Page 35 - 2021cnc6-7

Top Right - Duncan Lewis programming the Doosan Lynx 2100LSY. Bottom Right - 5 axis milling achieved with Halcyon’s Haas UMC500.
Ellison Technologies application engineer Brandon Patton goes over final install notes with Halcyon Manufacturing’s lead programmer Duncan Lewis. (Photo supplied by Halcyon)
was added a short time later. QC boasts a Zeiss Spectrum 7/10/10 CMM, Mitutoyo PH-A14 optical comparator and a Mitutoyo LH-600E digital height gauge. “Within the first month of operation we were ISO9001 certified,” touts Halcyon’s lead programmer Duncan Lewis. “Not sure if there is an official speed record, but we knew ISO certification was a critical first step to grow the business. We are working towards our AS9100 cert now and should have it soon.”
Duncan Lewis knows a few things about getting the ball rolling quickly. He understood at an early age that this was the industry for him. Only in his mid 20’s he already has nearly a decade of programming experience and gaining more each day. His Ohio high school had a small mill and lathe in their metal shop that gave him a taste for machining. He transferred to a nearby trade school program and spent his senior year working full time at a local shop. “I had a few mentors at my first job that really
helped me see my potential,” tells Duncan. “They all came from Lockheed in Akron and were a wealth of information. I always excelled in math, and programming just came naturally to me. I worked all over the country before coming on board here at Halcyon. I targeted different positions that would enhance my skills, further my career, and give me new challenges. I met Tony online working freelance programming gigs off the website Up Work. We just hit it off right away. He is young, hungry, and has a couple companies that are blowing up, but he wanted to get back into manufacturing. His goals for the business coincided with mine and he brought me on board as lead programmer. He was building my dream shop; he needed a good programmer, and I wanted to work here. I was the only guy programming and running the machines, while Tony handled inspection. We split time driving the truck for deliveries, everything was a two-person show. We’ve been growing so fast that isn’t the case now. We have open
CNC WEST June/ July 2021 www.CNC-West.com 33