Reekie Machining

FF6300 FLANGE FACING

This week our Climax FF6300 insitu flange facer portable machine has been getting a workout in our machine shop.  Flange finished flat to within 0.03mm and checked using our Easylaser flange system.

Machinists trained to operatate the spectrum of machines available to be efficent and achieve a high quality job.

Problem solving to get the best job done for our customer.

50 Years at Reekie Machining

On Monday 9th September 2019, Jim Richmond’s colleagues, past and present, family and friends gathered to give him a “surprise” lunch party to celebrate 50 years of working at Reekie Machining and to thank him for his hard work and dedication to the company.

Jim started just before his 16th birthday on his apprenticeship as a Mechanical Fitter, when David Reekie and Sons was based in New Sneddon Street in Paisley.

During his 50 year service Jim has been taken on a number of roles, starting as a Shop Floor Fitter, spending time as part of the Insitu Machine Squad carrying out on site work in the UK and overseas, before moving in to a Supervisor Role and then into his present job as a Project Engineer for the subcontract work in the Machine Shop.

He has worked with three generations of the Reekie Family, been part of the move to the “new” factory in Inchinnan Business Park and experienced the changes and developments with in the company for the past 50 years.

In the recent years he has been key in ensuring the machine developed by the company for the aerospace industry, has met the exacting standards before being sent out new or after its required MOT.

Pictured above is Jim, still in shock, with right, David Reekie, Managing and Insitu Director and left Jared Reekie, Machine Shop Director.

Inspiring The Next Generation

During this past week, Josh Wheeler, a local high school pupil has been on his work experience here at Reekie Machining.  To provide an overview of what happens in an engineering firm, Josh has spent each day in a different department.

Monday was spent fitting and assembling in the Machine Shop.  On Tuesday he found out what a Project Engineer does before spending Wednesday in the inspection and calibriation department where he learnt about tolerances.  His highlight of the week was spending time in the Design Office, using CAD and learning how to create drawings, needless to say he was there Thursday and Friday. (see picture above)

When asked about his week, Josh said,

“At Reekie Machining I have learned everything that goes into running a machining factory; this has opened my eyes to all the roles that need to be filled in the different areas.  It has been a very educational experience with me now understanding how to behave in a workplace and how each role has an effect on one another.  It’s been a very enjoyable experience that has dampened my fears of when I adventure into the world of work.”

A future Design Engineer?

Apprentices, following in the family footsteps

We are delighted to welcome two new Apprentices to Reekie Machining.

Jordan Richmond, has joined us as a 1st year Apprentice, in Mechanical Engineering with an emphasise on fitting.  Through his course, run at East Kilbride Training Centre, he will develop machining skills in turning, boring and drilling, starting this week with milling.   He is pictured above with his grandfather Jim Richmond, who has been with David Reekie and Sons since he started his Apprenticeship in 1969.

We have also welcomed to our Machine Shop, Darren Taylor, who comes to us as a 2nd year Apprentice to broaden and develop his skill on the wide range of machines in the Machine Shop.  Darren will continue to attend college once a week as part of his course, whilst completing his Level 3 in Mechanical Engineering.

We are proud to be working to continually develop the work force bringing young people into the industry and providing them with the opportunities to be part of an innovative business.

Hot Off The Press!

We are please to give you the first peak at the front and back cover of our NEW brochure that will be rolling hot off the press!

The Business Development Team have worked with GEO-Graphics Design to produce a brochure that shows what we do here at Reekie Machining both out on site by the in situ machinist and the sub contract work carried out in the machine shop.

Engineering solutions to problems small and large is what we thrive on, so get in touch and challenge us!

Contact the Business Development Team:

Gordon Norman, gordonnorman@reekiemachining.co.uk or Steve Johnson, stevejohnson@reekiemachining.co.uk

PDF version available from our downloads section

Summer Internship at Reekie Machining

This summer we are pleased to have taken on Gareth Mitchell, a 4th year student on a five year, MEng Aero-Mechanical Engineering Course at the University of Strathclyde, as an Intern.  Reekie Machining believes this is a fantastic opportunity to support and build skills in the future generation of engineers.

Here is what Gareth has to say about his experience:

I was looking for an internship that was based around CAD Modeling in an industrial setting, to experience it out with a learning environment.  Reekie’s delivers high quality products, so I felt the knowledge I would be able to gain would be of a high level of competency and the experience of a smaller company of this style could involve more dynamic roles.

My knowledge of engineering drawing has hugely increased, through creating drawings for actual parts, which is in line with what I wish to do for a career.  Specifically, with making drawings easier to read, when sometime it contradicts some of what we have been taught.  I’ve learnt a lot about tolerancing; how to decide on a tolerance and what is realistically achievable.  In addition, I have also been able to get a better grasp on the actual manufacturing processes and the machines that are required.

If someone is hoping to improve their CAD skills in an industrial environment and looking to gain more experience in a professional engineering workplace, I would definitely recommend an Internship at Reekie Machining, and probably over a larger company in which sometimes you can just become “part of the crowd”.

One of the things that is good about Reekie’s is that they work in such a diverse plethora of sectors, so that you can gain knowledge and experience in any type of work.

Interested in a future Internship, contact charlotte@reekiemachining.co.uk

INSITU MACHINING WORLDWIDE

It has been a very busy couple of months at Reekie Machining and our Insitu Team are rapidly building up air miles to complete jobs Worldwide.

  • Tam McLardie our Insitu Machine Supervisor flew off to Brazil to carry out a line boring job.
  • Two of the team went offshore for a “mini cruise” from Larnaca, Cyprus to Cadiz in Spain, cutting windows into a pipe on the way.
  • And we have two staff taking on the challenge of milling flanges and drilling holes in Nigeria.

This is all on top of the work being carried out on site across the UK, from Plymouth in Devon to Wick in Caithness.

Prior to all these jobs key jigs and tooling was machined by the Subcontract Machine Shop, here in our workshop in Renfrew.  This ensured that once on site the Insitu Team are fully prepped to carry out the job.

Where will Reekie Machining be needed next?

Photo: Macae, Brazil, taken by Tam McLardie

BUILDING CAPACITY

Along with upgrading machines for vertical boring we also continue to build the capacity within the work shop for turning, installing a Takisawa EX-110 CNC centre lathe.  Pictured above is the lathe being manoeuvre into position in the Machine Shop.

It is equipped with:

  • * Swing Over Bed 19.5”/495mm
  •        * Swing Over Cross Slide 15.75”/400mm
  •        * Standard Turning Diameter 11.3”/287mm
  •        * Max Turning Diameter 15.75”/400mm
  •        * Max Turning Length 28”/711mm
  •        * X-Axis Travel 8.7”/220mm
  •        * Z-Axis Travel 27.95”/710mm
  •        * Spindle Speed 3500 RPM
  •        * Turret Positions 10
  •        * Tailstock Travel 22.83”/580mm
  •        * Main Motor 25 HP
  •        * Fanuc 21i-TB
  •        * Tailstock
  •        * Chip Conveyor
  •        * 2 Speed Gear Box

Is this the answer to solve your problem?  If so, contact one of our Machine Shop Project Engineers by emailing machineshop@reekiemachining.co.uk

INVESTING IN DEVELOPMENT.

At Reekie Machining we don’t like to sit around, so after the installation of the Giddings and Lewis, 5ft vertical borer last year we have already had it upgraded, through retro-fitting it with a new fanuc CNC  system.

Picture above are two of Reekies’ finest Subcontract Machinist receiving training in the machine shop, to ensure that they are fully versed in what the system can achieve, broadening the range of work that we can offer our customers.

So come on, what are you waiting for, we’re ready for the next challenge!

INTO THE BLUE!

After a lot of hard work and commitment, Ross Cameron completed his Level 2 Modern Apprenticeship in Industrial Applications: Performing Industrial Operations.  He is pictured above receiving his certificate from Jared Reekie the Machine Shop Director at a tool box talk.

Ross will continue to develop and hone his skills on the wide range of machines in the workshop including boring, milling and turning and being a key part of the Reekie Team.

At Reekie Machining, our apprentices are distinguished by wearing a maroon boiler suits, moving into the blue boiler suits once qualified.  Ross is now proudly wearing his new blue boiler suit, which has drawn comments from the Machine Shop and In Situ staff a like.

Congratulations Ross.