufficient to meet user needs. In addition, customer support is provided by in-house experts, and the entire machine can be disassembled and repaired using the extensive resources available on the WAZER official website.
Unboxing and Package Contents
The WAZER is shipped in a well-protected package, enclosed in a crate on a pallet. Each WAZER machine is hand-assembled at the factory in New York and undergoes 120 quality checks. Every part is wrapped in foam to ensure it arrives safely to the customer. 
Included are: two abrasive buckets, a water filter, an accessories box, four replacement cutting beds, a pump box, two water sensors, a stand, and the WAZER cutting tool itself. The optional stand adds storage space and mobility.
Additionally, there is an installation kit and accessories containing the tools and parts needed to install and use the WAZER. It's also recommended to purchase extra gaskets, nozzles, and other parts that may wear out with use. The user manual is, as always, recommended reading and can resolve most issues encountered. Although the WAZER is mostly pre-assembled, the pump needs to be manually connected to the main water supply system. Most users can complete this step by following the included manual and online instructions.
Hardware and Structure
For safety reasons, the waterjet machine cannot operate with its lid open. During operation, the waterjet sprays onto the material, and the abrasive material cuts the object. The casing design ensures that water spray and abrasive material do not spill.
The main body of the WAZER is made of steel, aluminum, and plastic. The aluminum frame is sturdy and durable, with designated cutouts for easier operation. This machine uses a single waterjet to cut materials, where water and abrasive mix in a mixing tube with an inner diameter of 1.1mm. The nozzle is adjustable, allowing for proper distance to the part along the Z-axis. The nozzle diameter is 0.48mm and is made of ruby or sapphire.
The independent water pump box, located at the rear of the waterjet machine, controls the WAZER's water pressure. The pump box measures 533 x 379 x 251 mm and weighs 42 kg, and can be placed anywhere convenient for the user; due to its weight, it is not recommended to place it on fragile chairs. The stand, made of sturdy aluminum alloy, is very easy to assemble and position the machine, creating additional storage space and a good working area within a single footprint.
The included cutting mat, made of polypropylene sheets, is a consumable item that can last 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 operating interface is a small LCD screen on the right side of the device, controlled by directional buttons. The screen includes start/stop buttons for convenient use during the cutting process, and also features an emergency button to immediately stop cutting in case of danger.
Before starting a cut, the WAZER also offers options to fine-tune the cutting head or perform a dry run to ensure all parts are within the material boundaries. This feature is very useful for restarting a cut mid-way if it fails. Once the cutting file is confirmed, the WAZER automatically returns to its home position, ensuring it can resume the correct position after an emergency stop or power off.
The WAZER team places a high priority on customer service. Customers can access abundant resources and links through the WAZER official website to learn about potential issues or malfunctions with the machine. Additionally, they offer various support options including email, phone, and video calls.
In addition to hardware and customer service, WAZER also provides 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. Files can be imported and exported, scaled and positioned, materials selected, cutting paths determined, or options manually or automatically added in WAM.
While WAM's general user interface is user-friendly, dragging or repositioning is not possible during the scaling and positioning process; users must manually enter positioning and scale in the menu. Although somewhat inconvenient, this does increase accuracy.
Real-world Test Challenges
Now that we've introduced the features and applications of the WAZER cutting machine, let's look directly at the real-world test results, starting with an HDPE 3D printed industrial spray paint template. Laser cutters often melt acrylic at the contact points, leaving unsightly cuts, whereas a waterjet machine can cut smoothly without leaving any marks.
To challenge the WAZER's ability to cut precision copper alloy, a copper sheet was also tested. The cut surface was quite clean, without any jagged edges or burrs.
What about making gears from 3mm thick aluminum? It can cut fine and intricate structures smoothly.
Additionally, a stained glass window was tested, using the WAZER for cutting both the aluminum frame and the stained glass panels to see if they would fit. The finished glass product showed excellent results, with no cutting failures and no problems during processing.
The protrusions on the aluminum parts did not hold well to the parts, and cutting was paused three times to remove loose parts and reduce the risk of collision with the cutting head; although this test was successful, it also showed some room for improvement.
Finally, an 8mm thick ceramic was challenged to create a "Live, Laugh, WAZER" sign. Compared to methods like laser cutting or hand engraving, this cutting method was perfect, producing excellent results in a very short amount of time.
Next, a carbon fiber sheet was tested to make an RC car chassis plate. While the cut was acceptable, there were some delamination issues on the top of the workpiece. This was due to water getting between the two layers of carbon and resin. The official WAZER team confirmed that this is a potential problem when using laminated materials, caused by the jet's stress during the piercing process. This issue could also be due to insufficient lamination by the material supplier during multiple operations, leading to weaker bonding between layers. Nevertheless, it can be confirmed that the WAZER can handle carbon fiber materials.
Furthermore, cutting stainless steel is a common requirement, but laser cutting mirrored stainless steel is difficult. So, the next test involved cutting a stainless steel gear, a mathematical shape that follows the Fibonacci spiral.
To test the WAZER's ability to cut thick metal, 12mm and 6mm stainless steel were also cut. During the process, the abrasive ran out and needed to be refilled. In this test, the WAZER paused after one hour of cutting, indicating the need to replenish abrasive, but there was no guarantee that the second cut after restarting would not leave marks.
The test team was impressed with the WAZER's cutting performance, which achieved capabilities typically found in large industrial cutting machines. Compared to million-dollar machines, the WAZER's precision is slightly inferior, but its cost-effectiveness and versatility still make it a top choice. Furthermore, the WAZER's seamless software and hardware integration is also a major advantage in its operation.
Regarding accuracy, in repeatability tests, all measured values were slightly higher than the reference values; the Y-axis averaged 0.37 mm higher, while the X-axis averaged 0.14 mm higher. The X-axis demonstrated better accuracy than the Y-axis, with an overall standard deviation of 0.085 mm for both axes, which is less than 0.1 mm, an acceptable result for most applications.
Overall, the WAZER is an easy-to-use and easy-to-operate waterjet cutter. Feel free to contact us for more details; it's suitable to help you meet more needs with a more reasonable budget.
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