The COVID-19 pandemic and its associated lockdowns have affected businesses in every industry. While some suffer more than others, almost all companies operating in the UK have had to adapt in order to serve their client base and survive in these difficult times.

Like many innovative and forward-thinking businesses, Saws UK has found ways to continue manufacturing, selling and supporting during lockdown periods. One of the company’s latest innovations is virtual service support. Allowing Saws UK to give customers the assistance they need, while keeping staff and clients safe, this offer is helping the company maintain its high standards of customer service during lockdown.

While Saws UK says that precise engineering and high quality standards are synonymous with its machines, they still require regular maintenance in order to keep them in top condition. Occasionally, when something goes wrong, machines may need repairs or servicing.

Virtual service support from Saws UK takes the form of online video tutorials. Designed to be easy to follow, the videos help a customer diagnose issues and rectify problems. There are already a number of support videos online at the Saws UK website that cover common repair and maintenance issues with some of the company’s most popular models. If the issue is not covered by one of the videos, Saws UK is inviting customers to get in touch, after which it will try and create a video that addresses the problem.

Alternatively, customers can call Saws UK team, which will talk through the steps needed to get the saw up and running. In many cases, this virtual support will help to reduce the cost of servicing and repairs.

For further information
www.sawsuk.com

Just one year before Great Lakes Custom Tool Manufacturing Inc (GLCT) celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2019, the Wisconsin-based specialist in custom saw blades was marking other milestones in its prestigious history with the opening of a 20,000 sq ft factory extension and the arrival of five additional Vollmer machines.

With more than 80 staff, 50+ CNC machine tools, a multitude of manual machines and inspection and measuring technology, one brand that has lasted the distance at GLCT is Vollmer.

Vice-president Ray Martin says: “We bought our first Vollmer machine back in 1979 when we started and this was followed by a Vollmer CHC22H saw grinder for face and top grinding in 1982. We then bought a manual side-grinding machine in 1985 and this machine is still in service today for some of our repair work. It wasn’t until 1999 that we bought our next Vollmer machine, a CX100 for top and face grinding of carbide-tipped circular saws. Since the turn of the century, we’ve added two CHD270 machines, a DES300, a CHF270, a CHF840, a CHC840 and even the ND250 robotic loading system.”

With average saw blade order quantities ranging from 4 to 6-off, and even up to 20 and 50, the Vollmer TCT machines are producing a substantial quantity of new saw blades every week; with an additional large quantity of saw service, re-grind and repair volumes passing through the company as well.

The Vollmer machines that arrived at the factory recently included a QF270 for machining the tooth sides of PCD-tipped circular saws via disc erosion.
“When it comes to manufacturing saw blades, as well as PCD cutting tools, Vollmer is our go-to solution,” concludes Martin.

For further information
www.vollmer-group.com

The 100% integration of Vernet-Behringer (VB) into the Behringer Group is part of a long-term relationship between the two companies. For over a century Behringer GmbH has been synonymous with steady growth, new innovations and continuity. Together with the existing management team, these goals will continue moving forward.

Since 1996, Behringer GmbH has been the key shareholder and strategic partner of VB, in particular for the supply of bandsaws integrated into VB’s automatic drilling-sawing lines.

The transition will allow VB to continue its development in France and internationally, as well as to conduct larger technological projects to meet the growing expectations of its customers around the world for ever-more integrated and automated lines. This merger will also make it possible to develop technological, industrial and financial synergies to meet the requirements imposed by exacerbated global competition in the current context and accelerating the transformation towards Industry 4.0.

Pascal Denis, president and CEO of VB, says: “The Behringer-Group is the ideal partner for the future of VB, in terms of both corporate culture and our complementary activities. I’m delighted with this merger, which marks a new stage in our more than century-old history. The strength of the group will undoubtedly enable us to promote our know-how and our cutting-edge technologies in terms of industrial processes, software and automation.”
Christian Behringer, managing director of Behringer, adds: “We’ve been supporting VB for many years and believe more than ever in the technological progress developed by the company. This integration is therefore a natural evolution of the group, which will benefit from the sharing of skills and the complementary product ranges in an integrated long-term approach.”

For further information
www.behringer.net