Hikmat: extreme precision

Hikmat: “Tolerances down to a few hundredths of a millimetre”

Castings that require extreme precision end up with Hikmat and his CNC machines. “Tolerances down to a few hundredths of a millimetre are all in a day’s work.”

In the process, Hikmat has two major responsibilities: to use the CNC machine optimally and to perform systematic checks on the finished parts. The machines must be configured with great accuracy: “The work is complex; you need to stay focused and that makes it exciting. It also motivates you to learn something new every day.”

Custom-made & precision

“The custom-made finishing jigs hold the part in exactly the right position, and the CNC machine performs a series of operations according to precisely defined parameters,” is how Hikmat summarises the machine’s work. In the measuring lab, he performs systematic checks of the finished parts and as a result knows when the cutting tools need to be replaced.

Hikmat originally hails from Afghanistan and he arrived in Belgium nine years ago. He has worked at Pedeo for three years now. Configuring the CNC machines requires knowledge and experience, but the employees are more than happy to check each other’s work.

“I don’t work for my pleasure.” He laughs, and confirms that he does indeed work “with pleasure” at Pedeo. So he was happy that Pedeo stayed open. “My colleagues make the work enjoyable, it’s just the many different dialects that I occasionally find a little tricky,” laughs Hikmat.

“You need to stay focused and that makes it exciting.”