A local studio, with a substantial and respected creative force in the entertainment industry came to us to construct their vision. They required a decorative water jet cut, using 1/2″ thick aluminum railing components. With the use of Miller’s experienced staff and state of the art facilities, the pieces were cut, rolled and welded. The process saved our customer time and money over traditional shape cutting methods and allowed the original graphic artists’ intended aesthetic features to shine through.

A medical equipment manufacturer approached Miller Mechanical Services when they heard about our water jet capabilities. They were looking to reduce turnaround time and price on a production part that did not require the typical “clean room” manufacturing. To increase cycle times, the 0.125″ thick 6061 aluminum sheets were stacked when cut. To increase the accuracy of the blanks, our XD dynamic model allowed for both layers to be exactly the same, along with a superior edge finish. The finshed product has 10 precision countersunk holes for the customer’s tamper-proof torx hardware, as well as a -”time-saved” brush finish, and a Type II black anodize to protect against corrosion. It was deliverd on time with excellent quality and priced right. ..a winning situation.

The Miller Mechanical fabrication shop was in a pinch to create multiple forms of 1/2″ thick stainless steel plates with 45 degree weld prepped edges. A plan was devised to use the water jet to accomplish the flat pattern work. Using a common edge cutting technique to blank the form components, two weld prep edges were created in a single pass. Not only did this save time, but it also resulted in material savings because the edges were overlapped, reducing material requirements by almost an inch per part on their width. Again our water jet and experienced operator saves Miller Mechanical time and money.

The Dynamic XD water jet continues to save time and money in the fabrication shop. Pictured here are 1″ thick nozzle re-pads being cut for a steaming vessel fitment. Typically these could be cut with plasma and weld prepped by hand, but where it is complicated is the primary hole which is cut at 20 degrees off vertical. The weld prep is set to that hole and not to the planar surface of the stock material. Where multiple units are involved, using the Dynamic XD water jet is an easy decision. Again it saves time and our customer’s bottom line.

New York State Congressman Chris Gibson generously shared his time with the folks at Miller Mechanical this past Monday. Here he is centered in the midst of some of our welders and fabricators as they are about to leave after a long day. He took a tour through our facility, reviewing our water jet capabilities as well as our steel fabrication capacity. He asked questions of our employees as well as provided some insight as to how he fares in his attempt to increase the growth of business in New York State. He answered a few questions regarding the significant increase of gas prices as well as his efforts to bring government spending under control. It’s a pleasure to welcome one of our local politicians that cares enough to take the time to visit small upstate businesses.

The Flow Dynamic XD water jet is exceedingly adept at cutting a combination of complex angles.  The opening on the left, to cut by hand, would have taken over six hours but was completed in one hour by water jet.

The chip chute liquor nozzle was inserted at 45 degrees but the splayed pipe end, compounded to 28 degrees in a perpendicular axis. This additional spread caused a very complex opening through the 1.25″ thick patch plate.  

Again the Miller Mechanical water jet professional was able to cut work time with a significant savings to Miller and the customer.

The carbon steel arms are cladded in 2205, nickel based, Duplex steel. This alloy resists erosion-corrosion thinning and stress corrosion cracking. The hub is 304L stainless steel.

Where the arms are welded to the hub will be ultrasonically tested to exam and confirm the integrity of the weld seams.

Pictured here are two Diamondbacks made from stainless and carbon steel by our talented crew of welders/fabricators at Miller. They will eventually shipped to our pulp and paper mill customer in  Louisiana where the frustum cones will be attached. These pieces will be used to direct the flow of wood chips before delivery into the steaming vessel.

Miller Mechanical is a licensed fabricator for Diamondback Technology, Inc.

The welders and fabricators of Miller Mechanical will soon complete the extraction header pipe. This 33′ diameter pipe is made with 8″ 304 stainless steel. It includes 20 extraction nozzle repads, piping and hangers which have been fabricated with Duplex stainless steel. This unit is used to extract liquid from the digester in a pulp and paper mill. Miller will then ship this piece to our customer where it will be installed by our seasoned field crew at Miller Mechanical.

This is our new, state of the art, weld overlay trailer which our talented men at Miller Mechanical were able to design and fabricate to suit our needs in the maintenance of the pulp and paper industry. This uniquely designed space will hold a number of items specifically suited to complete weld overlay jobs in mills that require this procedure. Such things as vertical tracks, hooks for lead cords, and cabinets for spare parts and consumables are just a few of the updates that will assist the field crew in making their job a little easier and more efficient.

A local custom manufacturer and machinist required a cost effective method to create a one-off “rack and pawl” adjustment system for a customer project. They inquired to see if Miller Mechanical could make “cost effective” a reality. The 1.25″ thick rack and 1.0″ thick pawl have tight tolerances that would require expensive tooling for a machining center to create the accurate mating surfaces. The plasma cutting system was out of the question due to the uncontrolled heat that would be instilled in the parts. The water jet became the only option to make the “one-off” parts accurately.

Here we see two of our seasoned Miller fabricators putting some final touches on a surge tank made from carbon steel. This will to be shipped today to a southern pulp and paper customer for on-site installation.

 A surge tank is an attachment to a pressurized system designed to accommodate pressure changes. The purpose of a surge tank is to neutralize rises and falls in pressure to prevent system failures, blowouts, and other problems. The surge tank is normally attached at the highest point of the system. When the pressure rises, forcing fluids upward, they shift into the tank rather than blowing out the system.

 Recently a pulp and paper mill in British Columbia invested $1.2-million in a surge tank between the mechanical pulping line and the paper machines. This contributed to a record-setting month. Without the tank, the division was losing about 2 percent production or 800 tons, every month on average because it didn’t have the surge capacity.

These pack box assemblies were fabricated by the Miller shop crew from carbon steel. They are then palletized and sent to our customer in Louisiana.  The Miller Mechanical field crew will then install them into a diffuser. 

The pack boxes allow filtrate to be distributed to the hollow shaft of the diffuser. The shaft supplies the filtrate to the upper and lower distribution arms. The excess filtrate is pulled through the screens and out.

Our up and coming young welder/fabricator is shown here as he works on a perforated insert for a sand separator. The sand separator is part of a system in the pulp and paper industry used to separate the dirt and sand out of the wood chips that will eventually be processed into paper. This piece of equipment is made from Duplex 2205 to insure a longer life on this heavily used apparatus.

Modifications were performed, beginning with a design evaluation to ensure fitness for the new service. The existing tubes and partition were removed and replaced with Duplex tubes and a 304L pass partition. Supports were removed and replaced with two new legs for horizontal service.  A new drain nozzle was installed as well as lifting lugs on both end covers for ease of removal. The unit was then hydro-tested for the new service conditions. Finally the exterior was sand blasted and primed. The result was significant cost savings for the mill and another example of Miller’s ability and craftsmanship when it comes to a quality product.