The WaterJet Technology Association (WJTA) was formed in 1983 in order to sponsor and organize biennial conferences on waterjet technology and to develop codes of practice and safety for the waterjetting industry.
The prime movers in the formation of the WJTA were Dr. Fun-Den Wang of the Colorado School of Mines and Dr. David Summers of the University of Missouri-Rolla (now known as the Missouri University of Science and Technology).
It is no accident that two mining professors (Drs. Wang and Summers) were interested in waterjet technology because waterjet technology had its genesis in one of the technological challenges of the 1850s—that is, a practical way to mine placer gold during the Gold Rush in California. Waterjet mining, usually called hydraulic mining, was developed to meet this challenge. The main tool used in hydraulic mining was a method of generating large waterjets called a hydraulic monitor.
The WJTA has recognized its roots in hydraulic mining by giving its highest award –the Pioneer Award – in the form of a trophy comprised of a representation of a monitor cut out of brass by a computer-controlled abrasive waterjet.
CONTACT: Peter Wright
