Waterjet systems offer stonemasons numerous possibilities. Depending on the size of the company and capacity utilization, they can be offered as a service with the company’s own system in the neighbourhood or purchased from contract cutting companies. There is a considerable phalanx of providers for those interested in a waterjet system. These can be roughly divided into three categories: Series suppliers, specialists and complementary suppliers. The latter manufacture […]

Waterjet systems offer stonemasons numerous possibilities. Depending on the size of the company and capacity utilization, they can be offered as a service with the company’s own system in the neighbourhood or purchased from contract cutting companies.

There is a considerable phalanx of providers for those interested in a waterjet system. These can be roughly divided into three categories: Series suppliers, specialists and complementary suppliers. The latter do not manufacture their own systems, but buy them or at least the technological expertise from other manufacturers so that they can also offer waterjet technology in their own machine portfolio.

In sectors such as stone processing (to which up to 30 percent of systems are sold, depending on the manufacturer), where the first machine purchased is never a waterjet system but usually a bridge saw, complementary suppliers have an easier time than in certain metalworking companies, for example, where waterjet technology is indispensable. The number of complementary suppliers in stone processing is correspondingly high.

Up-and-coming stonemasons generally only start to think about investing in a waterjet system when they already have at least one saw, an edging machine, a CNC processing center and various other smaller machines. Complementary suppliers then try to score points with the advantages of shared machine control systems, a single repair and service provider or, if necessary, process automation.

Industry-renowned manufacturers such as CMS Brembana or Thibaut (with Tecnocut or LDSA) also include the name of their OEM manufacturer on the waterjet cutting systems, thereby referring to the manufacturer’s expertise.
Specialists, i.e. special machine manufacturers such as Ridder and Perndorfer, generally specialize in certain industries for which they build special machines to meet specific requirements – very individual and good, but not exactly inexpensive. Finally, series suppliers manufacture the complete systems – from the pump and the pressure feed system to the machine table and the jet collection water basin to the cutting head (with dosing head, water jet valve, abrasive head and cutting nozzle) – and usually also supply their own control software. These manufacturers are generally not among the cheapest suppliers either, but they are among the technology leaders.

Case 1: Inlay work with precision water jet

One company that uses an Omax bridge system for waterjet work – in addition to various CNC-controlled machining centers and conventional machines – is MSW Fertigungstechnik in Weißenthurm near Koblenz.

Marco Sascha Woitschek, whose initials make up the company name, and his team cover a wide range of manufacturing processes, with a focus on working with natural stone and ceramics. With the help of abrasive water jet cutting technology and knowledge of the physical characteristics of the individual materials, MSW creates logos, coats of arms or lettering as inlays from various materials, such as ceramic, natural stone, glass, plastic and metal, for floors and walls as well as combinations of materials, sometimes supplemented by galvanic coatings such as gold plating.
In addition, MSW produces prototypes and small series from the various materials – whereby the efficient water jet system with the precision cutting head is enormously helpful in being able to offer particularly individual services. And finally, MSW naturally also offers its customers contract cutting.

One company that regularly makes use of these MSW services is P2 Surface GmbH, which specializes in kitchen worktops and is a subtenant of Woitschek in its hall complex, a former pumice factory. While the kitchen fitters process granite, quartz composite and ceramics from Neolith on the bridge saw, they prefer to send their Dekton slabs next door for water jet cutting, where they also have cut-outs for sinks and hobs produced.

Stächelin GmbH has been working with natural stone for almost half a century. Founded in 1964 as a concrete factory, today’s specialist for high-quality and exclusive natural stone work, the company’s recipe for success is its focus on the highest quality materials, production and design. The family business therefore relies, among other things, on a waterjet cutting system – namely that of the Austrian manufacturer STEIN Stein-Moser.

The portfolio of the family-run company, which is based in the border triangle near Basel in the district of Lörrach, ranges from bathrooms and kitchen worktops to garden and outdoor facilities and prestigious lobbies and reception areas, which Stächelin produces for a large number of customers in Germany, Switzerland and France. All materials such as natural stone, ceramic, Dekton and quartz composite are processed and installed.

“A well-positioned natural stone company, which today of course also deals with ceramics and other new materials, is no longer competitive without a waterjet cutting system with a swivel head,” explains Uwe Stächelin, who is the second generation managing partner of the company together with his sister Yvette Rathberger-Stächelin. Stächelin explains that waterjet cutting technology is particularly advantageous when it comes to cutting the currently extremely popular large ceramic tiles. According to the master sculptor and stonemason, the company has been working with a waterjet cutting system for 15 years now and has a corresponding amount of experience with waterjet cutting.

Advantages of STM waterjet systems

After a thorough market survey, the Austrian waterjet cutting specialist STM was chosen on the basis of its expert advice. Stächelin believes that personal contact with experts is the basis for successful cooperation, which STM marketing manager Benjamin Weißhaupt confirms from the machine supplier’s perspective. STM is the ideal partner for small and medium-sized companies thanks to its expert contacts, sophisticated machinery and manageable company size.

But Stächelin GmbH also opted for the PremiumCut waterjet cutting system because of the short distances, the compactness of its machines and the design of the STM3D68 cutting head, which can be swiveled through 68 degrees and is regularly in use at Stächelin for ten hours a day, according to its managing director. And finally, the simple and intuitive operation of the SmartCut software is also an advantage, adds Stächelin.

By providing ongoing advice, training and a comprehensive spare parts and maintenance service, STM ensures that its customers’ production processes remain as profitable as possible in the long term. In fact, STM supports its customers from technical consulting, business planning, sample calculation, project planning of complete systems, test procedures, forwarding, sales training and the procurement of contract orders.