Heavy floods have battered Chennai’s industrial and business hubs leading to losses that run into thousands of crores of rupees, claimed experts.

Most automobile companies in Kanchipuram, which houses plants of a dozen bigwigs, registered huge losses. The rain not only hampered production process for days, but also triggered shortage of essential supplies for production to resume. In many plants, workforce remained less than what was needed for full-strength operation due to limited connectivity and transportation.

Sensing the emergency of the situation India’s largest Machine Tool Group, ACE Micromatic has started various flood relief support to companies in that area such as dedicated flood helpline number. Through this article B.Harish, General Manager, Micromatic Machine Tools (Pvt) Ltd explains what to do when your machine get wet.

FAQs for flood affected machines of Ace Micromatic Group

My CNC shop floor is wet due to flooding till Level 0. What precautions should I take for safeguarding my CNC Capital Equipment?

• Do not switch on the Machine
• Dry the floor completely
• Use a halogen/high voltage bulb to remove moisture in Electronic Cabinet, Voltage Stabilizer & Operator Panel for four hours.
• Check the incoming cable from mains to stabilizer & from stabilizer to machine for damages & water entry. If damaged do not switch on the machine & immediately replace the cable.
• Check the presence and also connectivity of the machine earthing.
• Call the authorized CNC Service engineer for the final check and switching on power on the machine.

My CNC machine is flooded till Level 1. What additional precautions should I take?

• Repeat all the points listed above from a to d
• Call MICROMATIC Engineer for removal of Transformer, Spindle motor, Lubrication motor, Hydraulic motor, Power Supply unit etc.,
• Coordinate with MICROMATIC Engineer for sending the above items to CNC system manufacturer for drying and repairs.
• Completely drain the hydraulic tank, lubrication tank & coolant tank and replace with fresh oil & coolant. Do not reuse the water contaminated oil, unless it is cleaned and verified by authorized representative
• Check the presence and also connectivity of the machine earthing.
• Call the authorized CNC Service engineer for the re-fitment of all parts and for final check before switching on power to the m/c.

My CNC machine is flooded till Level 2. What additional precautions should I take?

• At this level the spindle, axes motors, hardened or LM guideways, ball screws, part of electrical cabinet etc are likely to be under water. The repairs or likely replacement for the above equipment needs to be done by authorized MICROMATIC Engineer only.
• The spindle needs to be removed and sent to m/c manufacturer for replacement of bearings, greasing and assembly, and testing.
• Depending upon the m/c model, it is likely that the complete CNC package may need to be sent to CNC system manufacturer for washing, cleaning, drying and checking.
• Check the presence and also connectivity of the machine earthing.
• Call the authorized CNC Service engineer for the re-fitment of all parts and for final check before switching on power to the m/c.

My CNC machine is completely flooded beyond Level 2. What should I do to salvage the machine?

• At this level of flooding, the damage to the m/c will be quite severe. The damage will be higher if the m/c is under water for a long time
• Drain the water in the shortest possible time.
• Call the authorized service engineer who will recommend and estimate if the m/c can be salvaged economically or scrapped.
• If the m/c can be salvaged, actions detailed in Point no.3 need to be followed completely.

General Recommendations

• Call the insurance company representative as soon as possible and lodge a formal claim
• Take plenty of photos of the damaged equipment
• Do not send the damaged mechanical or electronic parts, CNC system, drives etc. to unauthorized persons. It could lead to irreparable damage to the machine, either immediately or after some time.

Author: B.Harish, General Manager, Micromatic Machine Tools (Pvt) Ltd

If you own a machine from ACE Micromatic Group, you may call in their dedicated flood helpline numbers +91 9840785520 and +91 9840785523 or send mail at connect@acemicromatic.com

India’s largest machine tool group ACE Micromatic is all set for INTEC 2015. The machine tool major will demonstrate its latest technologies and is gearing up to showcase live demonstrations of its machines like Apollo turning center from ACE Designers, Gemini Mini Vertical Machining Center from AMS and Simple Grind from the grinding wing of ACE Micromatic Group, Miromatic Grinding. The products being displayed for INTEC has been specially selected to meet the demanding requirements of the Coimbatore and the Southern markets. The exhibition is scheduled from June 5-9, 2015 at Codissia Trade Fair Complex, Coimbatore. 

Apollo, CNC Turning Machine
‘Apollo’ is an extremely cost effective CNC turning machine with compact foot print. It is suited for small parts machining up to dia 190mm.  Machine is equipped with just enough standard features. The rigid slant bed design ensures better rigidity and also helps in chip disposal. The cartridge type spindle design ensures high rigidity and the bearing configuration gives you higher stiffness. The spindle can run up to 4000rpm. It has a bi-directional tool turret with 8 stations (BTP-50 as standard and BTP-63 as an option). Apollo machines are also widely used in educational and training institution.

Milling Machine, Gemini
To meet the requirements of high speed compact applications, a smaller twin spindle named, “Gemini-Mini” has been introduced by AMS. The Gemini-Mini is more suitable for smaller components requiring frequent tool changes. The machine is designed with two BBT-30 spindles driven by a single spindle motor. The product is an attractive alternative to many of the faster machining centers available at a dearer price. The Gemini Mini is also available with an optional rotary type automatic pallet changer. By nature the twin spindle machine has higher productivity and the automatic pallet changer enhances it further by masking loading unloading time of the components.

Simple Grind from Micromatic Grinding
Micromatic Grinding Technology has been providing precision grinding solutions for the last four decades to the indian manufacturing. Simple Grind CNC  is an Economical External Cylindrical  Grinding Machine suitable for straight plunge & traverse grinding solution . Infeed and table slides are powered thru Servo Motor whereas workhead  is driven thru induction motor. This machine is most suitable for straight shaft grinding applications. Machine is available in two model  SG 50 and SG80. The machine is equipped with Fanuc Mate Oi CNC System with Beta series motors for X & Z Axis for wheel & table slides is provided as standard, Optional: Siemens make 808D CNC System can be offered. The Machine can achieve around 0.01mm size tolerance on a 750 mm long component without In process gauging.

Ace Micromatic group is the largest machine tool group in India. It has market presence in several countries across Asia, Australia, Middle East, North & South America and Europe. Formed with the intent to provide its customers a one stop shop for all machining needs, the group specializes in the manufacturing of CNC controlled turning, milling and grinding machines along with subsystems like tool turrets, ATC etc. The group offers its customers a wide and comprehensive range of machine to suit a broad spectrum of applications. It also offers turnkey solutions, tooled up options, innovative work holding, Cp/Cpk evaluation, TPM friendly machines and more.