Seal Team Systems creates bespoke leak repair systems for food manufacturers, energy generators, water suppliers and hospitals, providing on-site leak sealing technology to minimise any disruption or downtime. This can be expensive or life-threatening.
The leaks can be anything from 150psi steam in industrial/hospital scenarios, to super-heated steam at over 1000psi (70Bar) at temperatures up to 700°C. Time is critical in manufacturing a range of components that can create an effective leak repair that can be made permanent at the next scheduled maintenance shutdown.
With every leak posing different problems, the parts manufactured by Seal Team Systems are bespoke. The process starts with a customer site visit by a trained technician who reviews the problem, takes detailed measurements and as soon as he returns to the factory, manufacturing starts. All this can take 2-3 days, a situation compounded by a reliance on manual machining, a time loss that is unacceptable to many customers, with one quoting a £3m cost for a 3-day shutdown.
To address this, Seal Team Systems has invested in an XYZ RMX 5000 bed mill fitted with the latest ProtoTRAK control system. “We recognised a need to automate the process as much as possible, especially as finding skilled people was becoming harder,” says Andy Mills, Director Seal Team Systems. “With the XYZ RMX 5000, the technician can now simply text all the details to us and we can start machining straightaway, turning what was a 2-3 day process into a next day service.”
The XYZ RMX 5000 is the largest machine in the ProtoTRAK bed mill range and is equipped with a 7.5hp programmable and variable speed spindle, with 3-axis CNC provided by the touchscreen ProtoTRAK control. With a table measuring 1930 by 356mm and axis travels of 1524 by 596 by 584mm, it is large enough to handle most jobs. A key feature for Seal Team Systems is the TRAKing facility built into the control. This allows operators to use the handwheels to move through the CNC program, at a speed they are comfortable with, even allowing the program to be reversed if required.
“The move to the RMX 5000 with the ProtoTRAK control was a logical step up from manual machining, the training was straightforward, and we were operating it very soon after installation,” says Ken Black, Director, Seal Team Systems. “The time savings are significant, and typically amount to a 66% reduction in lead times. Being new to CNC, we were also impressed with the support given by XYZ. Before ordering, we had demonstrations where we brought our own materials. XYZ also modified the showroom machine to provide air cooling to the cutter, rather than coolant, which was our preference.”
The arrival of the XYZ RMX 5000 also brought other changes to Seal Team Systems with an investment in Autodesk’s Fusion 360 CAD/CAM software. “With the RMX 5000, we can machine parts we couldn’t attempt before on our manual machines, such as out of round/oval parts such as valve bonnets. This has opened up new possibilities for us and the software allows us to be more creative and make use of FEA, meaning we can give added reassurance to customers and avoid over-engineering parts as we have had to do previously,” says Ken Black.
Business for Seal Team Systems was good before the arrival of the XYZ RMX 5000, but since its arrival, they have seen an increase in turnover and the result is the need for additional people to handle extra work being generated.
