Band of brothers

Some view sawing as a means to an end with little added value. The truth, however, is that optimising this important machine shop operation can deliver significant knock-on benefits. Speed is an obvious one, while an accurate cut can mean less subsequent machining as well as reduced waste in the scrap bin – vital considering the high price of raw materials. Metal stockholders provide a rich hunting ground for sawing technology providers. Among recent examples of investment here can be seen at TW Metals, a global metals stockholding and distribution group with two UK sites at Birmingham and Southampton. TW Metals UK supplies safety critical markets such as nuclear, oil and gas, and aerospace with specialist steels and aluminium alloys, and it has recently invested in two new Imet Xtech 410 bandsaws as part of the company's regular equipment upgrade scheme (see video of machine above, but in a different application). Image: TW Metals is benifitting from Addison Imet Xtech 410 bandsaw technology "As a global metals stockholding group, the quality of our cut metals and our service record is paramount to our brand reputation," says Martin Reaney, warehouse and facilities director at TW Metals UK. Working closely with its distributor Sawtec in Southampton, Addison Saws (01384 264950) recently specified and supplied the two new Xtech 410 bandsaws, one to each UK facility, where they are being used to process stainless steels, titanium and nickel alloys such as Inconel. The Xtech saws offer pre-programmed, automatic cutting parameters all set in a simple-to-operate control panel (which stores over 60 different material specifications) including both cutting and blade speeds. These benefits are enhanced further through variable feed rate and variable blade speed systems, which reduce metal cutting times by up to 30% with standard saw blades and 60% using tungsten carbide tipped (TCT) blades. In addition, the new Xtech range incorporates double bearings on both the driven and idle blade wheels, thereby aiding stability, evening-out blade power and enabling higher band tensioning, which collectively increases both cut rates and blade life. The story is similar at Carrs Toolsteel Technologies of Tipton, where following its investment in bandsaw technology from Kasto (01908 571590) and TCT blades, a single round or flat section billet is now supplied to a customer within 24 hours of order placement, while lead-time for multiple tool steel billets is 1-2 days. Previously, 2-3 days was typical. It is the increase in productivity with TCT blades that has allowed Carrs to more than halve delivery times for some orders. For example, sawing D2 and 01 round tool steel bar of 80 or 100 mm diameter takes 1.5 to 2 minutes using a carbide blade running at 50 to 60 m/min, whereas 10 to 15 minutes is required with a bi-metal blade. The median improvement in cutting speed is over 700%. Similar benefits are obtained when cutting pre-hardened tool steels like Toolox 33 and 44. Operations manager at Tipton, Neil Garbett, says: "One of our new saws is a KASTOtec AC5, purpose-built for cutting with carbide. It was modified by Kasto so that the vices open to 680 mm, rather than the 630 mm in the standard specification, allowing larger plate to be cut. Stretching the machine in this way saved us capital cost by allowing us to buy a smaller machine." Image: Kasto modified a KASTOtec AC5 for Carrs, so that the vices open to 680 mm, rather than the 630 mm in the standard specification, allowing larger plate to be cut The other new bandsaw at Carrs is a KASTOevo A4x5, capable of cutting round stock up to 430 mm diameter. Based no more than 3 miles away at Oldbury, another supplier of specialist metals, Böhler-Uddeholm UK, has taken delivery of a new Amada PC530AX pulse cutting bandsaw from Birkett Cutmaster (01274 870311). Using traditional bandsaws, Böhler-Uddeholm UK had been unable to cut large diameter 718 special steel bars within an economic timescale, particularly when it was under pressure for fast-track deliveries at short notice. "Our new Amada PC530AX is already proving its worth as a fast, reliable bandsaw and is exceptionally quiet throughout the cutting cycle," says Simon Woodward, Böhler's operations manager. "It used to take us up to five hours to cut a 320 mm diameter 718 super duplex bar with a conventional bandsaw. With the new machine we are able to complete the sawing cycle in as little as 56 minutes, giving significant reduction in cost-per-cut." Image: Böhler-Uddeholm UK has taken delivery of a new Amada PC530AX pulse cutting bandsaw Retaining the same theme, Manchester-based nickel and titanium alloy stockholder, Corrosion Materials Ltd, has seen productivity increase 100% since taking delivery of three Danobat bandsaws from Prosaw (01536 410999). Having already installed a Danobat CP520AF in 2007 as part of a continuous improvement programme, Corrosion Materials subsequently ordered a Danobat CP420AN in 2011 followed last year by another CP420AN. One of the major contributory factors of the company's improved performance has been standardisation of the bandsaw control. Explains general manager Peter Moriarty: "The implementation of a single common controller across our three Danobat saws has allowed us greater flexibility in our working practices which in turn has led to great increases in efficiency." Such is the level of confidence that Corrosion Materials has in the Danobat machines that it is now considering lights-out processing overnight, resulting in increased availability of capacity. Of course, new investment in sawing technology is not restricted to bandsaws. Suppliers of circular saws are also witnessing strong uptake, as Sawcraft UK (0121 561 5616) can confirm following the sale of a RALC Italia-Conni Gemini 802 HM sawing machine to Sheffield-based industrial fastener manufacturer, Cooper and Turner. Cooper and Turner's new range of high specification, engineered bolts required a complete re-think of existing production methods. Having selected Sawcraft for its ability to think "outside the standard specification box", the final specification RALC Italia-Conni Gemini 802 HM carbide machine featured modifications that included: automatic bundle loader (8 m loading length, 5 tonne capacity) capable of storing two full bundles of material; extended electric axis carriage feed stroke of 1 m to increase output rates on longer products; an innovative 'moving' cutting vice to allow maximum material utilisation with minimum possible scrap ends; a customer specific powered off-loading system capable of handling cut lengths up to 4m long; programmable, in-line part number ID; and magazine storage with operator controlled product release. Box item Sharp performer Following a period of growth at Thames Valley Saw Service, the latest Vollmer saw blade sharpening machine to arrive at the Abingdon-based company is a CHD70 with a 3-station ND230 robotic loading system. "We had the previous machine for nine years and in that period it proved expensive to repair, unreliable, unproductive and time consuming to set-up," says workshop director Nigel Muttram. "It would only hold certain saw blade bore sizes, which resulted in additional setting times or the transfer of blades to other machines. With regards to productivity, the automatic loader could only hold 20 saw blades, so that is all we could run unmanned overnight." The Vollmer CHD270 eliminates all these issues. The machine can cope easily with any bore size, while according to Thames Valley Saw Service, reliability is exceptional and the ND230 robotic loader has a capacity for up to 100 blades, resulting in overnight productivity increasing five-fold.