Multi-Million Dollar Aerospace Contract

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has awarded Flow International Corporation a second multimillion dollar contract to supply MHI with Flow's Composite Machining Center (CMC) waterjet machine tools to cut the carbon fiber wing skins for a major commercial jet aircraft program.

Flow's CMC waterjet machining system for carbon fiber composite wings will measure 118ft long and 21ft wide. The CMC will be utilized for cutting the composite wing skins, which are part of the composite wing structure. The CMC system will be built and tested in Jeffersonville, IN, one of Flow's four worldwide manufacturing plants. The UHP pumps that provide the ultrahigh-pressure water will be made at the Kent, WA headquarters.

"The award of Flow's second CMC commercial wing 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, CEO of Flow International Corporation.

Flow waterjets have been used to increase productivity at leading aerospace companies such as Boeing, Airbus, Rockwell, Teledyne Ryan, General Dynamics, Lockheed, Raytheon, Bell Helicopter, Northrop, and other firms that provide composite machining services. flowcorp.com