Product category:
Tool and cutter grinding
News Release from: Walter GB | Subject: Woodtronic CNC 5D saw blade grinder
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 30 September 2003
Saw blade grinder has easy-to-use
software
On the lookout for a versatile saw blade grinder, a service company selected this CNC machine on account of its easy-to-use software and ability to grind a wider range of tooth profiles.
There is little doubt that Steve Weymes, director at woodworking tool manufacturer Carbide (UK), is pleased with the company's acquisition of a Woodtronic CNC 5D saw blade grinder and Loader from Walter GB "The flexibility and quality it gives us far exceeds our previous capability, and the machine's cost to performance ratio is second to none," he exclaims
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 20 Jun 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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Located in central Hull, Carbide (UK) was formed in 1984 to supply woodwork tooling predominantly to industrial users and while this remains the company 's core business, today a wide range of wood and metalcutting tools are supplied.
Carbide (UK) initially imported many of its tools, but in 1993 it made the strategic decision to manufacture in-house, prompting investment in high technology CNC machine tools and CAD software.
"This enabled us to produce high quality tooling at an affordable price," says Weymes.
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Carbide (UK) also offers an extensive design and application consultancy service for all cutting tools from a standard router cutter or saw blade to the most specialised diamond cutter and disposable tipped tooling etc.
"We now supply tooling to a very wide array of customers all over the UK, from hobbyists and small joinery shops making bespoke wood products as well as multi-national firms manufacturing kitchens, caravans and furniture, for example." Weymes says the company was on the lookout for a versatile saw blade grinder that could produce a high quality finish in order to replace two older production machines.
"We looked at a few machines but it soon became apparent that the Woodtronic CNC 5D was the favourite for carbide-tipped saw blade grinding.
The machine produces incredible surface finishes; the mirror finish makes the blades cut and perform better and also provides enhanced blade life, something that is very important to our customers.
It produces very consistent results." This is no throw-away statement, since each carbide-tipped circular saw blade differs in terms of diameter, shape of tooth and sequence.
However, for diameters from 100 to 750mm, the Woodtronic CNC 5D combined with its three-pallet Loader capable of holding 120 blades, can work non-stop and automatically process blades during unmanned working shifts.
Carbide (UK) was already familiar with the machine supplier, Walter GB of Redditch, as it also owns two of Walter's popular Helitronic tool grinding machines, which the company uses to manufacture solid carbide spiral router cutters and complex profile tips.
The company's satisfaction with these machines ensured that it had no qualms in terms of making further investments in Walter equipment.
"One main reason why we preferred the Woodtronic over competitor machines was because of its easy-to-use Walter Window Mode software," adds Weymes.
Walter's extensive software library allows an array of tooth profiles to be machined in a single set-up.
These include alternate top bevel, flat top, triple chip and hollow types.
The operator has complete control over free cutting attributes allowing the complete machining of geometries with several complex facets.
"The machine allows us to do a lot more teeth geometries than we could do previously.
This is always a concern for saw blade manufacturers, as new types of board are being introduced constantly, demanding new materials and new geometries.
We get good support from Walter with respect to this." The Woodtronic CNC 5D can handle a broad spectrum of circular saw blades up to 12mm thick.
Blades with tooth pitches between 4-125mm, breast angle between -40deg and +45deg, and back clearance angle from 1deg to 40deg can be accommodated.
Weymes also explains that the three-pallet Loader was a big factor in the purchasing decision as it allows Carbide (UK) to run 24-hour unattended operation, despite having process variables such as saw blades ranging from 100mm up to 600mm diameter and batches from one-off up to 30-off for some of the packs of beam saws handled regularly.
When programming the machine for the next magazine, the grinding operation is not interrupted, so it is possible to pre-program the Woodtronic during the day and have it automatically grind during the night.
"We are also very pleased with the cleanliness of the machine," he adds.
"Its cutting oil and filtration system means that there is virtually no downtime for cleaning or maintenance, resulting in higher productivity." The integrated coolant system on the machine features a 60-litre/min, 3-bar pump and a 150-litre tank capacity.
Installed in December 2002, the Woodtronic CNC 5D is seen as a long-term investment that will pay huge dividends in what is a very competitive marketplace.
"The competition demands that we go that little bit further in terms of the package we offer," explains Weymes.
"A lot of competitors offer only a blade sharpening service, but we also produce profile tips and manufacture a host of other woodworking tools such as rebate heads, serrated and planer blocks, hydro heads, bespoke brazed routers and complex disposable tip tooling for window and door sets." The company is also the UK agent for Sandvik and Garniga woodworking products.
With new carbide-tipped saw blades typically costing in the region of GBP 80, the importance of the Woodtronic to Carbide (UK's) revenue stream is clear.
"We see our investment in this machine as a very important way of staying ahead of the competition," adds Steve Weymes.
"We are always looking to the future and we will pursue new technology to endorse this commitment." Indeed, the company is now finding that business is doing well enough for it to consider expanding its workforce with the addition of two sales representatives in the North East and Scotland.
"Overall we are very pleased with both the Woodtronic and Helitronic machines; they contribute significantly to the success of our business," he concludes.
"We are now looking towards the future and considering the new machines that Walter currently has in development.".
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