Oasis
Member
My dad worked/retired from Flow International years ago. I remember watching the news with him about a 4-year-old boy who fell into an abandoned well (or mine shaft). The kid was wedged in about 30 feet down where it was too small to send rescue... He was saved using a remote controlled Flow water-knife which could carefully cut rock away without heat...
In 1989 I toured the plant with my dad in Kent, WA. Very cool back then, as it still is now. I have some Flow memorabilia hanging in my shop_ see photos
The high-pressure tubing is pretty impressive. The shielding was in case of a leak the jet would disperse and not kill somebody.
They do use grits for steel... or not for frozen ice cream cakes...
Much of the equipment that I saw at the plant was very complex and computer driven$$$ But the facility did have a hand run unit that was similar to a band saw_ except the hair size jet could cut in any direction with just about zero kerf and no distortion. The jet was lit with a red light so you could see it. I should have asked for one of these for Christmas back then, ha ha.
The technology was also attached to a fleet of compact tractors. The tractors were used to drive over concrete bridges where the jets pulverized concrete but left the rebar totally clean and intact. The operation was featured with one of my stock statements.
My dad had a lot of neat occupations during his lifetime, I think he was most proud of working on the Apollo missions, but happiest at Flow International.
Thanks for the memories,
Oasis
In 1989 I toured the plant with my dad in Kent, WA. Very cool back then, as it still is now. I have some Flow memorabilia hanging in my shop_ see photos
The high-pressure tubing is pretty impressive. The shielding was in case of a leak the jet would disperse and not kill somebody.
They do use grits for steel... or not for frozen ice cream cakes...
Much of the equipment that I saw at the plant was very complex and computer driven$$$ But the facility did have a hand run unit that was similar to a band saw_ except the hair size jet could cut in any direction with just about zero kerf and no distortion. The jet was lit with a red light so you could see it. I should have asked for one of these for Christmas back then, ha ha.
The technology was also attached to a fleet of compact tractors. The tractors were used to drive over concrete bridges where the jets pulverized concrete but left the rebar totally clean and intact. The operation was featured with one of my stock statements.
My dad had a lot of neat occupations during his lifetime, I think he was most proud of working on the Apollo missions, but happiest at Flow International.
Thanks for the memories,
Oasis
