 The finished piece.
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By Darryl L. Flowers
The company, located in Black Eagle, specializes in cutting metals. Nothing new there, lots of people can cut metal.
But WET does it with water.
WET uses a pair of machines manufactured by OMAX Corporation based in Kent, Washington. The OMAX machines use water, at pressures from 12,000 to 55,000 pounds per square inch mixed with garnet powder to slice through metal up to 12” thick.
When WET was cutting a piece of bronze recently, the just-cut metal was cool to the touch. The water jet left a smooth edge as it cut through the metal.
The machines are computer driven and can cut at close tolerances, which means less waste. About 50% of WET’s work is for the aerospace industry, and the company’s handiwork can be seen at Great Falls Airport. WET cut the metal panels that decorate the terminal. 40% of their work involves other industrial clients, such as Pasta Montana and Montana Refining. The remaining 10% of their business comes from artists.
Asked how much they hoped the piece they were working on, “A Night In The Oil Patch”, will fetch at an auction that is to be held at an upcoming private industrial forum being organized by The Sun Times and Pacific Steel, John Kramarich said, “We just want to get Lyndsey Tikalski as much money as we can to help with her medical bills!”
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