Applications · Glass
Glass waterjet cutting: holes, slots and shapes
Cut profiles, holes and slots in a single setup before tempering. Send a sample of multilayer laminated or bullet-resistant glass for a free test cut so you can check the edges and interlayers. Tempered glass cannot be cut.
Send a sample for a free test cut →
Materials and products
Glass types
- Ordinary flat glass
- laminated glass
- bullet-resistant glass with multiple laminated layers
- mirrors
- colored glass
- art glass
Typical products
- Holes and notches in shower and bathroom glass
- glass for furniture and countertops
- shaped architectural glass panels and mounting holes
- mirrors
- glass inlays
- bullet-resistant glass
Why use waterjet to cut glass?
- One machine cuts profiles, holes and notches, without transferring the work to a separate drilling machine.
- Cut any curve and inside corner, beyond the straight lines and simple curves possible with score-and-break cutting.
- Cut through laminated glass and its interlayer in one pass.
- Cold cutting creates no thermal stress at the cut edge.
- A narrow kerf lets you nest parts closely and reduce offcuts.
How to cut glass well
- Cut before tempering
- Glass that has already been tempered cannot be cut. All profiles and holes must be cut before tempering.
- Piercing
- Piercing is the stage most likely to cause cracking. Use low-pressure piercing, then increase to cutting pressure after breaking through; VICHOR standard pumps include high/low-pressure switching. Start from the sheet edge whenever possible.
- Lead-in
- Place the piercing point in the waste area and use a longer lead-in. Any chipping at the start point then stays away from the finished edge.
- Support
- Support beneath the sheet must be level. Uneven or widely spaced slats can cause thin glass to crack; a common approach is to place a support board over the slats.
- Surface protection
- Abrasive splashback can scuff the glass surface. Underwater cutting reduces scuffing; leave the factory-applied protective film in place until cutting is finished.
- Height sensing
- Cutting glass generally does not require height sensing. Glass is transparent and reflective, making it unsuitable for laser height sensing.
- Abrasive
- Finer garnet, 120 mesh, produces a finer cut edge.
Recommended configuration
| Item | Common choice for glass |
|---|---|
| Cutting table | For routine glass work, choose a G-Series cutting table. If you need to load and unload large sheets directly by forklift, choose a T-Series tilting table. |
| Cutting head | 3-axis cutting head. Glass cutting rarely needs 5-axis cutting. |
| Pump | WCM-P60IV |
Customer cases
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Can glass be cut after tempering?
No. Cut the profiles and holes first, then temper the glass.
Can it cut laminated and bullet-resistant glass?
Yes. Cut through all glass layers and the interlayer in one pass, using low pressure for piercing. APG uses VICHOR to cut thick stacked glass. read the APG case.
Is edge grinding needed afterward?
A waterjet-cut edge has a fine, sand-textured finish. Whether exposed or installation edges need further edge grinding depends on their use; a test cut lets you inspect the actual edge.
Do I need 5-axis cutting?
Glass cutting rarely needs it.
What is the accuracy?
±0.1 mm.
How thick can it cut?
It depends on the glass type and number of layers. Send a sample for a test cut to confirm.
Free test cutting in 3 steps
- Send your material to VICHOR with a drawing, thickness and sheet dimensions.
- The factory carries out the test cut free of charge.
- We send back cutting videos, photos and processing parameters, followed by a complete machine proposal and quotation.
Quote
Tell us your material, sheet size and thickness — we will spec the machine.
Send drawings for a free quote. Share your drawings by WhatsApp or email, along with the material, thickness, sheet size and expected production volume. We reply within one business day.
New Year offer: Buy a complete machine by December 31, 2026, and get free consumable parts for 1 year (2,000 UHP hours).
2-year machine warranty: 24 months or 4,000 hours, excluding UHP consumables. Specified US intensifier core components on the WCM-P60IV, WCM-P60IVB, WCM-S60IV and WCM-P90III carry a 5-year warranty.
After-sales support. We respond within 12 hours and give an initial diagnosis within 24 hours. Common spare parts ship within 48 hours on working days, with lifetime remote support.
An engineer can install and commission the machine and train your operators in a single visit, priced as a separate line in the quote. Remote installation and commissioning guidance is also available.
Factory visits are welcome by appointment. Our machines are CE certified.
