FEATURE ON SAWING

Starrett enters private company agreement

The LS Starrett Company, a manufacturer of sawing machines, precision tools and metrology
systems, has entered into a definitive merger agreement in a go-private transaction with an affiliate of MiddleGround Capital in an all-cash transaction for $16.19 per share.


MiddleGround Capital is a private equity firm based in Lexington, Kentucky with over $3.5bn
of assets under management.
“We are pleased to reach this agreement with MiddleGround, which provides a meaningful
premium cash value to our shareholders,” says Douglas Starrett, company chair, CEO and
president. “Following comprehensive outreach to potential parties, our board of directors
determine that MiddleGround is the right partner for Starrett because of its deep
knowledge within the manufacturing industry. As a private company, the company will have
additional financial and operational flexibility to continue providing industry-leading service
and products to customers across our markets. We will also maintain Starrett’s proud
tradition among its employees, communities and other stakeholders.”
Adds John Stewart, MiddleGround’s managing Partner: “MiddleGround is thrilled to be
partnering with Starrett, a company that we have followed in the public markets for several
years. Most of MiddleGround’s operations team gained familiarity with Starrett products
over the course of their manufacturing careers, and we’re excited about the opportunity to
further position the company for its future on the front lines of innovation, advanced
manufacturing and reshoring.”
The transaction is expected to close this summer, subject to the requisite approval by
Starrett’s shareholders and other conditions. Following its completion, Starrett will become
a wholly owned subsidiary of MiddleGround and Starrett’s Class A common stock will no
longer carry a listing on any public market.
More information www.starrett.com

Metal distributor gains from saw automation

Innovation is at the heart of the metalworking industry, and it takes centre stage at Walter Metals. Nonetheless, theOhio-based tool steel distributor for Ellwood Specialty Steel was experiencing bottlenecks because its four manual bandsaws were inefficient and required a significant amount of operator interaction to handle material.

General manager Mike Kaufman says. “They needed replacement, also due to their age. We therefore started exploring options for how we could do things better, faster and safer.”

The company eventually purchased two HBE411A Dynamic automatic horizontal bandsaws from Behringer.

“We looked at three or four other manufacturers, but none of them had the level of automation on the handling system that we saw with the Behringer.”

Behringer also reportedly presented the lowest total system cost when compared with the other competitors under consideration. The saw builder’s extensive parts inventory and enthusiastic team of technicians further solidified the decision to partner with Behringer.

“They have a large amount of supplies and spare parts on the ground in the US,” Kaufman says. “As far as service goes, typically we get resolutions in under 24 hours.”

The Behringer bandsaws at Walter Metals straight-cut solid round bar from 2 to 10inch diameter. The workpiece materials are tool and die steel, such as D2 and S7, most annealed up to 42 HRc hardness.

With the introduction of the Behringer saws and their automated systems, WalterMetals witnessed remarkable improvements.According to Kaufman,efficiency soared as the company reduced material handling time by 50%. He says: “We do almost two times the amount of production on two saws than we did previously on four.”

More information www.behringer.net

Bandsaw training, commissioning and re-training

The bandsaw has evolved significantly since its invention in the 19th century. But with such a great utility comes complexity; operating a bandsaw machine safely and efficiently requires an intimate understanding of the machine’s workings, its potential hazards and the techniques to leverage its full potential. Saws UK therefore provides a guide to bandsaw training, commissioning and re-training.

Regardless of the specific type of bandsaw, be it horizontal or vertical, metal-cutting or wood-cutting, comprehensive training is crucial. Recognising the need for expert-led, comprehensive bandsaw machine training, the Saws UK University took shape.

Training begins with a deep dive into the machine’s architecture, exploring each part’s function and interaction with the whole system. Participants are guided through the myriad components of the bandsaw, from the blade, guides and wheels, to the motor and the drive system. Operators also learn about safety, daily machine operation and bandsaw maintenance. As participants progress, they delve into more advanced topics, such as fine-tuning machine settings for different materials, troubleshooting common issues and mastering advanced cutting techniques. 

The process of bandsaw commissioning sets the foundation for the successful operation of the machine. It is the initial set-up, where the bandsaw machine is assembled, installed, tested and adjusted to ensure it operates as efficiently and safely as possible. This is why bandsaw commissioning is an essential component of the training programme at Saws UK University. 

Bandsaw machine re-training ensures that operator knowledge and skills remain current, aligning with the latest developments in bandsaw technology and industry practices. Saws UK University tailors re-training sessions to the needs of attendees, covering everything from basic refresher courses to advanced workshops focusing on new technologies and techniques. 

For further information www.sawsuk.com

Unilap steps into new sectors with Vollmer

Darrell Hughes founded South Yorkshire Saw & Tool Co in 1974 as a small saw blade sharpening and ancillary supply company. Wind forward almost 50 years from the inception of a company working out of a two-bay garage and the transformation of the Doncaster-based company is beyond comprehension. Everything has changed. The company name, the facility, the industries served and the manufacturing processes.In fact, the only remaining constants are the long-serving personnel, family ownership and sharpening technology from Vollmer UK.

Changing its name in 1992 to Systco Unilap, the saw blade sharpening company acquired its first Vollmer machine in the late 1970s and has bought a complete suite of German-built machines over the years. To manufacture the countless product lines with thousands of new, re-sharpened and serviced tools delivered every week, the company has 11 Vollmer machines.Three arrived in 2022.

With 25% annual post-Covid expansion in traditional markets and growth in new segments, Unilap needed capacity, hence its investment in a Vollmer CHX840 with HS loading system in April 2022. Quickly following this machine was a Vollmer QXD250 with HC5 loader in July, with a Vgrind 260 with HC4 loading system arriving in October of the same year.

The reasoning behind the CHX840 and the QXD250 was simple. Unilap purchased the automated CHX840 saw blade sharpening machine to add unmanned ‘lights-out’ running and alleviate capacity on the 22-employee company’s other saw blade manufacturing and servicing machines. Likewise, Unilap already had a nine-year-old Vollmer QXD200 machine running around the clock, so upgrading to a brand-new QXD250 would add capacity and support rapid growth in the metalworking industry.

For further information www.vollmer-group.com

New saws give edge to British Steel project  

The arrival of three new Behringer saws at British Steel’s Skinningrove service centre will herald a major new milestone in its development.The £2.2m equipment will be a pivotal part of the operation, bringing increased productivity, greater accuracy and more intuition to the whole process of making special profiles for customers.

The £26m centre will include cut-to-length lines, product milling, machining and warehousing operations, and will enable British Steel to make and process an extended range of value-added profiles for the forklift industry.

The process of making sure special profiles meet requirements involves cutting down 14m bars, where accuracy is critical. The new saws will automate the process, deliveringmore precisionandthree times more speed than the previous saws.The advanced milling and machining capability will mean British Steel can offer profiles with tolerances of just 0.1mm.

Project manager at the Skinningrove service centre, Stuart Webster, says: “The new saws and product transportation systems that Behringer are providing will be integral to our facility.They will allow Skinningrove Special Profiles to move into the next phase ofanticipated market development in forklift mast sales. The saws will also significantly improve our capability to cut all products faster and meet tighter tolerances that satisfy the developing requirements of our customer base.”

British Steel’sspecial profiles business manufactures 250,000 tonnes of specialist products for a range of sectors, including the material handling market, of which the “profitable and growing” market for forklift trucks is a part.

For further information www.britishsteel.co.uk