Wet cutting is a separation process in which water is supplied to the cutting blade as a cooling and flushing agent. When cutting concrete, natural stone and asphalt with diamond cutting discs, high friction heat is generated — without cooling, the diamond segments would overheat and wear prematurely. At the same time, the water binds the dust that is generated.
On construction sites, wet cutting is used with joint saws, wall saws, wire saws and core drilling equipment. The advantages: 3–5× longer cutting disc service life, drastically reduced dust exposure (important for occupational safety according to TRGS 559, quartz dust limit value 0.05 mg/m³) and cleaner cut edges.
The disadvantage: dirty water (cutting slurry) must be collected and disposed of — it must not enter the sewage system unfiltered (pH value >12 for concrete). Collection trays, wet vacuums and water recycling systems are standard equipment. Dry cutting with extraction is the alternative in areas without water supply.