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2D, 2.5D and 3D cutting compared

2D, 2.5D or 3D cutting: what the difference is, what each method can do and when to choose which.

9 January 2023 · 2 min read

Water jet cutting is a process by which materials are cut with a water jet under high pressure. For very hard materials, an abrasive (abrasive material) is added to the water jet to increase the cutting power. Almost any material can be cut with water jet cutting machines.

The combination of an accurate water jet cutter with smart software from our water jet cutter ensures higher cutting quality. This cutting head is available for 2D, 2.5D or 3D cutting.

What are the differences between these three ways of water jet cutting? You can best explain this by looking at the cutting result.

2D cutting

2D cutting is simply the cutting of contours from a material. With 2D cutting, the cutting head from which the water jet comes does not change in position with respect to the material to be cut. The cutting head always remains perpendicular to the cutting bed. With Resato machines, the cutting bed is horizontal and the cutting head is vertical. The 2D cutting head therefore moves forward, backward or sideways and always remains at the same distance from the object to be cut.

2.5D Cutting

The 2.5 D cutting head is designed to cut sloping parts from material. The cutting bed remains horizontal, but the cutting head can tilt up to 55 ° in all directions. This makes it possible to cut sloping sides.

This is used, among other things, when preparing weld seams, so-called V seams, such as, for example, in counter tops that must be glued together. Or in the case of design issues.

3D cutting

Here too, the cutting bed remains horizontal, but the cutting head can also tilt up or down by 55 °. The cutting head thus follows the shape of the cutting material. It is therefore possible, for example, to cut bulges. 3D water jet cutting is a fairly young technique and is currently being used very successfully in finishing castings to cut away membranes. But there are many more applications.

2D, 2.5D, & 3D Cutting Options

Resato has various options for all cutting applications to make the cutting machine fully suitable for your material and needs. Our consultants can certainly be of service with their expertise. So don’t hesitate to contact us.

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