Flow International Corporation

General Electric Company

Robert Niblock

Mohamed Ahmed Hashish

Steven J Craigen

Bruce M Schuman

Paul H Tacheron

Shawn Michael Callahan

Sean Schramm

Ronald Scott Bunker

Andrew Lee Trimmer

An abrasive slurry delivery system configured to discharge a high pressure mixture of water () and abrasives () for further admixture with a flow of high pressure water () to generate an abrasive slurry and ultimately an abrasive slurry jet is provided. The delivery system includes a storage chamber (), a discharge chamber () and a shuttle chamber () positioned therebetween. The shuttle chamber () is configured to intermittently receive abrasives () from the storage chamber () and intermittently supply the abrasives () mixed with high pressure water () to the discharge chamber () to be selectively discharged therefrom. High pressure abrasive slurry cutting systems and related methods are also provided.

Abrasive slurry delivery systems and methods

Systems and related methods are provided for adjusting the position and orientation of an end effector of a multi-axis machine (e.g., a manipulable cutting head of a fluid jet cutting machine) relative to a base reference frame. Systems include an adjustable tool mount having a base structure that includes portions or regions that are selectively deformable to adjust a position and an orientation of a tool supported by the adjustable tool mount.

End effector adjustment systems and methods

High-pressure fluid jet systems are provided which include a pump to selectively provide a source of high-pressure fluid, a cutting head assembly configured to receive the high-pressure fluid and generate a high-pressure fluid jet for processing workpieces or work surfaces, and a fluid distribution system in fluid communication with the pump and the cutting head assembly to route the high-pressure fluid from the pump to the cutting head assembly. The pump, the cutting head assembly and/or the fluid distribution system include at least one fluid distribution component having a unitary body formed from an additive manufacturing or casting process with an internal passage having at least a curvilinear portion to efficiently route matter through the fluid jet system. Example fluid distribution components include fittings, valve bodies, cutting head bodies and nozzles of the high-pressure fluid jet systems.

Fluid distribution components of high-pressure fluid jet systems

A method of machining a component including a substrate having an outer surface and an inner surface defining at least one interior space includes: disposing a distributed medium having a plurality of irregularly shaped particles in the interior space and forming at least one hole in the substrate, while the distributed medium is disposed within the interior space, such that the distributed medium provides backstrike protection for an opposing wall during the formation of the hole(s). Each hole extends through the substrate to provide fluid communication with the respective interior space; and the method further includes removing the distributed medium from the interior space.

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Maple Valley, WA, United States of America

Robert Niblock