Technology Milestones |
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| 1971 |
First industrial application: cutting of disposable baby diapers. |
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| 1979 |
Start of experiments in cutting hard materials such as metals, stone and glass with the waterjet. Dr. Mohamed Hashish works on abrasive waterjet cutting by the injector principle and refines its technical possibilities. |
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| 1980 |
Steel is cut for the first time by the abrasive waterjet in the labs. |
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| 1981 |
The special cutting head for abrasive waterjet cutting is registered for a patent. It is the forerunner of the now legendary PASER® cutting head.
The operating pressure of an intensifier pump is about 2,500 bar. |
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| 1988 |
Flow presents the first direct driven ultrahigh-pressure pump (crankshaft drive principle) worldwide. Operating pressures of approximately 2,000 bar are achieved. |
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| 1991 |
First system of the T11 modular series, built in Darmstadt and delivered to Siemens in Erlangen, Germany. The system is still in use today. |
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| 1994 |
First European 3D abrasive waterjet cutting system; today it is part of the standard product range. |
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| 1995 |
Shuttle table systems for pure water applications in the gasket and filter industry. |
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| 1995 |
FlowMaster® Intelligent Control System, the first PC control system revolutionized the operation of abrasive waterjet cutting. First used in the BENGAL®, a new, easy to operate compact machine. |
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| 1996 |
Launch of the PASER3 abrasive waterjet cutting head system for easy operation and faster cut speed. Brittle materials now can be drilled for the first time without mechanical pre-drilling (patented by Flow). |
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| 1996 |
Significant increase in the intensifier pump service life, and thus in productivity through use of the latest in advance material technology. |
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| 1997 |
Commercializes 6,000 bar pump and systems for food pasteurization. |
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| 1999 |
Market launching of the WMC® Waterjet Machining Center, the first truly integrated system. The system includes efficient abrasive recycling.
Cutting with a continuous operating pressure of more than 4,100 bar for the first time. |
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| 2000 |
Automatic loading and unloading system in connection with the DRAGON® 3D abrasive waterjet system. |
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| 2001 |
Dynamic Waterjet® — the revolutionary cutting technology is being launched: this new technology virtually eliminates taper and improves cut part tolerances and geometry. |
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| 2002 |
The new generation of the PASER3 abrasive cutting head is launched. This highly efficient PASER ECL Plus cutting head is designed to increase cut speed and component life
(ECL = Extended Component Life). |
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| 2003 |
Launch of direct drive HyPlex pumps with continuous operating pressure of 3,800 bar. |
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| 2004 |
In October the new modular Waterjet Machining Center WMC2 had Premiere in Europe
- it was first presented at the tradeshow EuroBLECH in Hanover, Germany. |
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| 2006 |
World premier: Flow HyperPressure Technology — cutting at continuous operating pressure of 6,000 bar. |
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| 2007 |
Presentation of the WMC® Waterjet Machining Center with the new Flow HyperPressure Technology. |
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