27/02/2012 By Peter Brooks
At Office Water Coolers, being keen supporters of the BWCA ‘Stay Cooler’ campaign, we’re keen to see water coolers being utilised in all sorts of working environments, from busy offices and gyms to school staffrooms and even in the home. But I personally never thought we’d live to see the day water cooler bottles would be used as projectiles by the military in a pneumatic cannon.
But that’s exactly what Cardiff based firm BCB International Ltd intend to do with its new ‘Wall Breaker’ cannon, which fires 22kg water cooler bottles filled with water into buildings at a staggering 300m per second. The pneumatic cannon is designed to be used to break down walls to gain entry to buildings in hostage situations, fires or a whole host of other military contexts such as combating a terrorist threat.
The small Cardiff based firm employs just 50 staff but is making headlines with its bizarre but powerful water cooler weapon. “What's great about using water is that the casing shatters and it just sprays out,” the company’s director of marine projects, Jonathon Delf says. “It means security teams are much closer to the point of entry, giving them vital seconds."
With orders from military forces around the world including the USA and Thailand it certainly has put the Welsh firm on the map, so much so that Business Minister Edwina Hart toured the company back in November.
It’s incredible to think that water cooler bottles just like those we ship out every day to our customers from Office Water Coolers headquarters here in Yate could soon be used in highly tense and dangerous military and rescue situations around the world, potentially helping to save lives. Will the wonders of water never cease.
Personally though, I prefer my water cooler bottle on top of my water cooler. Seems a lot safer up there.
Check out the youtube vids to see the Wall Breaker’ cannon in action.
© 2012 Office Water Coolers
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