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

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

The benefits of upgrading an old bandsaw machine are numerous, considering the advances in the design and functions of modern bandsaw machines, reports Saws UK in a new guide that highlights the top five advantages of newer models.

First up is higher bed height. Most horizontal bandsaws today have a higher bed height so users do not stoop to operate them – much better for health as this reduces the likelihood of a back injury.
Second is swivel bows: many newer machines have swivel bows for mitring as standard, while some of the more premium models include both a left and right mitre facility. For those who do not perform much mitring, and the material is not too big, it is even possible to flip the material upside down to do the opposite mitre on one-way machines.
Blade speeds are a further consideration. Most newer bandsaws include variable blade speeds, unlike many older bandsaws which only have two – the lower to cut stainless steel and tool steels, and the higher to cut mild steel, aluminium and soft alloys. This factor means modern bandsaws can cut more materials more easily, often via a frequency inverter. As a result, users can finely tune the speed of sawing to give the best cut and economic blade life on all materials.
Increasingly, micro-blade lubrication systems are being used by those who do not want coolant on the floor, points out Saws UK. These systems can be retrofitted at any time.
The final point on the list is automation: newer machines offer advanced automation solutions, meaning users can program them to batch-saw easily and efficiently, and even leave machines running overnight, massively increasing productivity and saving costs over time, even if the upfront outlay is greater.
For further information www.sawsuk.com

Selmach Machinery has released a guide to the benefits associated with the Sterling SRA DGSA bandsaw, which is suitable for cutting structural beam and box section.

The semi-automatic machines that make up this series bring with them a range of features. Build quality and strength are the obvious benefits of these high-capacity machines with their heavy-duty bow structure and design. Importantly though, Selmach says that the Sterling SRA DGSA eliminates issues found in other, similar capacity machines with similar length bows, wherein speeds can increase during the cutting process, affecting both the life of the blade and the quality of cut. This is thanks to the twin ram (push and pull) system; the balancing ram on the rear of the machine ensures accurate cutting consistency throughout the cutting cycle.
Another quality that elevates the Sterling range is the mobile detached control panel, which is not fixed on one side as found on other bandsaws. The ergonomic control panel is wheel mounted for easy access at all times and to protect the controls from damage when loading or removing large, heavy materials such as beams. For mitred cuts, users can also bring the panel in close, allowing the operator to see marker lines and cuts much more easily, along with the ability to control all of the bandsaw’s functions.
The heavy-duty, full-stroke hydraulic vice follows the same ethos as the rest of the Sterling bandsaw, making squaring beams easy with the ability to slide from left to right. Also featured is a sacrificial plate which can be conveniently replaced, solving the problem of unavoidable wear and tear on the machine’s bed after years of throughput.
For further information https://selmach.com/

HE&M Saw recently had a customer which enquired about a bandsaw that could cut graphite, prompting the company to design and build a large vertical bandsaw that minimises the risks involved with cutting this material.

The challenges are not with cutting graphite per se, but rather with the material’s qualities. Under a great deal of pressure and heat, graphite converts to diamond, a tough material. In its pure form, graphite is relatively soft, and highly conductive of heat and electricity, which is why it is commonly used in products such as electrodes, batteries, solar panels and other industrial products.
Saw designers wanting to cut graphite are presented with unique challenges because the dust resulting from the soft material is quite fine. When airborne, it can settle around electrical components and connections, prompting the potential for electrical shorts due to the material’s high conductivity. The result is likely to be component failure, or perhaps even a fire. Graphite is non-flammable in bulk form, but combustible, and even explosive, with the proper mixtures of graphite dust and air.
Seeking to overcome these issues, the HE&M engineering team set about designing the V360M-CTS2 vertical bandsaw. This customised solution has safety features that minimise the risks of electrical shorts by incorporating a dust-proof and ATEX-rated motor. Additionally, all electrical parts have been specified with sealed housings to minimise the amount of exposure to graphite particles. The UK representative for HE&M Saw is Kaltenbach.
For further information https://kaltenbach.co.uk/