Waterjet cutting electronics is becoming an increasingly important solution for processing complex, multi-material products. To demonstrate how effective this technology really is, we carried out an extreme yet educational experiment: cutting a smartphone with a high-pressure waterjet to reveal its internal structure and material layers.
Waterjet Cutting Electronics：What Materials Are Inside a Smartphone?
Modern smartphones are composed of multiple materials:
- Metal Frame: Aluminum alloy or stainless steel provides structural support and durability.
- Glass Screen: Front and back glass with protective layers like Gorilla Glass.
- Plastics and Composites: Used for internal supports and insulation.
- Circuit Boards and Copper Foil: Motherboard, chips, and wiring.
- Battery and Adhesives: Lithium polymer battery, glue, and composite tapes.
These materials vary in hardness, making them challenging for traditional cutting methods. A waterjet, however, can precisely handle such diverse material combinations in a single pass.
The Waterjet Smartphone Cutting Process
Before cutting, the smartphone is securely fixed to prevent movement under high-pressure water flow. To avoid small fragments falling into the water tank, a wooden board is placed underneath the phone, protecting the tank and allowing a clear view of the cut.
Next, in the waterjet control software (CAM), a cutting path is drawn. A reference point O is set to establish a virtual coordinate system, with O as the (0,0) origin. The waterjet head is moved to O, and the Z-axis is adjusted to phone height +3mm. This is critical: it prevents the nozzle from touching the phone while ensuring the waterjet achieves optimal cutting performance.
The cutting speed is then set. Slower speeds provide higher cutting force and better edge quality, but smartphones are relatively easy to cut, so even the fastest speed works effortlessly. The abrasive flow can remain at default settings for this experiment because the phone’s materials are soft enough for clean cutting without extra abrasives.
Once all settings are ready, the oil pump, water pump, and abrasive control valves are activated, and the automatic cutting command is initiated. The waterjet follows the drawn path, slicing through the phone. After the cut, the high-pressure water and abrasive stop automatically, and all pumps pause to ensure safety. The smartphone is now neatly sliced open, exposing the internal layers.
Video Demonstrations
Both videos show the cross-section of the smartphone clearly, highlighting the metal frame, glass, plastics, and circuitry layers.
Why Cutting the Battery Is Safe
Many people worry about cutting lithium batteries, but waterjet cutting is cold cutting technology:
- No sparks or high heat are generated
- Prevents thermal activation of battery chemicals
- Safe when the phone is properly secured
Compared to saws, drills, or flame cutting, waterjets provide a much safer method for electronics.
Why Laser Cutting Smartphones Doesn’t Work
While lasers are precise, they have limitations for smartphones:
- High temperatures can burn plastics and circuit boards, producing toxic fumes
- Heat dispersion can overheat the battery, creating hazards
- Multiple materials with different hardness levels reduce efficiency and risk damaging components
Thus, high-pressure waterjets are the ideal solution for cutting smartphones and other composite materials.
What Are You Curious About?
Through this experiment, we revealed the multi-layered structure inside a smartphone and demonstrated the precision and power of waterjet cutting. What other everyday objects would you like to see cut open with a waterjet? Leave a comment and let curiosity drive the next exciting experiment!
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