References Application examples from the field

The English city of Doncaster is home to the medium-sized tool manufacturer Systco-Unilap. The company has 22 employees and manufactures circular saws and rotary tools. Eleven VOLLMER machines form the basis for production – three of which were delivered by the Biberach-based sharpening specialist in 2022. With the new CHX 840, QXD 250 and VGrind 260 machines, Unilap has been able to take its automated tool machining to a new level. The tool manufacturer is also a good example of how the British grinding market will remain of interest to VOLLMER even after Brexit.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Marking its 60th anniversary, the Sharp Tool Company in Hudson, MA is a company that throughout its history has achieved a number of milestones, and in this landmark year the company has purchased five circular saw blade grinding machines from VOLLMER.

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.

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.

The company DCM from South Korea manufactures high-precision circular saw blades as well as special tools such as cutters or circular knives. DCM supplies its products worldwide to all industries involved with sawing and cutting metal – first and foremost steel pipe production, but also automotive manufacture, shipbuilding, as well as aerospace. The company uses a dozen VOLLMER machines for manufacturing its carbide-tipped circular saw blades. Some of its most recent acquisitions include the sharpening machines of the VOLLMER models CHD, CHF and CHP – with these machines carbide-tipped circular saw blades can be sharpened precisely in one set-up.

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.

"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 all hours of the day, on a three-shift basis."