The water is drawn from the local supply network and pressurised by a booster pump to max. 7 bar. The water is then fed through a filter system into the high pressure cylinder of the intensifier. The principle of the pressure intensifier consists of a primary circuit which operates at 200 bar by means of an electrically driven hydraulic pump. The fluid is pumped alternately through a four-way valve to the right-hand or left-hand side of the hydraulic cylinder.

The two piston rods installed in the hydraulic piston apply pressure to the water in the two high pressure cylinders of the intensifier. These high pressure cylinders are part of the secondary water circuit. Suitably dimensioned check valves on both ends of the high pressure cylinders control the take-up of fresh water into the cylinders and the supply of cutting water to the pump outlet. The water pressure of approx. 6200 bar is generated through a piston surface ratio of around 38:1. The high pressure pumps are equipped with an accumulator (pressure peak compensator) that ensures that the high pressure signal at the outlet of the high pressure pump remains more or less constant during the change of direction of the hydraulic piston. The high pressure pump is connected through a high-strength stainless steel pipe to the cutting head. The sapphire or diamond orifice in the cutting head focuses the pressure into an ultrafast waterjet (speeds of approx. 800 to 1000 m/s).

To cut hard materials, the cutting power of the waterjet can be increased by adding an abrasive. In such units, abrasive, water and air are mixed in the mixing chamber of the cutting head, collimated in the focusing nozzle and accelerated. The resulting high-energy jet is capable of micro-eroding, i.e. drilling and cutting, materials of great thicknesses and of the most diverse consistencies, such as metals, ceramics, rock and bulletproof glass.