Translating a prototyping mind to precision metal processing

Dave Gouws spent over 25 years working in one of the world’s most hazardous occupations, known for its intense pressure. As a result, he can speak with authority about the components and products that he now conceptualises, prototypes and manufactures for clients working in the industry. The life of a saturation diver can be weird, dangerous and isolated. One of the least known, most dangerous, and, frankly, most bizarre professions on earth, a saturation diver is somebody who does construction and demolition work at depths up to 300 metres or more below the surface of the ocean.

Diving to that depth – or just about any depth – involves breathing pressurised air. Inert gases in it, such as nitrogen, dissolve benignly into your blood and tissues – as long as the weight of all the water above you keeps them compressed. But when you want to return to the surface, that gas needs time to diffuse out slowly. If not, if a diver shot straight to the surface, the gas would form bubbles, like in a shaken can of soda. Inside that diver’s body, it would be as if millions of tiny explosives began to detonate. Known as the bends or, more technically, decompression sickness, the condition can be catastrophically painful and debilitating, and, depending on the depth, nearly impossible to survive. Diving to 250 feet for an hour, for example, would require a five-hour ascent to avoid getting even slightly bent.

The world, and specifically, the oil and gas industry, needs commercial divers like Gouws who can go to the seabed to perform the delicate manoeuvres required to put together, maintain and disassemble offshore wells, rigs, and pipelines, everything from flipping flow valves, to tightening bolts with hydraulic jacks, to working in tight confines around a blowout preventer. In addition to the physical demands, moving around large pieces of equipment in a medium the human body is not well suited to, the work requires incredible focus and is done in near-zero or zero (black water) visibility.

Carbide CNC custom designs a range of products where versatility and innovation is required

Company operations include press production work, sheet metal work, CNC milling and turning, fabrication, powder coating and other metal component finishing operations. Machinery includes a Blin BL-Y600 CNC machining center, which Gouws imported himself

But there comes a time when the isolation, asceticism and discipline (and, of course, the money) that they are drawn to and is a standard requirement of working as a saturation diver that the individual decides to ‘retire’. This Gouws did after travelling to and working at many oil and gas industry sites around the world.

“Each individual is different but there comes a time when you know you have had enough. There are all sorts of reasons but one of the most compelling ones is your family. Before you know it, their lives have rushed past you and you have not been part of it.”

“Although diving was my main activity I did not sit still in my off-time. I come from a farming background and on a farm you have to be very practical and inventive. You learn all sorts of skills in the engineering and DIY fields. Using your hands and solving mechanical problems is part of the territory.”

“I did not study further after school but rather pursued a career of diving and special survival operations. We had some very testing and tricky assignments, particularly those up the west coast of South Africa – surviving the freezing and turbulent sea water and barren coast lines. It was a good grounding for surviving later.”

TG Stirrups was established to manufacture stirrups for horse riding, a promise Gouws made to his horse riding daughter

Nickel aluminium bronze components

“Offshore engineering became a big part of my life while working in the oil industry. It gave me the chance to learn many different skills required for metalworking – from design to prototyping to physical operation of equipment. More importantly as I was working with equipment while diving it gave me the insight to practically see how this equipment and components could be improved upon, especially as they were being worked on in a very corrosive and dangerous environment, namely the sea.”

Gouws says his background helps him to custom design a range of products where versatility and innovation is required. But before he immersed himself full time in prototyping and manufacturing high-end components, he tested his ability and metalworking skills by taking up a challenge that his horse-loving daughter issued.

“Genevieve wanted her own style of unique stirrup design to use when participating in a sport that is her passion – horse riding – and competing at equestrian events. From a young age she had been involved in the sport. Being the typical father, I was up to the challenge.”

“Using Autodesk Fusion 360, specifically 3D modelling, I was able to home-manufacture a pair of stirrups. The initial design was then adjusted thereby optimising the stirrups for production and machining. We had noticed a gap in the market for locally produced stirrups. As a result, TG Stirrups was established and my wife Jacqui began to build the business. Initially it was slow going and we were only manufacturing 3 pairs a month. But we quickly built a business and today TG Stirrups produce over 30 pairs per month, not bad for a home-manufacturer who started with nothing but a challenge from his daughter.”

“This venture was the forerunner to a bigger involvement in design and CNC machining for me. I only started Carbide CNC five years ago. From the beginning custom design and manufacture of precision components was the strategy of the company. We do produce more than one of many components that pass through our shop but we will never get into production runs of 1 000s of the same component. There are companies that do that type of contract manufacturing but not us.”

“While working in the oil and gas industries the top priority is the safety of the people. Oil and gas workers face a host of potential dangers in their work environment so the equipment they used and the operations that they performed were all strictly controlled and had to adhere to the safety standards set by the authorities. So there are numerous opportunities to provide all sorts of equipment and products used in the industry. Being able to improve these criteria, whether from a safety aspect or from an efficiency aspect is sometimes more important.”

“The investments in technology, new equipment and maintenance in the industry have allowed people and companies to grow. People like myself are even more beneficial to the industry because we have the experience of working with the equipment and can see where improvements can be made.”

Besides designing, prototyping sand machining Carbide CNC also provide finishing services

More recently Gouws purchased a Sino SHL60P-500, a middle size high-rigidity CNC lathe, from WD Hearn Machine Tools

“The challenge in the industry is that it is very regulated and government controlled. Which it should be if you consider the many areas where things could go wrong if companies or people have not followed the safety protocols. The consequences are dire. With components used in this environment, you’ve got the practical experience to see where it’s failed. Then you can redesign it to make it work better.”

“Many manufacturers find niches supplying single industries, like the oil and gas industry. However, supplying a single market can turn a niche into a rut if that market experiences economic hardships. You have to learn to diversify your customer base, but it can be difficult.”

“The horse stirrups are a good example. If I had relied on just them as a product, I would not have survived. Instead, I diversified and I now have three CNC machines in my shop and I’m looking to increase this with the purchase of maybe a 5-axis Japanese machine. That would put me into another league.”

“We also machine plastics including acetal engineering plastics. A project we are currently involved in is the manufacture of a number of buoys for a German company. They disperse these high-tech buoys in the oceans all over the world. They are equipped with various monitors and equipment to take readings including carbon dioxide. All to do with monitoring climate change.”

Company operations include press production work, sheet metal work, CNC milling and turning, fabrication, powder coating and other metal component finishing operations

“There have been many interesting projects. A few to mention include offshore ODIN isolation plugs made for Brazil-based EM&I and patented by them. If a leak is found in a hull, for example, a fast-fix solution is urgently required as the hull is severely compromised. Using their ROV services EM&I are able to investigate the leak and damage, find the hole and plug it using an ODIN isolation plug.”

“Other products in the underwater environment are a subsea winch that is my own design, subsea control boxes and hull repair equipment.”

“We have also done cheese factory moulds, peristaltic pump designs, camera mounts, cobra bonnet hinges, satellite electronic boxes, UAV drone wing boxes and computer tower cooling systems.”

Gouws imported his first CNC machine, a Blin BL-Y600 CNC machining center

Buffed components done by Carbide CNC

“I am also working closely with Fused Composite Design, a specialist composite design and manufacturing operation based in Cape Town, predominantly serving the marine industry.”

But manufacturing comes in all shapes and sizes and the Cape Town businessman found himself thrown into the custom-end of his profession during the most recent Ocean Race. Gouws might have cut his engineering teeth in the offshore oil and gas sector but the Ocean Race was no less demanding, although more frenetic.

Gouws teamed up with Fused Composite Design to deliver much-needed repairs. “We were fixing stuff then they sailed off again.”

“Significantly, these days we attract a fair chunk of work for the yachting industry, including prototyping of high-end components.”

Gouws sees his work with Fused Composite Design as a positive sign of the local sector’s ability to compete with the best in the business. “It’s high-end stuff, mainly masts, all export.”

Carbide CNC are not scared to work with any type of metal as well, including nickel aluminium bronze, the metal that ship propellers are made of

Single point knurling

More recently Gouws purchased a Sino SHL60P-500, a middle size high-rigidity CNC lathe, from WD Hearn Machine Tools.

Other sectors that Gouws does similar prototyping for as he does for the oil and gas sector, includes the food and aerospace industries.

“They come up with a prototype, I build their models and test them. Typically the business focuses on high-end product types requiring more precision engineering – the kind of thing people are reluctant to have produced in China,” said Gouws.

Looking ahead he sees growth in the marine industry, particularly at the top-end where South Africa is fast making a name for itself, buoyed by competitive costs and a growing pool of boatbuilding skills.

Carbide CNC machines components from block

“It’s a hub and I think our pricing is good. I would say it is definitely a growing market. It’s like a wave – one can’t really predict it at the moment, especially in manufacturing,” Gouws added.

“We are not scared to work with any type of metal as well, including nickel aluminium bronze, the metal that ship propellers are made of. It is very expensive and you have to import it.”

“We like to say we collaborate closely and openly with customers. They then rely on my custom design and manufacture expertise to produce what they want. Some of them are difficult because they have no design or machining experience and they make comments on their visual experience. But when we point out that that scratch is not going to be seen or make a difference to the successful application of the component, they sheepishly backoff.”

For further details contact Carbide CNC on TEL: 082 445 8064 or visit www.carbidecnc.co.za