| Open house showcased Metaltek’s CAD/CAM machining |
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Pipeline News
Lloydminster –
 Welcome
to a 21st century
machine shop. held an open
house on May 14 to showcase
the latest generation
of computerized numerical
control (CNC) lathes and
milling machines in their
expanded manufacturing
facility.
Owner and CEO
Kent Carriere along with
partners Jackson McGee
and Adam Budenski – all
journeymen machinists
– will be on hand to demonstrate
how they use advanced
CAD/CAM software
with CNC machines
to prototype, produce or
repair parts or tools from
start to fi nish.
“A lot of people don’t
realize what we have for
high-tech equipment,” said
Carriere.
 “When people think
machine shop, they think
of a little lathe in the corner
and a milling machine
made in the ’40s. I think
it will be a real eye opener
for lot of people to see how
high-tech things are from
the initial idea to the design,
engineering and fi nished
product.
“We’re going to show
the production steps and
have the machines running.
It will be good for everyone
in industry to realize the
capabilities that we have in
Lloydminster.”
Metaltek has the ability
to make a product from
scratch starting with the
CAD/CAM technology
operated by McGee who
has 26 years of experience
as a machinist.
“If someone wanted us
to make a fl ange, we would
need to know what specifications are required and
we would build it to API
specs,” said McGee. “We
would source out the materials
to meet those specs
and get the materials in.
“Sometimes there are
custom requirements for
projects, so we draw it or
scale it on the computer.
From there, the software allows
us to create a program
that is sent to the CNC
machines.
“CAD usually comes
into play for prototypes and
for production runs. I design
things from a machinist’s
point of view.
 “My focus is on ease
of manufacturing. Th e goal
is to manufacture a product
from a cost eff ective standpoint
and still get the job
done for the customer.”
Standard Metaltek
machining tasks include
API treading, surface
grinding and valve repair,
wellhead fl anges, rod hangers,
heavy duty C vices,
rod breakers, BOP testing
nipples , sandline bailer
and bailer bits and tubing
drains.
“We manufacture any
product for any customer
who comes along,” said
Carriere.
Where Metaltek
shines is in its ability to
work from a customer’s
drawing or idea or from
a sample part and take it
from a CAD design to a
completed machined product.
“When we have a
product to manufacture,
we will sit down and do a
rough sketch of what we
want to see,” said Carriere.
“ Jackson does all of
the design and Adam does
the engineering. We put our
heads together and come
up with a saleable product
at the end of the day.
“It’s a team approach.
We are always running new
ideas off each other. Every
perspective makes your
product that much better at
the end.”
 CAD drawings are
converted by McGee to a
programmed code that is
uploaded to a specifi c CNC
machine. An operator can
edit the program using a
key pay and assign various
built-in tools to carry out
operations like threading or
drilling a hole.
“Once you have
proved the program and
everything’s been measured
and signed off , you go into
production from that point
whether it’s two pieces or
2,000 pieces,” said Carriere.
“Th e software and the
machines that we are running
are basically the latest
that are out there.
A lot of the work we
do is too labour intensive
for manually operated
lathes. When you get into
complicated parts like internal
radiuses you can’t reproduce
that eff ectively on
a traditional lathe.”
Th e CNC lathes are
used for machining tubular
and round products – cutting
threads, drilling holes
and cutting internal threads.
Th e lathe has the fl exibility
to machine any sized part
up to a 30-inch diameter.
Th e milling machines
are used for drilling and
tapping holes, milling slots
and cutting windows in
tubes and have the capability
to handle text and logo
engraving, intricate curves
and shapes and large milling
jobs.
Metaltek also has a
combination CNC lathe
and mill for products that
require a mill and a lathe
operation .
Manual lathes are used
to machine a multitude of
parts from very small pieces
all the way up to 36-inch
diameter pieces.
Manual mills allow
Metaltek to perform all
types of operations such as
milling, drilling and tapping
any spot on a workpiece.
“We can do all kinds
of parts from adapting
existing equipment and
making equipment more
effi cient to designing new
products from ideas,” said
Carriere.
“Th at’s how we got
our start designing new
products. I have a patent
on a downhole tool that I
designed 10 years ago. You
kind of build your reputation
on designing new
products for people and
working with people on
modifying equipment.”
Lloydminster, with
the type of heavy oil and
the high sand cut, leads to a
lot of innovation. Th ere are
a lot of new products and
ideas out there and you can
bring them to the table and
make them workable.”
 Recently, Metaltek
designed and manufactured
a mixing system and a relief
valve system for sample
bottles used to collect oil
samples from pipelines for
testing in the lab.
“Designing something
that is interesting and new
is the exciting side of the
business,” said Carrier. “It’s
exciting to see an idea on
paper that is hand-drawn
become a completed product.
Th at’s a rewarding experience.”
Carriere started Metaltek
12 years ago with a
couple of machines and is
surprised the company has
grown to the point where
he is having an open house
to mark the latest expansion.
“When I started, I
envisioned making a good
living for myself,” he said. “I
tried to advance with technology
as it became available
and it kind of grew
from that point.”
As for further expansion
Carriere said, “I’m not
slowing down now. I got a
few more years left in me. I
am shooting for the moon.” |
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Manufacture and repair of wellhead equipment |
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Rotary connection manufacture and repair |
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Thread and re-thread casing and tubing and line pipe |
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Construction of down hole production and fishing equipment |
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Storage of customer drill pipe and collars |
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