Product category:
Tool and cutter grinding
News Release from: Walter GB | Subject: Woodtronic Rapide CNC5D saw blade grinder
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 11 August 2003
Saw blade grinder runs unattended, ups
quality
To meet competiton, a saw blade service company has invested in a saw blade grinder that runs unattended overnight and improves saw surface finish and working life.
Trevor Crowley, managing director of Rainham, (Essex) - based Southeast Saw Service is convinced that the only way to resist competition from low wage economies is to invest in technology that eliminates labour from the equation "The Walter Woodtronic Rapide CNC5D saw blade grinder will run unattended overnight with no problems at all, which means it is making money while I'm asleep - and that's the kind of competitive edge we need if we are to stay ahead of our overseas rivals." The business commenced trading in 1938 with Trevor Crowley's grandfather at the helm
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 20 Jun 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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The empire has since blossomed and with three other sites dotted around the south east of England, the business is now witnessing fourth generation family members entering the firm, with Trevor Crowley's two sons joining up.
The group as a whole turns over GBP 3 million a year, employs 60 staff and has 16 vans on the road.
While the various sites in the group focus on different aspects of the saw blade industry, the core of the business at Rainham focuses on the re-sharpening of circular saw blades.
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One-offs dominate, providing the company with a list of around 1,000 active customers, covering blades from 100mm diameter up to nearly 800mm.
"We have a big customer base, covering all industries from double glazing companies - aluminium and plastic-based - furniture manufacturers and kitchen fitters to forestry commissions, schools and colleges," explains Trevor Crowley.
The precision of the Woodtronic Rapide has come at a timely point in the evolution of what was once a highly skilled profession that has to address the problem that each carbide-tipped circular saw blade differs in terms of diameter, shape of tooth and sequence.
"Old fashioned 'saw doctors' are few and far between these days, and as youngsters no longer want to undertake four-year apprenticeships, skills are a problem," says Trevor Crowley.
But the beauty of the Woodtronic Rapide is that it replaces the need for skilled labour.
What was once a labour-intensive and skilled job taking an hour a blade, now takes ten minutes and is produced with repeatability that is second to none." Southeast Saw Service also purchased Walter's three-pallet automatic Loader to accompany the Woodtronic Rapide.
"This facility is superb.
If we wanted to load the machine up for a bank holiday weekend, we could do so in total confidence, knowing that we would come back to a stack of successfully re-sharpened blades." The three-pallet Loader has capacity for 120 blades of 160 mm to 750 mm diameter, and an added benefit is that programming the machine for the next magazine does not interrupt the grinding cycle - hence increasing utilisation and output while minimising downtime.
Supplied by Walter GB of Redditch, the Woodtronic Rapide offers plenty of other benefits, too, as Trevor Crowley outlines: "Saw blades are 50 per cent better on this machine in terms of life expectancy and surface finish.
This is due to the machine rigidity along with the methods of regrinding it employs as well as its cutting oil and filtration system." He goes on to add how important these benefits are to the company's customers, especially kitchen fitters where a chip-free surface is critical when cutting worktops from costly materials such as melamine.
The stability of the process comes from Walter's vibration-reducing cast iron base that features integrated bearing faces for the indexing unit and clamping.
The machine was installed in April 2003 after considerable market research.
"Last year we acquired another company that had a smaller version of the Woodtronic Rapide, and we were extremely impressed with it.
To put our minds at rest, we spent a couple of days with Walter, subjecting the Rapide to tests.
After that we were convinced it was the machine for us, in particular programming is so much easier than others we were used to.
And even if we do get the occasional blade that is 'special', the programming support is excellent from Walter GB at Redditch." Operators can quickly and easily create programs for any tooth shape and combination of tooth shapes within the specified diameter using Walter's Free programming package.
Trevor Crowley is certain that the machine will recoup the initial outlay within one year and he is already contemplating buying another.
"The quality of the saws is winning extra business for us - I am 110 per cent pleased with it.
In terms of my staff, it has taken enormous pressure off their shoulders.
Investment is the only way forward.
If companies don't invest they will get left behind." The battle to stay competitive is incessant, says Trevor Crowley, "and the only way to maintain revenues is to increase sales which in turn means higher throughput.
This is where the Woodtronic Rapide comes to the rescue.
"We want to stay at the top end of the market by offering a good service at a reasonable price.
This machine is helping us to do that." The Woodtronic Rapide CNC5D features twin diamond grinding wheels, driven by a 1.1kW spindle drive producing speeds up to 3,000 revs/min.
The facing wheel is used to grind all of the free faces of the carbide saw tips, while the second 'topping' wheel addresses the top and bottom faces as well as the chamfers.
Saw blades are clamped by way of spring-loaded pneumatically operated jaws.
The machine also features a 'magic eye' measuring device featuring two ball probes to check that blades have been successfully sharpened.
The first ball probe measures rake angle, clearance angle, grinding length, compensation, face and top grinding wheels, while the second ball probe is for the measurement of saw body thickness, cutting width, carbide offset to saw body and tooth position - all in a single set-up.
To add to the machine's efficiency, only sufficient metal is removed to take the wear out of the tips, allowing cycle times to be minimised and permitting customers to gain the maximum life from their saw blades.
This is an important consideration for blades that cost in excess of GBP 100 to buy new.
The Woodtronic machine can handle blades with body widths of up to 12mm, tooth pitch between 4-125mm, a face angle from -25 (degrees) to +45deg, and a back angle of between 1-40deg.
Its Walter Window Mode control software ensures that every conceivable option of tooth cutting can be accommodated including, top bevel, flat top, triple chip and hollow tooth variants, completing production routines an estimated 30 per cent faster than previously possible using existing technology.
Indexing accuracy is 0.01mm at a speed that is independent of the number of teeth and blade diameter.
"The machine is very clever," highlights Trevor Crowley.
"For instance, if one particular saw blade has a tight bore, it will refuse it and carry on with the next one in line ensuring continuous production.
Also, if it has been left unattended overnight and there is an unforeseen problem, it will 'phone me on my mobile.
Fortunately it hasn't needed to wake me up yet!".
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