Special connectors are required to safely and reliably connect electrical and fiber-optic cables deep underwater. With maintenance more difficult, all of the parts must meet the most rigorous technical requirements in terms of reliability and service life. Products from Neumünster, Germany-based Gisma Steckverbinder GmbH are designed to be fail-safe and to withstand maximum pressure loads, while still operating on the basic “push and pull” principle. In addition to shipyards, the offshore oil and gas industry and the military, Gisma is now receiving an increasing number of orders from offshore energy companies, said a company spokesperson. Gisma works closely with its customers on all of its developments—most recently on a single- pole, wet-mateable power connector for use in offshore underwater turbines, which was designed to handle operating voltages of 12 kV at 400A and is guaranteed to be fail-safe for 25 years, according to the company. To meet the high standards required in underwater technology, manufacturing accuracy to the nearest micron is required, especially for fiber-optic connectors. In addition, the materials must all be corrosion-resistant. The highest levels of functional safety are also required to enable themachining of seawater-resistant bronze and stainless steels, along with more sophisticated materials such as duplex and super-duplex steels, titanium and high-performance plastics. The demands placed on the cutting machines and controllers used in the production of these parts are correspondingly high. For many years, Gisma has relied on Spinnermilling and turning centers equipped with Siemens Sinumerik CNCs. “The machines rarely fail, mostly because of the high-quality drive and control technology,” said Production Manager Michael Königsmann. The TC77 universal turning machine from the 800 series will be used, among other purposes, to turn the casings for a new high-performance connector measuring up to 3,000 mm long. The TC 77 is built on a rigidMeehanite cast iron base with large tempered steel guide rails, allowing a high cutting capacity along with good damping and rigidity characteristics. It is equipped with a watercooled motor spindle, which allows precision turning to within a few hundredths of a millimeter, according to the company. The machine also has a counter spindle and features 12 tool stations with driven tools. “This lets us manufacture some workpieces in a single run, whereas previously it would have taken several,h said Konigsmann. In accordance with VDI/ DGQ 3441, the machine achieves repeat accuracy of 2 m in the x- and zaxes, said a spokesperson. The Sinumerik 840D sl CNC plays an equally important role in reducingmanufacturing time. Since the year 2000, Gisma has used only Siemens controllers in its production facility. “By standardizing the controller, we have created an environment where we can deploy our employees flexibly all over the shop floor and operator error has become a thing of the past,” said Tobias Frerck, Gisma’sManaging Director. “We have always had great results with Sinumerik controllers and knew we could rely on our competent regional service partners on those rare occasions when something went wrong.” For newly developed products, production manager Königsmann and his staff usually create the CNC programs on external Pcs in DIN ISO and then send them over the network to the most suitable machine. If there is a need tomanufacture new connectors based upon an existing family of parts, the required CNC programs can usually be adjusted directly on the machine itself. The Sinumerik 840D sl ShopTurn software features an animated graphical user interface that is completely intuitive, meaning that it can be easily picked up even by temporary staff, said the company. The Sinumerik Safety Integrated software package provides additional safety when working in setup mode, allowing operators to monitor the production process with themachine door open. Safetymode allows speeds of up to 2 m/min, and the software ensures that the drives stop quickly after a maximum of 1 to 2 mm, should any problems arise. If anything is unclear when an operator is entering data, he or she can push a single button on the operator console to bring up a help menu. “Switching to a text-based DINinterface is just as straightforward, for example, when an experienced programmer feels that he or she can more quickly and easily describe a complex contour using a DIN statement”, said the company spokesperson. “Themain focus remains on achieving the highest possible standards in terms of both the manufacturing and the finished product.” For more information contact: John Meyer Siemens Industry, Inc. Drive Technologies - Motion Control 390 Kent Avenue Elk Grove Village, IL 60007 847-640-1595 siemensmtbumarcom.sea@siemens.com www.usa.siemens.com/cnc