Repair specialist expands services with multi-axis calibrators

Immediately after shifting from Poland in 2000, Greg Kordalski launched KES Equipment LLC in Connecticut. Considering the fact that then, the enterprise has aided engineering and producing firms optimize productivity and lower downtime with its accredited calibration and fix providers.

KES Equipment LLC’s experts aid machinists solve geometry mistakes, guide screw problems and repeatability issues — at times the staff can diagnose mistakes before they become essential challenges, conserving downtime.

Whilst the firm initially targeted on CNC assistance do the job, in 2008, it invested in its first Renishaw ML10 laser procedure and began establishing its calibration companies. Primarily based in Newington, Connecticut, the corporation is effective with device resource builders, importers, distributors and stop-end users, primarily in the aerospace, defense, nuclear and health-related sectors across the region.

In 2019, KES opened a Polish subsidiary to assist makers there. “Since I was born in Poland, I stop by really regularly, so this is why I selected Poland as the to start with place on the European continent,” reported Kordalski. “However, this does not indicate that the expansion of the firm in Europe will be limited to Poland.” 

The organization provides in-house and on-site fix products and services, as effectively as regular monthly maintenance contracts to continue to keep products running at exceptional effectiveness and precision. In 2016, KES attained ISO 17025 certification and became a completely able calibration assistance business. 

“ISO 17025 accreditation demonstrates our abilities to our clients,” he reported. “Showing that we adhere to business demands for testing and calibration enables us to supply a benefit-added support to engineers and makes certain all our equipment is up-to-date and our technicians offer you the ideal support to customers.”

Problems
Ingredient good quality is dependent on equipment functionality. Devoid of knowledge a machine’s mistake profile, it is not possible to have self-assurance that elements will drop in requirements for the duration of manufacture. KES operates with substantial-precision industries, these types of as aerospace, protection and health care. It aims to be the go-to calibration company service provider and provide the methods its consumers are inquiring for. This led KES to examine volumetric equipment tool compensation and check out the techniques out there on the industry. 

“In the past handful of a long time, we have found manufacturers spend in more automated machining programs,” said Kordalski. “Probes and calibration are important to the success of these devices, so we have observed a escalating fascination in the once-a-year calibration of equipment and equipment making use of probing methods.”

“KES Equipment has generally been at the forefront of technological developments. Precision, application, and support are significant components when hunting for new products and solutions. When we see machines that makes processes much more accurate and successful, we go in that route.”

Krzysztor Siergiejczyk, head of KES Equipment in Poland explained, “After acquiring a superior practical experience functioning with Renishaw in the Usa, when opening the Polish subsidiary, we rapidly established speak to with Renishaw Poland. We have been the initial enterprise in Poland to undertake Renishaw’s XM-60 and we have a large ambition to consider treatment of consumers in just the European current market above the impending decades.”

Option
Renishaw has had a extensive-standing connection with KES. As Kordalski defined: “When Renishaw arrives out with a new solution, it sparks our interest. As a consequence, we’ve labored with Renishaw for lots of decades.”

When he initially launched KES, Kordalski bought his 1st ML10 laser and QC10 ballbar from Renishaw. Because then, KES has procured a vary of Renishaw machines, together with XL-80 laser devices, XR20 rotary calibrators, off axis rotary software program and QC20 ballbar devices. The organization is also an advocate of Renishaw’s device instrument probes, instrument setters and broken tool detection units, and is a complete-service agent of Renishaw goods.

KES Equipment LLC ultimately selected Renishaw’s XM-60 and XM-600 multi-axis calibrator simply because of its relieve of use, adaptability, and means to seize large amounts of data. KES can use the tools on equally CNC device equipment and CMMs to execute volumetric compensation. This laser measurement technique is able of measuring faults in 6 levels of independence alongside a linear axis, at the same time from a solitary set-up. It gives a effective diagnostic device to evaluate all geometric mistakes in the axis from a solitary seize. 

Moreover, the XM-600 multi-axis calibrator is created with further operation, enabling it to connect right with Renishaw’s UCC controllers, and is compatible with Renishaw’s CARTO software program suite. These attributes make it the great calibration alternative for any production facility that takes advantage of each machine instruments and CMMs, such as KES. 

“Renishaw presents a array of calibration options for enhanced machine overall performance, amplified equipment up-time and preventative maintenance schedules,” discussed Jeffrey Seliga, Promoting Manager at Renishaw Inc. “By making use of the XM-60, the KES team can obtain a variety of measurements, which include the pitch, yaw, roll, linear positioning, horizontal and vertical straightness at the identical time it will take to obtain a one measurement making use of regular strategies.”

Success
“I would say that about 80 per cent of our tools is now Renishaw,” spelled out Kordalski. “Although we still look into other brand methods, ultimately, we are seeking for the ideal technological know-how, and Renishaw commonly wins. For case in point, we not too long ago invested in the XK10 alignment laser method. Though it’s even now a new products for us, we have previously seen its advantages when tests spindle way or when setting up equipment, to enable change straightness and squareness.”

KES Equipment used the XM-600 to put into practice CNC volumetric payment and will shortly provide CMM calibration to its shoppers, as nicely as support for Renishaw CMM hardware, as the XM-600 right interfaces with Renishaw UCC controllers. For several years prior to the launch of the XM-60 and XM-600, KES ordinarily made use of numerous pieces of unique equipment to measure linear positioning, pitch, yaw and roll. The XM-60 manages this approach with 1 go and will include things like horizontal and vertical straightness more than the completed journey. Measurements that utilised to get two to 4 hrs are now lessened to underneath 30 minutes, dependent on the size of the device axis.

The equipment can also be utilized to diagnose equipment mistakes. KES employs CARTO software, alongside with its personal custom made software, to simplify its processes. The KES team uses the “cut and paste” characteristic in CARTO program to assist the payment approach and saves time making use of the report builder aspect. 

“Volumetric payment is a fairly new course of action in the United States, but we have had excellent good results in the past two many years,” ongoing Kordalski. “We can now improved support our buyers and provide methods that they desire to guarantee device precision. For example, we’re now viewing some of our shoppers setting up these alternatives onto new equipment and doing volumetric payment in the course of set up, making sure equipment accuracy from the quite beginning.”

“The support from Renishaw has been excellent. When 1st introducing the item, Renishaw arranged to go to our facility to critique the procedure and characteristics, and the staff is also on hand for support and routinely asks for comments and tips about its software. Our crew is out in the field working with Renishaw equipment and computer software each day, so we are happy to make recommendations — it is a terrific emotion when a new edition is introduced, and your recommendation has been additional,” concluded Kordalski.

For more information and facts take a look at, www.renishaw.com/calibration.