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83% Increase in Machining Efficiency on Oil Valves Reported

Kimray, Inc., an Oklahoma City-based manufacturer of control valves and related equipment for oil and gas producing companies, reports an 83% increase in their machining efficiency, achieved largely as the result of recently acquired CNC production equipment.

Founded in 1948 by Garman Kimmell, Kimray operates a 274,000 sq. ft. facility and employs over 400 people to serve its expanding customer base of oil and gas producing companies.  Kimray machines iron, steel and aluminum, as well as thermoplastic materials, to build its comprehensive line of control valves, thermostats, energy-exchange glycol pumps, gas-operated pilots and other process control devices.  Their products are used to control vessel and lead line temperatures, liquid level inside pressurized vessels, pressure drops and liquid/gas flow.

The company maintains a turnkey manufacturing facility, including dozens of lathes, grinders, turning, milling, sawing and bore finishing/honing machine tools, nearly all with CNC systems onboard. Originally, two machines were purchased, an Emco Maier EMCOTURN 420 MC PLUS and HYPERTURN 665 MC PLUS Lathes, each equipped with Siemens SINUMERIK 840D CNCs and SIMODRIVE 611D drive packages. As their productivity greatly increased, Kimray decided to purchase two more Emco Maier machines to keep up with increased demand for their products.

The company operates a host system for file storage and back-up on all part production data.  As one operator of these lathes observed, “I liked the Fanuc 18i-T CNC we used on other machines in the shop, but, with the SINUMERIK 840D, you can do so much more, such as instant programming and cut and paste operations, while the machine is running or stopped.  Each screen allows you to be very detailed about what you’re doing, such as separating your mains from your subs with your part and workpiece programs.  I use the Siemens CNC for axis and spindle movements on both machines (Emco Maier 420 Dual Main and Counter spindle Machine and the 665 Main and Counter Spindle Machine). My programs and data can be recessed easily and transferred back to the machines (from the company’s main host system), as needed.  I can run my programs out of workpieces and sub-spindles, including milling and stenciling out of the sub-programs.  I use the parts program as my way to transfer files and folders to the main system and back again.”

He further commented on the controls, “On a typical set-up, I like the sensitivity of the CNC.  Being able to move the axis only a ten thousandth at a time to a hundred thousandth at a time comes in very handy for me.  I also like the program test feature, especially on new programs.  Each tool has its own geometry page and up to four offsets, making things much less complicated.”

Lastly, regarding the machine builder, this operator noted, “I received lots of good advice and training from the folks at Emco Maier, especially Doug Poling.  He’s also assisted me a few times by phone, when needed.”

In the manufacture of its oil and gas production controls, Kimray typically machines bar stock of 303, 304, 310, 316 and 17-4 stainless, as well as D-2 tool steel, 6061-T6 aluminum, brass, Delrin and Teflon.  Cast iron, ductile, steel, stainless and aluminum are also machined here. The 83% increase in machining efficiency has been achieved, due to these four Emco Maier machines with Siemens CNCs, according to Kimray sources and company production data.

In determining the increase in overall machining efficiency at Kimray, VP of Operations David Hill commented, “Our commitment to run CNC machine tools has long been in place and the addition of the Emco Maier lathes with Siemens controls onboard are the latest steps in this process.  We’ve literally had no problems with these machines, the CNC’s or the drives.  When Kimray operators can keep running and producing parts in such a way, the impact on our overall efficiency is immediate and substantial.”

Mike Morris, Kimray’s Plant Engineer, added that “the control is strong and easy for the operators to use”.  Over the years, the CNCs have been virtually bulletproof.”

From the builder’s perspective, Emco Maier shares Kimray’s appreciation for the performance of its CNC/drive package supplier.

“Our 420 machine enables simultaneous production of two parts without interruption or collision.  The digital drives (Siemens SIMODRIVE 611D) produce dynamic performance in both the main spindle and X/Z axes,” commented the company’s Director of Sales Support Operations for Emco Maier USA.  “Plus, programming is just the same as on any CNC lathe.  Only one program is generated.  The program for the second workpiece is simply transferred to the bottom system by means of a selector switch.  No additional programming is necessary.  As we like to say, twice as nice.”

The 665 Hyperturn machine enables true 4-axis machining plus full c-axis capability on both the main and counter spindles.  The 665 uses some of the same programming features, plus the same digital drive system as the 420, but in a larger package.

For more information on this story, please contact any of the following individuals:

KIMRAY, INC. 
Web: www.kimray.com Email: info@kimray.com

EMCO MAIER CORP.
Web: www.emcomaier-usa.com

SIEMENS MACHINE TOOL BUSINESS
John Meyer
Manager, Marketing Communications
Siemens Industry, Inc.
(847) 640-1595
www.usa.siemens.com/cnc
SiemensMTBUMarCom.industry@siemens.com
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