Advanced CNC facilities at Damax Sebenza Pack
May 2014
IT in Manufacturing
Johannesburg based Damax Sebenza Pack specialises in the production of plastic packaging for numerous products including food, cosmetics and customised industrial applications.
Managing director Brian Lovell reveals that the company boasts an in-house mould toolroom with computer numerically controlled (CNC) equipment for new product design and development, which sets it apart from the competition.
“Using advanced software we are able to draw the product before downloading it onto a PC. Then, we set up the blocks, parameters and tool heights, and the final machined component is completed within a matter of hours,” he explains.
Damax Sebenza Pack has a total of three CNC machines, including the TM-1P manufactured by USA-based Haas Automation – a manufacturer of CNC vertical and horizontal machining centres, CNC lathes and rotary products.
The 40 taper Haas TM-1P is a fully enclosed 10-station automatic tool changer with an intuitive programming system and 1 MB of program memory. It is powered by a 5,6 kW vector drive, with a maximum speed of 6000 rpm and a maximum torque rating of 45 Nm at 1200 rpm.
For ease of use the machine features a colour LCD monitor and USB port functionality. “The machine is highly efficient and requires no more than five staff members to operate it throughout the entire manufacturing process, from program input all the way through to dye cutting, back grooving and final polishing,” explains Lovell.
The Haas TM-1P mould toolroom is controlled by UK-based Edgecam 3D milling computer aided manufacturing (CAM) software. “Unlike many CAM systems, Edgecam’s 3D milling software is compatible with numerous computer aided design (CAD) systems. This ensures seamless operability between the two systems, with no data translation issues.”
According to Lovell, Edgecam’s extensive suite of advanced 3D cycles is ideally suited for generating tool paths for all surface and solid machining needs. “This ultimately results in reduced cycle times and an overall higher level of machining efficiency.”
By manufacturing its own moulds in-house using the Haas TM-1P mould toolroom and Edgecam 3D milling software, Lovell says that Damax Sebenza Pack is able to reduce overhead costs that would normally be passed directly to the customer.
“The Haas TM-1P mould toolroom also enables Damax Sebenza Pack to offers its clients comprehensive advice with regards to new product packaging, as the customer will approach us with a general concept or a theme and we will design and develop a mould for the mock-up or prototype packaging samples complete with graphics and logos,” he continues.
“The prototype is manufactured with a resin that is cast into a block where it solidifies. “Following suggestions and any necessary modifications, we receive final approval from the customer and a final mould is produced for production.”
Lovell says that Damax Sebenza Pack completes more than 30 prototype packaging projects per month. Not all of these become final products, but the development plays an instrumental role in promoting creativity and innovation for the company and its clients.
Damax Sebenza Pack is committed to industry advancements by testing new concepts on a regular basis. This is especially beneficial when businesses are looking to create unique packaging that catches the eye of shoppers during special promotions and over the festive season. It is one of our key differentiators,” concludes Lovell.
For more information contact Brian Lovell, Damax Sebenza Pack, +27 (0)11 472 0223, [email protected], www.damax-group.co.za
Further reading:
Even in autonomous systems, human insight is important
Schneider Electric South Africa
IT in Manufacturing
As AI, IIoT and digital twins reshape industrial operations, Schneider Electric’s Kobus Vermeulen and Bafana Msibi argue that the operator’s role is shifting from controlling equipment to interpreting intelligence, validating AI recommendations and making decisions that improve
Read more...
AI-based quality inspection scales across P&G operations
Siemens South Africa
IT in Manufacturing
Siemens and Procter & Gamble are expanding an AI-based visual inspection system across P&G’s manufacturing operations worldwide, inspecting products in real time at full line speed, and reducing scrap rates by 10 to 20% depending on the product.
Read more...
How sustainability unlocks real business impact
Rockwell Automation
IT in Manufacturing
Sustainability has moved from a compliance obligation to a strategic driver of resilience and value for manufacturers. Rockwell Automation explains how its Triple A framework and connected-data approach help producers cut energy, water and waste while improving productivity.
Read more...
Mining’s AI future will depend on people as well as technology
IT in Manufacturing
South Africa’s mining industry is embracing digitalisation and AI, but AvenirHoldings chief executive officer, Tshidi Mndzebele says the real test is whether the people behind the industry are equipped to move forward with it, and outlines five things mining needs to get right.
Read more...
How BIC overcame operational silos to integrate technology and people
Rockwell Automation
IT in Manufacturing
Manufacturing giant BIC deployed Plex MES from Rockwell Automation at its Bizerte plant in Tunisia, replacing fragmented, partly in-house software with a single cloud-based execution system that broke operational silos and improved shop-floor visibility.
Read more...
AI in industry is an early warning system, not a guarantee
Schneider Electric South Africa
IT in Manufacturing
Schneider Electric’s Paul Steyn argues that AI in industrial maintenance is only as good as the infrastructure and people behind it, and explains the three layers a facility needs before predictive maintenance can deliver on its promise.
Read more...
SA’s mining industry must put people at the heart of its digital future
IT in Manufacturing
South Africa’s mining industry employs around 470 000 people while its digital transition accelerates. Avenir’s chief executive officer, Tshidi Mndzebele argues that technology should enable and upskill the workforce rather than replace it, setting out five ways mining can make technology work for its people.
Read more...
Quality control supports efficient tissue production
Valmet South Africa
IT in Manufacturing
Valmet’s advanced quality control technology is helping tissue producers improve product consistency while reducing energy and raw material consumption. Its latest installation at KORO Paper in Vietnam combines real-time measurement, process optimisation and non-contact, nuclear-free quality control.
Read more...
Patented algorithm maximises operator efficiency
Rockwell Automation
IT in Manufacturing
Rockwell Automation piloted a patented anomaly detection algorithm and FactoryTalk DataMosaix at its Twinsburg electronics plant, giving operators 30 to 60 days’ advance warning of stencil failure, improving fail rates by 22% and achieving a 200% return on investment.
Read more...
Cybersecurity must become part of the next era of industrial automation
Adroit Technologies
IT in Manufacturing
The EU’s Cyber Resilience Act is setting a global benchmark for connected products, making cybersecurity a core engineering requirement in industrial automation. Adroit Technologies and Mitsubishi Electric explain how building security into controllers, PLCs and drives from the outset helps South African manufacturers protect production and meet international expectations.
Read more...
printer friendly version