Leichtmetall Aluminium Gießerei of Hanover specialises in the production of continuous cast hard alloy aluminium with ingot lengths of up to 7 m and diameters up to 685 mm. The company will shortly be able to produce ingots measuring up to 1200 mm in diameter. In order to separate the billets after casting into shorter sections between 500 mm and 6000 mm in length, the company sought a strong and precise bandsaw that was up to the task.

The company found what it was looking for in models of the Behringer large bandsaw series, which are suited to large diameters and extreme material weights. In other words, these machines can process heavy continuous castings with weights of up to 3200 kg/m and diameters up to 1300 mm. With a robust material handling system, users position the hard alloys billets centrically and then cut efficiently with the bandsaw. The sawing line is equipped with an effective extraction system for the aluminium dust produced at Leichtmetall Aluminium Gießerei.

Together with the customer, Behringer carried out cutting trials using its HBM1300Z model. Here, various materials were sawn in several passes using different cutting parameters in order to evaluate the effect on chip formation and surface quality. Leichtmetall was more than satisfied with the results.

Today, the company has significantly reduced its previous cutting times with the new sawing line from Behringer, enabling it to establish fast process flows and material throughputs.
For further information www.behringer.net

Structural steel and tool steel stockholder and processor, JKZ Bučovice, is using KASTObbs automated block bandsaws to cut large, heavy billets and plates of various geometries, grades and dimensions. The company delivers components to domestic customers in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Hungary, Romania and the Baltic States.

Founded in 2000, employing 125 staff and with an annual turnover of €20m, the company holds approximately 10,000 tonnes of steel in its 15,000 sq m warehouse. The oldest Kasto vertical block bandsaws have been in use for nearly 20 years and are still operating reliably today. More recently, the company invested in two KASTObbs A 3×20 bandsaws for cutting material up to 420 mm high by 7 m long and weighing up to 56 tonnes.

Marek Hermann, sales and production director at JKZ, says: “The new KASTObbs saws are very robust and reliable and provide the high degree of quality and precision that our customers demand, especially those in the toolmaking sector.”

Characteristic of this bandsaw series is a longitudinal cutting method using a vertically oriented blade. The saw head moves on rails having side-mounted, hardened and ground rollers, while the workpiece remains static on the saw table. This configuration results in a small footprint, while the torsion-resistant, welded construction provides smooth running and vibration-free operation, leading to shorter cutting times and longer blade life.

JKZ employees are able to adjust the cutting infeed to optimise productivity, consistent with the required workpiece quality and the cross section of the material in-cut. Band speed is also infinitely variable from the integrated control panel.
For further information www.kasto.com