MatterHackers opened its doors for a hands-on open house built around the WAZER Pro, and the afternoon delivered exactly what it promised: live cutting, real material in people's hands, and a look at two very different approaches to metal fabrication under one roof.

A Specialist on the Machine

A specialist from WAZER joined us on-site to run the Pro throughout the event, walking attendees through cutting speeds, abrasive consumption, and what the machine can realistically handle day to day. Rather than a scripted demo, it was an open conversation, with the WAZER team fielding real application questions as they came up.

Cutting Through Metal and Rubber, Live

Over the course of the afternoon, the WAZER Pro cut through multiple thicknesses of metal as well as rubber, giving attendees a direct look at how the same machine handles materials with completely different properties. Watching a waterjet move from a thicker metal cut straight into a clean rubber cut, with no tooling changes and no heat-affected edges, was a highlight for a lot of the people who came through.

Attendees did not just watch. Pieces cut during the demos were handed out for people to take home, giving everyone a tangible sample of the Pro's precision rather than just a description of it.

A Second Look at Metal: The Meltio M600

Alongside the waterjet demos, we also had the Meltio M600 running, giving attendees a chance to see an entirely different form of metalworking in action. Where the WAZER Pro removes material to create a part, the M600 builds metal parts up directly using Laser Metal Deposition, fusing wire feedstock layer by layer with its multi-laser deposition head.

Seeing both machines running side by side made for a natural comparison: one machine cutting finished shapes out of solid material in seconds, the other growing dense metal parts from nothing using lasers and wire. For attendees evaluating different paths into metal fabrication, having both processes running live in the same room made the tradeoffs much easier to see firsthand.

Connecting Over Tacos and Conversation

Beyond the machines, the event brought together engineers, designers, and makers from across Southern California for an afternoon of shop talk, free tacos, and time to explore the full MatterHackers showroom. MatterHackers' own fabrication experts were on hand throughout to answer questions about integrating waterjet or metal deposition technology into existing workflows, and to talk through what each machine is genuinely suited for.

Missed It? Here's What's Next

If you weren't able to make it out, both the WAZER Pro and the Meltio M600 are on the floor at MatterHackers HQ in Lake Forest, CA, and available for anyone who wants to see either machine run in person. Keep an eye out for future open house events, we plan to keep bringing new equipment through our showroom and giving the community a chance to see it working before making a decision.