MHI Purchases Additional Flow Composite Waterjets

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has awarded Flow International Corporation a second round multi-million dollar contract to supply MHI with Flow's Composite Waterjet machine tool to cut the carbon fiber wing components for a major commercial jet aircraft program.

Flow's Composite Waterjet machining system will measure 80ft long. It will be utilized for cutting the composite stringers, which are part of the composite wing structure. As a result of breakthrough development work, it will be equipped with multiple "side-fire" nozzles. The system will be built and tested in Jeffersonville, IN. The UHP pumps that provide the ultra-high-pressure water will be made in Kent, WA.

"The second round award of Flow's commercial wing structure machining system proves the effectiveness of Flow's waterjet technology and its ability to create 'state of the art' aircraft parts in a cost-effective manner," says Charley Brown, Flow's president and CEO.

Traditionally, conventional cutting tools – handheld diamond or carbide-tipped routers, bandsaws, cutoff saws, and abrasive wheels – were used to cut composites. However, due to the composition and fiber orientation of advanced composites, these traditional cutting tools can damage the composites either by overheating, or by leaving frayed or delaminated edges. Frequent delamination and fraying requires costly rework.

Waterjets eliminate cutting problems associated with advanced aerospace composites because abrasive waterjets cut by erosive action rather than friction and shearing. To cut carbon composite aircraft parts, a thin stream of water moving at three times the speed of sound is emitted from a tiny, jeweled orifice in the tool head of Flow's machine. The one gallon-per-minute water flow draws in a separate stream of fine garnet particles that slice into the surface being cut. They produce exceptional edge quality, free of frayed or delaminated areas, which minimizes costly secondary finishing.