Oleksii Khinevych

Started as a machinist on manual metal cutting lathes, mills and accompanying machines and tools (grinders, drill presses, welders etc) manufacturing parts, and tools by drawings. Sigra is a geo-engineering company, so I was making parts for their 2d and 3d stress measurement tools, boring equipment and prototypes, modifying boring and measuring tools to specific use by drawing or as told to. Also making jigs and special tools and holders to improve quality, machinability, manufacturing speed and precision. Did welding and heat treatment.

Helped to resurrect Sigra's 3d printing department and to shift some parts from machining to 3d printing, which saved company money and time on manufacturing. Helped to choose the new 3d printer for the department. Shared experience and tricks in modelling parts for 3d printing. Did 3d models and operated 3d printers to make jigs, parts and prototypes.

Once I got more familiar with geo-engineering, I started participating in RnD and testing activity of the company. Helped with design and tests of boring tools, designed mechanical units and parts, did drawings and organised parts machining (bought materials and consumables, did myself or delegated machining operations) did field tests and repairs. Organised field work, urgent tool repairs and subcontracted manufacturing work on place. Helped to approve tools for surface and underground mine work.

Once we (me and the owner of ООО"Микротех") decided that we want to close the car parts department, I decided to move out with all my machines and start a solo business. I started the "Experimental Machineshop" which continued providing parts manufacturing service to the old and new customers. And also I added 3d printing and modelling services, metal cutting machines maintenance and rebuild services, and "inventing" services, which were an RnD activity providing finished pieces of equipment to fulfill specific needs of my regular customers and also engineering and manufacturing of finished pieces of equipment as well as the whole ecosystems for open market.

Since February 2022, when rusians (deliberately misspelled) started the full scale invasion, my machine shop became a centre of volunteer activity. I designed products and manufacturing processes, and organised volunteers (up to 12 people) to make them in my shop. Through other volunteers we sent these products to our defenders at the battlefront, or to local government to enforce the city. Among things we were making are anti-tank obstacles, wheel puncturers, periscopes, aerials, radio equipment etc. all of which required innovation to manufacture quickly and economically while being reliable and simple enough to be made by not professionals.

Interesting projects of this time:

• All the volunteering work
• Making large(about 500mm in diameter) brass bushings for juice factory within h6/H6 tolerance for all main diameters.
• Diamond facing CNC lathe rebuild for Tire Service Centre- raised its rigidity and level of precision.

When ООО "ОПК" closed the machine shop due to changes in their lease, I bought all the machinery and tools from them and with my schoolmate's dad and in cooperation with a large local car service, we opened the car parts repairing department in his company. It was his idea, but I had machines and skills to make it happen. My main job was to develop the technology for different car parts remanufacturing and perform it, which involved a lot of RnD work, machining and sometimes moulding, making jigs and special equipment. All the other machine shop activities were on me as well (blanks for parts, consumables, outsourcing if needed etc.). I also was allowed to do machining for other customers while it didn't bother the main job, which I did. It was mostly machining for regular clients (such as ООО "ОПК" and others) by their drawings.

Most interesting thing I invented during this period:

• Thread cutting attachment for mill.

It was not something complicated to design or manufacture, but it was smart, elegant and solved a lot of problems that we faced at that time.

Occasional job at tire service company, who were also my regular customer for manual machining. I operated a CNC car wheel diamond facing lathe. The job included probing the disc surface, generating the machining curve and machining the tire surface.

First my job as a professional (for money) machinist. The company is a large canned food manufacturer. My main job was to support the manufacturing line- repair parts, machine new ones instead of broken, sharpen tools and knives etc. They had a dedicated fitter to work with the line, so my part was only machining.

Also big part of my job was manufacturing and assembling of new equipment for sale. Did a lot of stainless and plastic machining. Parts of different sizes, up to those that barely fit into my 4 ton lathe.

I was the only person in the machine shop, so looking after machines managing tools and buying consumables was also part of my job.

One of the biggest achievements during my work time there:

• A total rebuild of that large 4t lathe from almost "scrap" condition to "precise" class. From start to end.

Got my first lathe when I was 14, next year got my first milling machine. Also got my first surface plate and precise measuring tools. Always loved my machine shop and spent a lot of time in it school days and weekends, doing various projects. I always worked on the edge, exploring new borders and levels of precision in machining. Read a lot of books on machining and manufacturing, as well as actively participated in machinists forums and searched for videos and information about machining and precise measurements on internet.

Also mastered scraping and machine rebuilding on those flimsy machines I had. The lathe survived through all the times, and was completely rebuilt to precise class. In 2022 I made it a CNC and did several jobs on it before selling it with the most of my other machine shop due to war issues.

Most interesting projects of that period:

• Set of mechanics and electronics for a 3d printer, made from scratch and discreet components.
• Motorbike vintage style headlight for bicycle with high beam, low beam, function, all fittings to attach it to the bicycle, Li-Po battery and Self made LED module (white LEDs just emerged on market and where sold only as discreet components)
• Motor powered mill to make full grain flour
• Rebuilt the lathe to high precision
• Etc.