Incorporating                NuBuilt Engineering

The capabilities of one of the largest CNC horizontal boring and milling machines currently operating in Australia are being demonstrated by mechanical engineering company, Baker & Provan, on a job for the rail industry.

The state-of-the-art, Japanese designed and built, computer controlled CNC machine is being used to machine 76 locomotive bogies at Baker & Provan’s St Mary’s workshop, in Sydney’s West.

The high precision machine sits on a massive 300 tonne, steel reinforced concrete foundation. It has the capacity to handle jobs weighing up to 30 tonnes on the rotary table and an unlimited weight on the floor plate area. It features 12 metre cross travel and 4 metre vertical travel specifications, has a 2.5m x 3m CNC rotary table and six controllable axis.

Since purchasing the machine a year ago, Baker & Provan has also used it to manufacture titanium clad plates for an offshore gold mining project and heavy earth moving equipment for a tunneling machine.

Baker & Provan’s Managing Director, Mr. Peter Baker, said the machine’s strength and large size offer significant import replacement and production benefits.

“In the last eight years, we have made a concerted effort to invest in large scale capacity computer controlled machine tools and equipment, “Mr. Baker explained. “This has enabled us to secure orders that would previously have been placed overseas.

“By investing in equipment such as the computer controlled CNC borer, we now have the capacity to provide Australian industries with locally made components and products, reducing the need to import.

“This piece of equipment also provides the obvious advantage of being able to produce larger, more complex products. Accuracy and precision is also improved as projects can be completed in a single set up.”

The large capacity CNC machine takes its place among Baker & Provan’s high-tech range of other horizontal boring, turning, milling and drilling equipment.

Its 4,800 square metre workshop features eight overhead travelling cranes, each with up to 32 tonne lift capacities, 1000 square metres of factory space allocated to fabrication and deep hole drilling, an assembly and test area and an hydraulic test facility.

The family owned Baker & Provan has been established for 53 years and specialises in mechanical engineering for Australian industry and defence. Its services include manufacturing precision mechanical components, process machinery and equipment for large plants, project management and design, equipment assembly, fitting and testing and specialised welding.

Since 1989 the company has also been involved in an active program of import replacement for both commercial and defence projects.

One of its most recent jobs in this area was the supply of six shipsets of cranes for the Royal Australian Navy’s – Mine Hunter Project. These multi-purpose cranes were lightweight, non-magnetic and shock qualified.

Baker & Provan is now supplying boat cranes for the ANZAC ship project and is responsible for all engineering aspects including design, development, manufacture, assembly, testing and set-to-work. All work associated with this project is being carried out in-house.

Other import replacement jobs completed by Baker & Provan have included the supply of nine slewing davits for the Royal Australian Navy, 28 control surface shaft assemblies for the Collins class submarines and specialist equipment for the steel industry.

© 2004 Baker & Provan