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References Application examples from the field

Several thousand customers around the world rely on VOLLMER's expertise and are already putting our technology to use with success.

You can read some of these success stories here – clearly structured according to the various product ranges.

 

InduGrind and VOLLMER – a partnership for increased sharpness

InduGrind, based in the western German city of Bochum, is a young company that can look back on a long tradition – it came into being in 2022 following the takeover of what was formerly known as Hommel Schleifmanufaktur (Hommel Grinding Manufacturing). Today, the tool manufacturer produces shank-type and special tools and maintains gear cutting tools and hobs. In early 2023, InduGrind commissioned a VOLLMER VGrind 360 grinding machine to automate the machining of its carbide tools. VOLLMER also supports the start-up as a partner in technological matters.

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 - the transformation of the Doncaster company is beyond all comprehension. Everything has changed. The company name, the facility, the industries served, the manufacturing processes – in fact, the only remaining constants are the long-serving personnel, the family ownership – and the sharpening technology from Vollmer UK.

A pair of machines from Swabia for the perfect circular saw blade

The Swabian towns of Balingen and Biberach are separated by less than 100 kilometres. One is home to tool manufacturer AKE Knebel, the other to sharpening specialist VOLLMER. Both companies have dedicated themselves to the sharpness of circular saw blades and tools. While VOLLMER manufactures sharpening machines for this purpose, AKE produces around 250,000 carbide-tipped circular saw blades per year. In addition to the traditional areas of application, a significant number of them are used in sawmills for cutting raw wood on chipping lines.

Frankfort residents rely on VOLLMER and Loroch

At the US company Phillips Saw & Tool (PSAWS), almost everything revolves around the circular saw: The company produces them, sharpens them and distributes them across a total of 48 US states. For over 25 years, the company from Frankfort (Indiana) has used sharpening machines and automations from VOLLMER and their subsidiary Loroch to machine their carbide-tipped and high-speed steel circular saws. In the past year alone, the globally active VOLLMER GROUP has sent three new sharpening machines on the journey overseas to PSAWS.

Saw Centre Cuts Path to Productivity with VOLLMER

As a company that has roots that date back to 1889, The Saw Centre and its growth trajectory really took off when the company was bought by a father and son partnership in the late 60’s. The company has grown exponentially since then and it now employs more than 30 staff in a 20,000sq/ft purpose built facility. Now in its third generation of family ownership and jointly managed by David Stevenson and Tony Galbraith, the company has evolved with significant growth of its saw blade sharpening business bolstered with diversification into the sales and service of machinery for the wood, metal and UPVC sectors.

Swabian technology for wood processing

The Holzwerk Baur saw mill, based in Wain, Upper Swabia, processes around 180,000 solid cubic metres of wood each year, and exports its products across the world. Sustainability is a key priority for the saw mill. The wood is sourced in the region, and every last shaving is put to use. To ensure the wood is cut efficiently, Holzwerk Baur runs around 250 saws every day, kept sharp using machines supplied by Biberach-based sharpening specialist VOLLMER. Amongst the many machines in the filing room is a VOLLMER CHD 270 grinding machine for carbide-tipped circular saw blades, set up with an automated system to run around the clock.

Looking across the waters at Canada, Aiguisatek is overcoming the coronavirus crisis with some help from VOLLMER

During the Coronavirus pandemic, Canadian tool manufacturers Aiguisatek have benefited from the expertise of Swabian sharpening specialists VOLLMER: Thanks to the VOLLMER CHD 270 grinding machine featuring ND 250 automation, Aiguisatek was able to maintain round-the-clock production of its carbide-tipped circular saws without a the normal workforce. Ever since the Canadian company was established in 1986, it has placed its trust in the sharpening technologies of the Biberach-based machinery manufacturer.

Tool manufacturer from China is placing its trust in VOLLMER

The Chinese tool manufacturer Beijing Wisdom Mechanical Technology manufactures carbide tools from the Skywalker brand. To machine their milling cutters, drills and reamers, the company puts their trust in technology from VOLLMER. In the past three years, the Swabian sharpening specialist has delivered nine grinding machines to Skywalker: Six VGrind 360E machines and at the start of 2021, three VGrind 360 machines. With these machines, the company from China hopes to double the production of their tools by the end of 2022 – within the past year, the Skywalker brand has achieved a turnover of around €20 million.

Toolmaker at the Great Lakes puts its trust in VOLLMER

The name of the US company Great Lakes Custom Tool Manufacturing (GLCT) says it all: GLCT produces special tools and is situated at Lake Michigan, one of North America's five Great Lakes. In order to machine tools and circular saws that are tipped with carbide or PCD (polycrystalline diamond), the toolmaker uses 19 VOLLMER machines in total. Recently, the Swabian sharpening specialist supplied GLCT with a VPulse 500 wire erosion machine and a VGrind 360 tool grinding machine, amongst others.

Danish tool manufacturer puts its trust in VOLLMER

The Danish tool manufacturer's name, TN Værktøjsslibning, is a bit of a mouthful, so they often shorten it to TN Slib. The word "Værktøjsslibning" means "tool grinding" in English, and that is exactly what the company does: It produces coated, solid carbide milling cutters and drill bits, which can be made to order or can be chosen from more than 50 standard models. It also offers resharpening services and advice. At the beginning of 2020, TN Slib decided to purchase the VGrind 340S tool-grinding machine, which VOLLMER had brought to market a year earlier. The VGrind 340S is a newer iteration of the time-tested yet highly innovative machine concept on which the VGrind series is based.

Schrode is relying on Swabian sharpening technology from VOLLMER

Just 25 kilometres lies between the Ehingen-based tool manufacturer Schrode CNC-Werkzeugschleiftechnik and the Biberach-based sharpening specialists VOLLMER. Both companies have had sharpening in their blood for generations: VOLLMER develops grinding and erosion machines; Schrode manufactures cutting tools for metals, composites or wood. Schrode's list of customers includes companies from the automotive industry, tool manufacturing, mechanical engineering or medical technology. To machine their carbide tools, the toolmaker uses two VOLLMER VGrind 360 grinding machines with automation solutions, making true 24/7 unmanned production possible.

Circular saw blades carve out a path for India's economic boom

For years, India's economy has been growing at a rapid pace. In 2014, the "Make in India" economic initiative was developed specifically for this purpose. One of the key manufacturers taking part in the initiative is Basco Tool Industries from Faridabad, to the south of New Delhi. The company manufactures carbide-tipped circular saw blades and has relied on sharpening technology from VOLLMER for more than 15 years. The Biberach-based specialist in grinding and erosion machines has previously supplied seven machines, including sharpening machines from the CP and CHP model series.

Saw blade manufacturer Lennartz uses VOLLMER sharpening technology

Lennartz, a circular saw blade manufacturer based in Remscheid, has put its trust in machines manufactured by VOLLMER in Biberach for more than 50 years. The company acquired its first VOLLMER sharpening machine in 1966. Today, more than 40 VOLLMER machines are in use at Lennartz, including the CM, CHD and CHF sharpening machine models. These machines enable carbide-tipped circular saw blades to be sharpened with precision. However, the collaboration between these two traditional companies does not end there, as they work closely together to further develop sharpening machines for circular saw blades.

Italian saw blade manufacturer puts its trust in VOLLMER

Steep mountain passes and narrow, winding roads – despite a difficult journey, the first VOLLMER sharpening machine found its way through the Northern Italian Alps more than 25 years ago. Its destination was the saw blade manufacturer Moreschi in the small town of Vilminore di Scalve. A strong partnership has linked the two companies since then. Moreschi relies on VOLLMER's grinding machines from the CHD, CHF and CM model series for sharpening carbide-tipped circular saws with precision and Loroch machines (from the KSC-710 model serie) for sharpening HSS circular saws.

Swabian machining expertise

They are practically neighbours in the southern German region of Swabia – CERATIZIT Balzheim GmbH and VOLLMER WERKE GmbH in Biberach. In the last three years, sharpening specialist VOLLMER has delivered 14 VGrind grinding machines to Balzheim, which lies just 30 kilometres to the east. There, the tool manufacturer CERATIZIT uses the machines to sharpen solid carbide tools such as drills, milling cutters, reamers or countersinks. The tools are used around the globe to machine materials like composites, titanium, steel or aluminium and in sectors like the aerospace and automotive industries or medical engineering.

Sharpening machines communicate thanks to IoT gateway

Grinding and erosion machine specialist VOLLMER is driving the expansion of Industry 4.0 and IoT (Internet of Things) solutions. A key element is the VOLLMER IoT gateway, which makes it possible to exchange data between sharpening machines and different IoT platforms. The IoT gateway is based on open-source standards and can be used with any platform. VOLLMER has successfully tested the data exchange on the "GROB-NET4Industry" IoT platform, which was developed by globally active machine builder GROB-WERKE. The company aims to improve the use, efficiency and maintenance of VOLLMER sharpening machines through IoT solutions.

Siberian toolmaker relies on Swabian sharpening technology

In the city of Tomsk in West Siberia, the toolmaking company Tomsky Instrument is relying on the sharpening technology from VOLLMER, the specialists for grinding and eroding machines based in the Swabian town of Biberach. Tomsky Instrument is using two VGrind 360 tool grinding machines to manufacture carbide rotary tools. The milling cutters, drills and reamers produced by the Russian manufacturer are used around the world in car, train and aeroplane manufacturing. Primarily, however, the company supplies the domestic metal industry and the West Siberian oil and gas sector, as well as West Siberia's large wood industry.

Japanese toolmaker relies on VOLLMER sharpening technology

"We produce and sharpen moulds for our customers, who play a key role in the manufacturing industry, in order to shape or cast metal components", states CEO Dr.-Ing. Yasuhiro Yao of Heiwa Sangyo Co. Ltd. from Tokyo. "To machine the moulds, we use cutting tools which we manufacture and resharpen with the VOLLMER VGrind grinding machine – umanned and round the clock."

Sharpening saws by the Yellow Sea

Hwaseong lies on the coast of the Yellow Sea in South Korea – approximately 50 kilometres from Seoul. The region is a popular sunny holiday destination and has also made sporting headlines. Cha Bum-kun – the best Asian footballer of the 20th century – was born here in 1953. In the 1980s, he played over 300 games in the Bundesliga and scored almost 100 goals for Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayer Leverkusen.

When Swabians sharpen special tools

The Swabian company Günther Wirth (GW) develops solid carbide and PCD (polycrystalline diamond) rotating cutting and special tools for the international manufacturing industry. GW has at its disposal a modern machine fleet comprising around 100 machines.

Dutch company sharpens circular saws with Swabian technology

Dutch company Kinkelder has made a name for itself on the global arena with its carbide-tipped circular saw blades, high-speed steel circular saw blades and segmental circular saw blades. For producing and resharpening saw blades, Kinkelder has a fleet of more than 20 sharpening machines manufactured by Swabian grinding and erosion machine specialists VOLLMER. The VOLLMER CHD, CHF and CM sharpening machines are among their most recent acquisitions.

The sharp 13 for tool construction

"For 25 years, in our third generation, we have not only been developing solid carbide and PCD tools, but also automated solutions such as clamping and lifting devices," says Michael Enzenross, responsible for corporate communications. "We have a product range that generates just under nine million euros per year."

Fully automated milling cutters grinding away in Upper Bavaria

"In two years' time, we would like to be the German number 1 in milling cutter development," says Andreas Vratny, CEO of Hofmann & Vratny and son of the company's co-founder Zdenek Vratny. "Our top priority is ensuring the highest quality and precision possible. This was one of the reasons for choosing the VGrind 160. Thanks to its automation, we can continue production at any time of day, on a three-shift basis."

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