After years of supplying the plastics machinery business and other companies in the industry, Milacron Machining, Mt. Orab, Ohio, is now applying its precision machining expertise to produce large, complex parts for the wind power market. “We have machined components for 2.5 MW and 1.5-MW gearboxes including housings, and planetary carriers,” says plant manager Jim Kinzie. “The process requires component machining, assembly, and line boring to complete an assembly. The physical sizes of the gearbox and carrier components have ranged from 4-ft cubes to one 12 ft on a side. Other components such as retainers, bushings, and pins have been manufactured or procured.”
Jim Kinzie and crew pose in front of a gearbox housing that will hold several generators for a 2.5 MW turbine. Huge horizontal milling machines and his skilled team produced the part.
The company facility features a ISO 9001:2000 and 14001:2004 certified manufacturing environment, complete with specialized equipment to machine tight-tolerance and large parts up to 150,000 lb. The plant includes climate-conditioned as well as secondary metalworking areas, all staffed by skilled employees who average 23 years of experience in the industry.
“We’re seeing a shortage of specialty machining providers in the wind energy market,” says Dave Lawrence, President of Milacron Worldwide Plastics. “To support these needs, we’re investing in our machining business.”
The company says it can handle large parts as well as small to medium lots of custom, design-driven components. In addition, a variety of job and industry-specific certifications let the company meet most manufacturing requirements. WPE
Filed Under: Components, Gearboxes, News
