An Aberlink Azimuth CNC CMM installed in purpose-built temperature controlled room.
Gauteng-based Simmer Engineering specialise in the manufacture of precision components including covers, shafts, shaft sleeves, lantern rings, stuffing boxes, seal rings, glands, neck rings, impellers, expellers and other pump components linked to the mining, rail and military industries in a variety of materials. The company’s advanced manufacturing facility in Roodekop is equipped with a range of cutting-edge technologies that help to deliver integrated precision manufacturing solutions and a comprehensive supply chain infrastructure.
Simmer Engineering utilises a wide range of advanced CNC machine tools – a total of 20 are on the floor – to produce fine-tolerance, quality-assured components. In addition to its advanced machining provision, the company offers a further comprehensive range of services including shotblasting, painting, ceramic and stelite metal coating and fabrication.
Simmer Engineering have recently invested in an Aberlink Azimuth CNC CMM that was installed in purpose-built temperature controlled room
The company’s strict Quality Management System has been developed to encompass industry standards and a wide range of approvals. To help ensure the manufacture of premium quality components and to comply with the most stringent of traceability standards, the company’s output is subject to a variety of inspection and testing procedures.
In keeping with Simmer Engineering’s philosophy of constantly upgrading their systems and adopting industry leading manufacturing and inspection methodologies, they recently decided to instigate a precise shop floor CMM provision. Having evaluated several shop floor CMMs against their demanding list of requirements, an impressive demonstration of Aberlink’s Azimuth CNC CMM, together with Aberlink’s excellent reputation, convinced them that the Azimuth was the ideal machine for their needs.
In addition to its advanced machining provision, the company offers a further comprehensive range of services including shotblasting, painting, ceramic and stelite metal coating and fabrication
“After investing heavily in enhancing our machining capabilities, our Aberlink CNC CMM will allow our busy inspection department to keep pace with increased throughput and to inspect our high-accuracy parts to the required levels of precision. Also, the Aberlink’s ability to generate in-depth inspection reports and documentation will help us with our traceability records,” commented John van der Merwe, CEO of Simmer Engineering.
“Another factor is the easy-to-use Aberlink software and the fact that there is no maintenance on the software, updates get supplied as it is developed by the Aberlink Engineering team. While you measure a part the program gets written as you go along or you can also program the machine offline from another computer.”
“The Azimuth CMM is Aberlink’s largest in their range of CMM products and the bridge-type CMM supports the range of Renishaw probe heads and scales. The machine has a bed size of 3 000mm by 1 200mm and a component with a height of 1 000mm and a weight of up to 1 500kg can be measured as a standard but it can be upgraded to six tons if needed. If you are measuring smaller components the fixtures allow you to simultaneously measure up to 60 components with the same repeatability.”
“The machine has been supplied by Caldeaz Manufacturing Technologies.”
Machines on the shop floor at Simmer Engineering include a Kao Ming KMC-3000SV-H gantry milling machine
“Companies need advanced measurement solutions that enable them to guarantee the reliability of key processes such as validating the quality of manufactured parts and obtaining data for analysis and critical decision making. Thus, manufacturers usually employ quality control equipment such as a Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) which is high technological value equipment designed to calculate the geometric characteristics of an object.”
Located in an environmentally controlled facility
“To accommodate our new CMM machine and follow best practices we have purpose-built a 64m² room within the building that houses most of our CNC machines. We have done this so as to make it an enclosure with control systems that meet a variety of environmental and cleanliness requirements when measuring high-tolerance components.”
“Precise temperature control can be maintained with cooling systems for lower temperature requirements and humidity can be regulated. As can the dust.”
One of the more recent machine investments at Simmer Engineering is the purchase of a Doosan Puma GT 1300 CNC lathe
“We have also installed 0.5 ton crane and the height of the room is 4.5 metres. The doors have also been constructed so that a forklift can easily move through them. The proximity of the room is also important so that we have minimal disruption.”
“We are now confident that our machines can machine with positional accuracies of +/-0.5 micron, which enables us to meet the requirements of clients with high-tolerance components.”
“Other recent investments at Simmer Engineering include a Kao Ming KMC-3000SV-H gantry milling machine and a Doosan Puma GT 1300 CNC lathe.”
For further details contact Simmer Engineering on TEL: 011 865 3403 or Caldeaz Manufacturing Technologies on 082 780 7305 or visit www.simmer.co.za or www.caldeaz.co.za
