Queensland-based manufacturer Sharpe Engineering is renowned in the resource and energy sectors throughout Australia and PNG for providing quality solutions in the manufacture, service and repair of oil & gas drilling-related tools and equipment.

Family-owned and established in 1995, Sharpe Engineering operates from four facilities located in Queensland – in Roma, Chinchilla, Virginia and Zillmere. Sharpe Engineering boasts upwards of 50 pieces of plant, including CNC machines, milling machines, drilling machines and manual lathes, as well as Australia’s largest threading capacity.

All of Sharpe Engineering’s equipment is procured from world-class suppliers, and the company’s state-of-the-art machine inventory guarantees the precision and the accuracy of its products. Sharpe Engineering’s equipment is a key part in allowing the business to produce quality, cost-effective products. It owns two Mazak 21-inch hollow-spindle Power Master Chuckers, and a 7-inch hollow spindle Power Master Universal.

Sharpe relies on its world-class equipment line-up to remain at the sharp end of manufacturing for the oil and gas drilling industry. The latest addition, recently purchased by Sharpe, is a Mazak Slant Turn 550 turning centre, supplied by John Hart, which is used in the manufacture of drilling tools and thread repairs on drill pipe and drill collars. Peter Sharpe, Chief Executive Officer of Sharpe Engineering, explained what prompted this latest Mazak purchase decision.

“Basically, the decision to purchase the Slant Turn 550 was based on the need to upgrade our existing fleet of Oil Country CNC hollow spindle machines to the latest technology available and to reduce downtime in maintenance and repairs,” he said. “We chose the Mazak over any other machine because Mazak have a good reputation in the oil & gas manufacturing industry, and because John Hart has been around for a long time.”

Mark Wenman, John Hart’s Queensland Manager, added: “Peter and his team already felt comfortable with Mazak’s quality, accuracy and suitability for the products that they manufacture, so the Slant Turn 550 was a no-brainer when he needed to expand his turning capability. Its large spindle bore, coupled with powerful spindle motor and heavy-duty turret, gave Peter the edge he was looking for.”

The Mazak Slant Turn 550 model Sharpe Engineering specified has a maximum machining diameter of 910mm and a maximum machining length of 1,000mm, a 275mm hollow spindle with front and rear four-jaw manual chucks.

A powerful main spindle, with 7,000Nm torque and 45kW output, is designed for both high-speed and heavy-duty cutting. Roller guides on all linear axes provide high rigidity and smooth cutting even at high feed rates. Thanks to its large door opening, workpieces can easily be loaded using an overhead crane, and the turret features impressive accessibility for convenient tool set-up.

“The Slant Turn 550 is perfectly suited to the type of work we do,” Peter added. “And the advanced Smooth G controller provides us with faster set-up times and easier programming. The new Smooth G technology will also make training easier.”

The Smooth G is the seventh-generation Mazatrol CNC System and features an interface with touch operation ensuring convenient data processing – programming, confirmation, editing and tool data registration. From set-up to machining, it has been designed for unsurpassed ease of operation. The system incorporates Intelligent Machine Functions, a variety of unique technologies developed by Mazak to realise improvements in productivity, higher-accuracy machining and unmatched operator support.

“Our experience with John Hart spans about 10 years and during that time they have proven to be very responsive to our business needs,” Peter remarked. “We have a continuing need for support with preventative maintenance programs, and we can always rely on the people from John Hart for good service and communication.”

Mark added: “Sharpe Engineering pride themselves in offering outstanding service and high-level support for the oil & gas industry, and in turn they seek the same high-level support and expertise from their suppliers. We at John Hart are dedicated to providing the service and support our customers expect, and this means that we continually invest in our technical capabilities.

“Just in the last 12 months we have created a new role for a Technical Service Manager to oversee national service activities and increased our national service team strength with the addition of five new service engineers. All of our service engineers have travelled to Japan and Europe for Mazak factory training. We have updated and expanded our inventory of service test equipment and implemented a mobile service administration system to enhance in-field access to information and streamline service delivery. We constantly strive to provide world-class solutions and support.”

www.sharpeengineering.com.au

www.johnhart.com.au