This past May, two members of the ALMCO team took a trip to Singapore to complete the commission of a new Spindle Machine for a leading company in the Aerospace Industry. The trip took Tim Grahn, General Manager, and Craig Schmidt, Engineering Manager 30 hours one-way, with their longest flight being 18.5 hours long.
Spindle machines are a type of industrial finishing equipment known for high-speed precision deburring. They utilize one or more rotating spindles in a tub of rotating media to achieve a consistent finish on a part. A custom fixture is created that connects the customer’s part to the spindle, where it is then lowered into a tub of spinning media (abrasive materials mixed with water that rubs against the part). The model manufactured for this specific trip had 2 spindles and will be used to finish jet turbine disks.
Product Sale & Installation
The product sale was made possible with the help of VIN Tech, a new ALMCO distributor. Our customer was already familiar with ALMCO’s Spindle machine and has ALMCO equipment in other facilities around the world. However, due to country regulations, ALMCO had to work closely with the VIN Tech team to finalize the sale and install the machine.
“VIN Tech installed the machine and connected all the services, we just needed to be there for the commissioning of the machine. Craig spent 2 solid days directing the distributor on what needed to be completed before we could operate the machine properly,” stated Tim.
This was ALMCO’s first time working with this new distributor. They helped make the installation go as smooth as possible and were also Tim and Craig’s guides during their trip.
The Results
The installation went well with the help of VIN Tech, and after putting in some 12- and 14-hour days, the machine was ready. Their customers were very satisfied with the level of service and knowledge the ALMCO team provided. They stated they’d be ordering another machine within the next year to replace their other 20-year-old Spindle machine.
