Puma Machine Tools, the local distributor for Korean machine tool builder Doosan Machine Tools, has announced that it has recently installed its 1 000th machine in South Africa, since acquiring the agency and distributorship for South Africa in 2001.
The machine, a Doosan VC 510 vertical machining centre with a dual pallet, was installed at Pressure Die Castings (PDC), a manufacturer of brass, zinc and aluminium castings and components to the local and international building hardware, plumbing, lighting, automotive power and fire protection industries.
Puma Machine Tools, the local distributor for Korean machine tool builder Doosan Machine Tools, has announced that it has recently installed its 1 000th machine in South Africa, since acquiring the agency and distributorship for South Africa in 2001
“The revival of automotive OEMs’ demand for domestically produced castings and components is gradually gaining traction in South Africa, although it is no sudden phenomenon. We have been making inroads in this industry and for a number of years we have been supplying aluminium components into the OEM automotive industry. We have recently been awarded further contracts in this industry that necessitate us investing in equipment for our machine shop,” said Lance Deysel, Technical Director at PDC.
Doosan twin-table vertical machining centres
“We already had four Doosan VC 430 vertical machining centers, all with a dual pallets, and one Doosan Lynx 220 turning center on our floor, which we are very happy with. Consistency in product is what the automotive OEMs require so it made sense for us to be consistent with our machines.”
“Two Doosan VC510 twin-table vertical machining centers were installed in November 2016 and the third VC510 was installed in February 2017, the latter being the 1 000th Doosan machine to be installed in South Africa by Puma Machine Tools. A further Doosan Lynx 220 LSYX turning center was also installed in March 2017.”
Pressure Die Castings have recently won a number of OEM contracts to supply components. One of them is to supply an alternator mounting bracket for Ford Motor Company South Africa’s Puma engines
“Both the vertical CNC machining centers have a moving column with integrated rotary pallet changer, designed for high-volume production. They are also easily interfaced with automatic work holding equipment and rotary tables, and can be automated with a robot.”
“The VC 510 machines are equipped with a 15/18.kW 10 000rpm spindle, a 30-position (BT 40) tool changer and a rotary twin pallet changer. The XYZ strokes are 762 x 516 x 570mm, and the table size is 860 x 570mm.”
“The total number of Doosan machines that PDC uses now is nine.”
“Our strategy is to automate as much as possible of the mundane and repetitive operations in the foundry and machine shop. This is why some of the machines are equipped with robots that facilitate the part extraction. Auto trimming is another area where we will interface robots.”
“However, we have not had to retrench staff as a result of these installations. Rather we have seen the benefits of productivity and quality.”
OEM contracts
“One of the contracts we are currently ramping up for and will be ready to supply in July 2017 is sub-assembly components for the new Polo vehicle that VWSA will be launching shortly. Once we are in full production we will be supplying between 9 000 and 10 000 components a month to Ramsay Engineering, who are the main contractors.”
Pressure Die Castings will also be supplying Ford Motor Company South Africa LH engine mounting brackets for the Puma engines
“Ford South Africa has also awarded a few contracts and one of them is to supply three different engine brackets for the current Puma engine project. We are supplying approximately 24 000 components a month and this contract lasts until at least 2021.”
“Another contract, also for Ford South Africa, is to supply them with five different brackets for the Panther engine project, mainly for the exhaust system. We are initially required to supply 35 000 components a year. This contract is due to commence in 2018.”
New die-casting machine
“These orders entail die cast components, which are then machined. As a result we have had to increase our equipment portfolio in the foundry and also installed in April was an LK Machinery 630 ton high-pressure die casting machine. This brings to five the number LK high-pressure die casting machines that we have in the foundry. Most of these machines have been installed in recent years and this forms part of our strategy to upgrade all of our die casting machines. Some of the older models are close to 50 years old.”
“Last year we also purchased of a 160 ton hot chamber HPDC machine from Taiwanese manufacturer Producer CO Ltd. It is the first fully automatic HPDC machine that we have installed at PDC and includes auto spray, auto cycle and auto picking and is typically producing three components every 15 seconds.”
Another contract won by Pressure Die Castings is to supply VWSA with pedal cluster housings for the VW270 programme
“Last year we also introduced a new process to our manufacturing capabilities. The new chrome plating plant is capable of processing 200 000 components per month with an OEE of 80%. The plating plant is fully automated and includes off line filtering and heating on the process tanks, reverse plating of jigs, auto dosing of chemicals into the tank and reverse plating in the Nickel tank, all designed to achieve optimum quality. PDC is not a jobbing operation and has reserved the full capacity for our client Cobra.”
“We are currently working on winning more contracts in the automotive industry which certainly looks buoyant for next five to seven years.”
Doosan Machine Tools, who are now owned by MBK Partners, manufactures a range of CNC turning centres, machining centres, horizontal boring mills, Swiss turn machines and double column machining centres, are represented in South Africa by Puma Machine Tools.
For more information contact Puma Machine Tools on TEL: 011 976 8600 or visit www.pumamachinetools.co.za
