Vollmer (www.vollmer-group.com) has taken the sharpening of gang-saw blades to a new level of speed and precision with the introduction of its new CAG200 sharpening machine. Designed for processing blades up to 200mm deep, this machine features a grinding head that is moved over the saw blade (clamped over its entire surface) by two CNC axes, thereby accommodating the sequential grinding of each tooth in a single clamping arrangement.

Also featured are a 10in colour LCD display on a swivel-mounted panel, a large viewing window and a large door to simplify blade loading for the operator.

While some grinding machines move the saw blade, the CAG200 clamps the whole blade for the two-axis grinding head to move along the blade, accurately processing the tooth pitch, height and shape. This technique minimises vibration, improves surface finish and ensures consistently high levels of quality and precision over the entire length of the saw blade.

Furthermore, the CAG200 further enhances surface finish and consistency by clamping the blade as close as 2mm below the grinding point.

This close support also accommodates high levels of stock removal for increased productivity and reduced cycle times, hence the machine’s use of a 2.2kW motor to drive grinding wheels up to 350mm in diameter at speeds up to 45m/sec.

Moreover, to maintain tooth quality and precision when using high stock removal rates, the CAG200 can undertake wet grinding.

The CAG200 is designed for processing saw blades with depths from 60 to 200mm, thicknesses from 1.4 to 2.6mm, tooth lengths from 800 to 1,500mm and tooth pitches from 15 to 40mm. To ensure stability when machining at high rates of material removal, the machine has a heavy-duty base and an all-up weight of 2,300kg. It is 995mm deep x 2,760mm wide.