Photo courtesy of Park Industries

Stone fabricators rely heavily on machines to meet their customers’ needs. Selecting the right equipment is crucial for shops, whether they are just starting out or looking to upgrade from existing machines.

A hot discussion among stone fabricators is which machine is better…a CNC saw or a CNC sawjet? And the answer is…it depends. Both machines offer a ton of production capabilities, but what is right for you depends on your situation.

To help you make the best decision for your shop, we will explain the key differences and strengths of each machine type and compare CNC saws vs sawjets.

What is a CNC Saw?

The basics: a CNC saw allows fabricators to program a layout and let the saw cut it out automatically using computer numerical controls (CNC). Stone cutting CNC saws are a popular choice for countertop fabrication and can perform cuts cleanly, quickly and efficiently.

A CNC saw, especially a 5-axis one, utilizes its blade for straight cuts, miter cuts, straight line profiling and even some arc cuts. For sinks, faucet holes and radius parts, it uses tools and bits with its spindle.

With these milling capabilities and innovative features, CNC saws can perform nearly any cut and offer tight nesting. They are an excellent choice for your first CNC machine or when upgrading from a bridge saw, as they also offer manual cutting capabilities.

What is a CNC Sawjet?

You can think of a CNC sawjet as an upgraded version of a CNC saw. Both use a saw blade for straight and miter cuts, but instead of using a tool bit for sinks, tight nesting and radius cuts, a sawjet uses its precision waterjet. This is the key difference between sawjets and saws. The waterjet cuts faster, tighter and with more precision than a tool.

CNC sawjets, are typically considered the “crème de la crème” when evaluating cutting solutions. They offer the highest level of production, and with that, are a higher initial investment than a CNC saw.

With the waterjet’s ability to make any cut without worry of running into parts, CNC sawjets allow for faster finishing on CNC routers or significantly less hand fabrication. Sinks are the number one time saver on a sawjet. A sawjet can enable a shop to take on more jobs, including large commercial projects or complex custom projects, thanks to its waterjet capabilities.

To read about the comparisons and the investment of each, click here: www.stoneworld.com