Saw parts keep business going

On a recent Saturday, HE&M Saw received an SOS of sorts from Pioneer IWS in Dalton, Ohio.

The gearbox on the company’s 22-year-old Twister bandsaw required replacement to continue manufacturing COVID-19 related hospital field cots. HE&M no longer manufactures the Twister, so it would seem that having a gearbox in stock would be a long shot. However, as HE&M Saw prioritises being able to service all of its saw models, the company maintains a large inventory of replacement parts for older and discontinued machines, including a certain gearbox.
As a result, HE&M Saw answered its customer’s request bright and early Monday morning and shipped the gearbox same-day.
“The overnight delivery of a new gearbox for our 22-year-old Twister bandsaw was critical to the production flow of manufacturing thousands of field hospital cots in response to the COVID-19 pandemic,” says Eddie Wengerd, general manager of Pioneer IWS.
Pioneer Equipment, like HE&M Saw, is an American-owned company with more than 40 years of manufacturing history. Core business focuses on the manufacture of farming equipment such as ploughs and carriage gears, but has also evolved into industrial workflow solutions and custom steel fabrication.
When the COVID-19 outbreak struck close to home – two of the Wengerd brothers had to quarantine after exposure at a trade show – the company decided to help in the nation’s counter-offensive.
Pioneer re-tooled its manufacturing facility in two weeks to mass produce the cots; around 100 can now be manufactured every hour.
For further information www.hemsaw.com

Lenox launches Armor VP bandsaw blade

Lenox continues to advance its range of industrial products with the introduction of the new Armor VP bandsaw blade.

The Armor VP is pitched at customers seeking high cutting rates and long blade life across a wide range of materials. Target users include steel service centres and metal manufacturers within the aerospace, oil and gas, and defence industries.
Armor blades by Lenox were first introduced to the market in 2005, and the company has continued to make enhancements to the product line over the years, the latest of which is the Armor VP.
A major feature of the blade is its state-of-the-art coating technology – an enhanced AlTiN formulation that protects the teeth from heat, allowing for faster cutting rates and increased productivity compared with non-coated carbide blades. In addition, an advanced grade of carbide that is honed with Honex technology limits tooth wear, enabling long blade life.
“The Armor VP bandsaw blade is already performing extremely well with our customers, allowing them to increase their productivity,” confirms Dan Fernandes, senior product manager. “At Lenox we’re committed to understanding the needs of our customers and designing innovative tools that help them to be more efficient in their everyday tasks.”
For further information www.lenoxtools.com

£10m of opportunities

A new manufacturing cluster has been established to target more than £10m of electrification opportunities over the next 12 months.

Brandauer, C-MAC SMT and PP Control & Automation – all members of the Manufacturing Assembly Network (MAN) – have come together to offer a single-source supply-chain solution for electric motors, drivetrain components, battery cells, casings and housings, transfer laminations, PCB assemblies, and wider infrastructure services.
The trio has also enlisted the expertise of industrial automation specialist Balluff to drive the opportunity. This joined-up approach is already reaping dividends by helping the new cluster secure in excess of £3m of off-highway automotive contracts and an order for an upwind turbine system from FuturEnergy.
For further information www.man-group.co.uk

Bahco unveils cutting discs

Bahco’s range of power-tool accessories, which is said to be widely acclaimed by trade professionals, is now being extended to include high-performance abrasive cutting and grinding wheels, as well as diamond discs.

Manufactured in Europe, these competitively priced, hard-wearing products have been designed for working with hard-to-machine materials, including metal, Inox, reinforced concrete, ceramics, brick and stone. The assortment includes both bonded abrasive and coated abrasive cutting and grinding wheels, along with diamond grit discs.
Bonded abrasives are ideal for cutting off or grinding using hand-held equipment, including angle grinders, straight grinders and vertical grinders, while coated abrasives are universally used to grind, deburr, finish or polish workpieces in metal and Inox.
Three variants of diamond cutting discs are available within the new Bahco range, which are designed specifically for cutting bricks, ceramics or reinforced concrete.
For further information www.bahco.com

Vollmer partners Burton Saw

Vollmer has struck-up a new business partnership with US-based Burton Saw & Supply. Burton Saw & Supply – along with its affiliates Simonds International, Cut Technologies and BGR Saws – is a producer and marketer of cutting tools and related equipment for the primary wood fibre industry in North America. Due to Burton’s large presence within the saw-mill industry, Vollmer of America has now established a close partnership to respond quickly to market needs with proven and reliable solutions.

While Vollmer machines, as well as spare-part requests within the saw-mill industry, will now be quoted and sold through Burton Saw & Supply, all installation, training, service and warranty work will still be handled by Vollmer of America.
“We believe that the partnership with Burton Saw & Supply will be very beneficial for all parties involved, not only in regard to streamlining communication channels, but most importantly for our customers, who will now get to have a more frequent contact base and improved support system throughout the US and Canada,” states Shannon Fox, North American sales manager at Vollmer of America.
With more than 800 employees worldwide, the Vollmer Group – which was founded in 1909 – has established itself as a specialist in grinding and erosion equipment. The recent launch of the new VLaser 270 has made Vollmer a full-line supplier of tool machining solutions. The North American subsidiary currently counts 26 employees, 19 of which are based out of the Pittsburgh office. The other seven are located throughout the US to cover more ground in sales and service.
For further information www.vollmer-group.com