ace designers - report

Internship Report Bindagi, Anuj ACE Designers Ltd. July 11, 2014

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INTERNSHIP REPORT – ACE DESIGNERS LTD.

A brief description of ACE Designers Ltd. and its associated companies is given below:

1. Ace Designers: Parent company manufacturing CNC turning machines

2. Auto CNC Machining Pvt. Ltd.: Component manufacturing unit

3. Micromatic Machine tools Pvt. Ltd.: Sales and service of machines

4. Pragati Automation: Manufacturer and exporter of tool turrets, auto tool changers etc.

5. Micromatic Grinding (MG) Technologies Ltd.: Manufacturer of cylindrical grinding

machines

6. Pioneer Computing Technologies: Manufacturer of productivity monitoring software for

machine tools.

All divisions of ACE Designers.

Metrology

CSG-Customer Service Group

SMD-Sheet Metal Division

Hydraulics

Paint Shop

Marketing

QA-Quality Assurance & Quality Analysis

Tool Room

CMD-Component Manufacturing Division

Purchase & Vendor

Assembly

Human Resource (HR)

METROLOGY

Metrology is the science of measurement. All measurement activities in ACE are carried

out at the Metrology Lab. It is the standards lab at ACE. Calibration of measuring instruments

and other high-precision measurements are the specialization of this department.

Constructional Features of the Metrology Lab.

Vibration isolated floor for stable measurement. Standard flooring is 20” thick concrete

base.

Temperature is controlled between 19-21 C

Humidity is maintained between 40% RH – 60%RH

ISO Class-8 Clean room


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Light Intensity is 300 lux to 500 lux.

The various machines and their specifications:

Ballbar-QC20

Roundness Tester

Co-Ordinate Measuring Machine (CMM)

Laser Interferometer

Profile Projector

Roundness Tester (Taylor Hobson)

Smart Balancer

Electronic Level \ Blue Level

Surface Roughness Testing Machine


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CUSTOMER SERVICE GROUP (CSG)

CSG acts as an interface between the Micromatics (MMT) throughout India and the

technical part of ACE itself.

Two important jobs of MMT:

Install the machines in the customer factories

In case of malfunction, the customer contact the MMT’s and they act as the customer

care center.

Operation Strategies

Make to Order

Make to Stock

Assemble to Order

Engineer to Order

Organization Structure of CSG

General Manager

Executive Technical

Engineers Assistants

Processes under CSG:

Service Support

Repair Services

Customer Complaint Analysis

Customer Training

Free Replacement Item Control

SHEET METAL DIVISION (SMD)

The outer metal covered on a machine is manufactured in Sheet Metal Division. Huge metal

sheets will be cut and made in proper required shape. This department is concerned with all

work done on sheet metal which is used in manufacture of parts like the housing, doors and all

other sheet metal parts used on the CNC.


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The main objectives of SMD

Controlling quality by process

Manufacturing initiatives like Kaizen, CIP ,5S

Adaptation of new techniques and technology

Grinding and Painting (for finishing)

The two types of sheets used are:

1. HRCA – Hot Rolled Closed Annealed

The material used for HRCA is stainless steel SS-304 Grade

2. CRCA - Cold Rolled Closed Annealed

The material used for CRCA is mild steel of different grades

Commercial quality grade

Drawing grade -D Grade

Deep drawing -DD Grade

Extra deep drawing -EDD Grade

Manufacturing Practices

Material Selection

Cutting

Forming

Metal Joining

Finishing

Material Handling

Metal Joining:

Joining of the sheet metals is done in one of the following ways

Thermal

Adhesive

Mechanical

Welding

Material Selection:

The material used for sheet metal manufacturing is selected based on the following categories:

Flatness


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Uniform sheet thickness

Wrinkle free sheets

It is free from rust

Mechanical and chemical properties as per 513 standard

Cutting:

Different cutting operations employed are:

Shearing: This process utilizes shearing forces to cut. The length of cutting can be

controlled in this process using a back gauge. The accuracy obtained is within +/- 0.50

mm per meter

Notching: Corner profile cutting using templates or over marking

Punching: Used to cut holes and slots

CNC Punching: HRCA- 4mm & SS- 2mm

Water jet Cutting

Plasma Cutting


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Finishing:

Types of processes:

Rough grinding

Finish Sandering

Final finishing

Buffing for SS material

Painting or powder coating for MS material

HYDRAULICS

Hydraulic engineering is concerned with the flow and conveyance of fluids, principally

water. However, the fluid used in mechanical application is oil.

The primary components of basic hydraulic assembly are:

1. Power Pack: It is the power unit driving a hydraulic system. Its main function is to

pressurize the oil in the system using a pump and other control accessories and

collect it on return. The parts of the power pack are as follows:

Tank

Pump


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Filter

Air breather

Accumulator

Check Valve

Fluid Level Gauge

2. Hydraulic Elements : It consists of all the elements that directly or indirectly help in

the control of flow of fluid and hence, transfer of energy. The different parts in

hydraulic elements are :

Direction control valve

Pressure reducer

Pressure switch

Gauge isolator

Distribution box

The basic principle on which hydraulics works is:

The motor converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. This is the first energy

conversion that takes place. The pump converts the mechanical energy into pressure energy of

the oil.

Electrical Mechanical Pressure

Energy Energy Energy

Pump Motor


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PAINT SHOP

The primary concern of this department is cleaning of castings and sheet metal works

and painting them to prevent rust and also to give the machine aesthetic looks.

For sheet metal works the material used are:

CRCA Sheet: Cold rolled closed annealed

HRCA Sheet: Hot rolled closed annealed

The process of painting is as follows:

1. The dust settled on the component is cleaned and the grease is removed using

suitable cleansing agents.

2. The component is then rinsed with soft water

3. De-rusting – there are two ways of doing this:

a. Using phosphoric acid base- this cannot remove black scales

b. Using hydrochloric acid base- this removes the black scales

4. Activation: the metal surface is activated i.e. it is given a charge so as to aid

phosphating such that it adheres to the metal surface.

5. Phosphating: Phosphate coatings are used on steel parts for corrosion resistance,

lubricity, or as a foundation for subsequent coatings or painting. The main types of

phosphate coatings are manganese, iron and zinc.

Most phosphate coatings serve as a surface preparation for other coating and/or

painting. It has many features like electric isolation, excellent adhesion, porosity,

dielectric nature etc.

The whole process is carried out in phosphating tanks.

6. The work is then double rinsed using de-mineralized water.

7. It is then taken to a water drier oven which dries the component.

8. Powder Coating: It is applied as a free-flowing, dry powder. It does not require a

solvent to keep the binder and filler parts in a liquid suspension form. The coating is

typically applied electrostatically and is then cured under heat to allow it to flow and

form a “skin”. The powder may be a thermoplastic or a thermoset polymer. For this

process, the metal is placed on a conveyor which is earthed. The most common way

of applying the powder coating is to spray the powder using an electrostatic gun, or

Corona gun. The gun imparts a positive electric charge on the powder, which is then

sprayed towards the grounded object by mechanical or compressed air spraying and

then accelerated towards the work piece by the powerful electrostatic charge. The

object is then heated, and the powder melts into a uniform film, and is then cooled

to form a hard coating.


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For castings the method of liquid painting is used.

1. Blasting the casting so as to remove oil and other contaminants.

2. Primer is applied onto the casting

3. Putty is applied to fill deep holes which give the casting a smooth finish.

4. An epoxy primer is again applied onto the surface

5. Sandering is now done. It is the process wherein the roughening of surface is

carried out using emery paper so as to help the paint adhere to the casting

surface.

6. A masking tape is used to cover machine areas which are not to be painted from

paint deposition.

7. Paint is now applied onto the casting.

MARKETING

Marketing department is also known as Technical Service Group (TSG). It acts as a link

between the customer and ACE so as to get all the technical requirements from the customer

and to take the respective course of action. In ACE Designers Sales and Marketing activities are

handled by a separate subsidiary unit called Micromatic Machine Tools Pvt. Ltd., (MMT). MMT

acts as the interface between the customer and all ACE companies. MMT takes care of Indian

and non-US markets.

The main functions of the marketing department are:

Pre-Sales:

Enquiry

Lead

Contact generation

Opportunity

Quotation

Post-Sales:

OA

PI

Inspection

Minutes of Meeting (MoM)

Dispatch

Tax Invoice


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Generation of Leeds: It involves finding a suitable customer whose application matches ACE

Designers product range and manufacturing abilities. Advertising in different industry based

magazines, participating in exhibitions and trade shows held all over the world, conducting

seminars and workshops are some of the main strategies that ACE Designers use to catch new

opportunities for business.

Handling Enquiries and Request for Quotation (RFQ): Customer sends an enquiry if he is

interested in buying the product. The marketing team discuss on the feasibility of the enquiry.

Once if proved feasible, Request for Quotation (RFQ) will be generated.

Some of the marketing strategies used by ACE are:

Tech centers

Exhibitions

Road Shows

Seminars and Workshops

Industrial trade magazines

ACE Designers has 32 % of the total market share of all the machine tools across India. ACE

Designers marketing team use the concept of Just-In-Time (JIT).

MMT oversees all sales and service activities. They get an enquiry from the customer

which is forwarded to the TSG which then makes a quotation depending on what the

requirements are i.e. if it is a standard model or is customized.

This quote is sent to MMT which then sends it to the customer. Once all negotiations

are done the purchase order is given by the customer and the advance payment is finished,

MMT issues an order forwarding format to start the production of the machine to ACE. In case

of customized models separate component drawings are issued and the work begins.

QUALITY ASSURANCE (QA)

It exists to measure, evolve, analyze and feed in the data to facilitate process

improvements in the department. This department deals with:

Inspection of incoming items

Performing tests on machines such as Ball bar test and Laser test

Metrology and calibration of measuring instruments

In-House Manufacturing QA

This is involving the inspection of those components that are manufactured in-house.


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After the manufacture of the first component, the operator inspects it himself and the

dimensions are recorded. Depending on the complexity, there is a secondary inspection

conducted. Inspection is conducted by the operator at every stage of the manufacture of the

component. Upon the completion of all these processes, the results are entered into SAP. After

the complete manufacture of the component, the component is stored in stores.

Items/Components are classified into 3 categories:

1. Most critical items

2. Less critical items

3. Least critical items

For most critical items, almost all components are inspected.

For other categories batch inspection is carried out. The department has a chart stating how

many components are to be inspected per 1000 components and depending on the number

of components complying with the quality standards the whole lot is either accepted or

rejected.

In case of continuous supply of faulty items corrective and preventive action (CAPA) is carried

out.

TOOL ROOM

Tool room is where machining of components takes place.

Principles of work holding:

Wedge action

Taper

Helical

Collets

Pin arbor chuck

2 Jaw chuck

3 Jaw chuck

Chuck

A chuck is a specialized type of clamp used to hold rotating tools or materials.

A self-centering chuck uses jaws, interconnected via a scroll gear, to hold onto a tool or

work piece. Because they most often have three jaws, the term three-jaw chuck without


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other qualification is understood by machinists to mean a self-centering three jaw chuck. The

term universal chuck also refers to this type.

On an independent jaw chuck, each jaw can be moved independently. Because they

most often have four jaws, the term four-jaw chuck is understood. The independence of the

jaws makes the chuck ideal for gripping non-circular and circular cross-sections with extreme

precision. The non-self-centering action of the independent jaws makes centering highly

controllable.

Collets

A collet is a holding device that forms a collar around the object to be held and exerts a

strong clamping force on the object when it is tightened via a tapered outer collar. It may be

used to hold a work piece or a tool.

Each collet generally has only a narrow clamping range, which means that many collets

are required to hold a given range of materials in the chuck, unlike with many other types of

chuck that will generally cover a wide range of sizes.

The space clamping works on the helical principle.

Pin Arbor Chuck size- 80


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Chuck Collet

Different exclusive tools at ACE

COMPONENT MANUFACTURING DIVISION (CMD)

CMD is a department where singular batch components are manufactured and are

further forwarded to the stores where it gets stored and can be obtained by the assembly unit

as and when required. It is the in-house machining division, where the machinable assembly

items of a machine like bearing housing, saddle, top tables etc. are manufactured. This division

comprises machining centers, turning centers, grinding machines and special lathes to machine

the components.

Here, certain raw materials are brought in from outside. All components are

manufactured according to their process drawings specific to each component. The raw

materials are then processed according to their concerned drawings. A process drawing is

extremely important for the manufacture of any component because it contains the step by

step procedure to machine the component after the proof machining by the vendor and plays a

major role in defining the final dimensional accuracy of the completed component.

In CMD, batch manufacturing of component takes place. This sort of manufacturing

takes immense amount of planning since excess processing will take more lead time. Initially

the batch size is identified and depending upon the criticality of the component a batch size is

decided upon. The number per batch manufactured is specified by the vendor where the

vendor manages the heat treatment process. Excess components are stored for future use.

A specific routing sequence is followed in CMD. A routing sequence is a manufacturing

sequence for any component. Also, it is component specific.


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CMD undertakes a few processes. It has 5 sub-divisions in itself mentioned as follows:

1. Planning: It handles all the planning of the manufacturing of components required by

the assembly division. The software SAP takes care of all the preparation and planning.

2. Manufacturing: The component manufacturing is according to their importance. The

work centers are termed as critical and non-critical based on the quality and quantity of

the operation.

3. Quality Assurance: It exists to measure, evolve, analyze and feed in the data top

facilitate process improvements in the department.

4. Methods: This division provides for process improvements like jigs and fixtures

developments and tooling requirements.

5. Vendor department: It involves inspection of those components that are manufactured

by vendors.

One of the modern concepts used in CMD goes by the name Lean Manufacturing. Using this

concept a lot of improvements are seen it the department.

Just In Time (JIT) concept is implemented for obtaining standard components from in-group

companies.

MACHINE ASSEMBLY

The machine assembly division is one which concerns the assembly of the entire vendor,

bought-out and in-house manufactured items.

The assembly starts off with Axis alignment and Assembly division. The machined

surface is kept clean using kerosene. The guide ways, Linear Motion (LM) or Box/Hardened

Guide-ways are used. LM guide ways are used for higher precision but cannot take deeper cuts

whereas box guides can take deeper cuts but comparatively less precise. Using a spirit-level, the

guide-ways are leveled. The guides are tightened to the Guide-ways such that there is complete

contact with the bed.

The next step in the machine assembly is the assembly of the housing and greasing of

bearings for the re-circulating ball screw arrangement. The ball screw is then assembled on the

machine in between the two rails. This arrangement is used for both the axes. The cross-slide is

now assembled on top of the ball screw arrangement. LM guides are inherently friction-free to

a certain degree.

The headstock is fastened onto the bed. The pulleys are mounted onto the motor shaft

and spindle. The motor is then mounted onto its position. Belts are wrapped around these

pulleys and tensioned to a pre-determined value. This is called belt tensioning.


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Now the axes arrangement is checked for the accuracy of its motion with respect to the

spindle assembly. There are two tests:

1. Primary: A dial gauge is used to check the parallelism between the mandrel and the

cross-slide. A maximum variation of 15 microns is permissible.

2. Secondary: Plane normal to the cutting plane is called Secondary plane. A maximum

variation of 25 microns is permissible.

3. Squareness: The degree of perpendicularity of cross-slide movement with respect to the

spindle axis is referred to as squareness. A special fixture designed by ACE themselves iu

used to check this parameter.

This is followed by tail stock assembly. The assembly of axes, tailstock and motor is called as

Carcass assembly. This is then shifted to the flow line. The flow line concept is one where the

machine is indexed while the work-center is stationary. This helps in belter time-management,

resource planning and improves the overall efficiency of the assembly function. The flow line at

ACE has 8 major station and a 9th idle station. Some of the assembly procedures taking place in

each is as stated below:

Station 1: Guarding Assembly 1

Motor Bracket

Lubrication Unit

Cabinet frame

Motor guard

Coolant junction box


Center Guard

Power chucking cylinder cover (PCC)

Cabinet Conduits


Hydraulic hose connections

Console assembly

Coolant channel

Station4: Electrical Assembly 1

Lubrication power, pressure switches, front switch

Spindle motor wiring

AC Wiring


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Station 5: Electrical Assembly 2

Hydraulics motor wiring

Cable Shielding

Input power connection

Station 6: Geometrical Testing and turret mounting

Bed leveling

Turret height plate check

Turret mounting

Station 7: Coolant Running

Mount face plate

Chuck

Fitting of jaws

Turret alignment

Station 8: Cutting Test and Dispatch

Machine Inspection

Electrical Inspection

Dry run for 8 hours

Standard Cutting tests

After successful tests, the machine is ready for dispatch and is shipped to the customer.

HUMAN RESOURCE (HR)

Functions of HR:

Time office management

Entry & exit time, working hours

Attendance administration

Salary and wage administration

Training

Man power handling

Employee counseling and guidelines

Overseas deputation and sponsorship


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Innovative HR practices

Feedback system management

Compensation policy

Common H.R activities

Recruitment, training, payroll administration and performance management

Welfare and Safety activities

Ace being a heavy machinery manufacturing company takes care about the safety aspects of

each individual. Safety of the working environment is better maintained and the workers are

well trained regarding the essence of usage safety precautionary items. Gangways, sideboard,

emergency equipment, first aid boxes, fire extinguishers were some of the safety measures

observed.

Recreational Activities

Ace organizes annual recreational activities such as sports and cultural activities, bringing all the

employees under one roof. This helps to create a strong social relationship between employees

irrespective of their occupation.

Apprenticeship training program

In Ace designers, people with requisite qualification undergo apprenticeship training for one

year in line with the Apprenticeship program. During this period, Ace provides all facilities to

the employee.

Employee training

In Ace need for training of every employee is identified by his immediate superior. The same

will be conveyed to the HR department. The HR department organizes the common training

program for all the employees to whom it was suggested by his superior.

ace designers - report

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