Saw blade maker uses VOLLMER sharpening technology

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.

Lennartz is a medium-sized company, specialising in manufacturing and maintenance of circular saw blades for professional metal cutting applications. The saw blade specialist is represented across the world, with 250 employees in five locations – its Remscheid headquarters and a Saarbrücken location in Germany, as well as branches in the Czech Republic, China and the USA. The company was founded more than 120 years ago by Gustav Lennartz, and is now in its fourth generation of family ownership under the leadership of Karl Arnd Lennartz. The circular saw blades manufactured in Remscheid are in demand internationally for heavy industry and the steel industry, for automotive manufacturing and for the aerospace sector. This means that there are specific requirements depending on the relevant application that must be taken into account during manufacturing.

Sharpening with Swabian diligence
"The crucial factor for us is that we work closely with our partners to achieve very specific goals," says Karl Arnd Lennartz. This is why Lennartz has trusted in the expertise of the Swabian sharpening experts at VOLLMER for more than 50 years: The first VOLLMER machine used at Lennartz made its way from Biberach to Remscheid in 1966. Today, Lennartz uses around 40 VOLLMER machines in order to machine the 400 to 500 different saw tooth geometries used in manufacturing its circular saws. The CM, CHD and CHF sharpening machines are among their most recent acquisitions. These machine concepts enable precise sharpening of carbidetipped circular saw blades in a single clamping operation. Combined with an ND handling system and appropriate loading carriage for automatic tipping, these machines are in operation around the clock.

High requirements for metal cutting
The high demands of the customers which Lennartz supplies are as varied and complex as the industries in which they operate. For this reason, it is important to take the specific application into account when manufacturing circular saw blades. This often involves creating up to a dozen different saw blade variants that the customer needs to manufacture a product: Ring-rolling mills, for instance, are used to cut wheel tyres, bevel gears and gear wheels made from different materials. Applications in the aerospace industry involve sawing extremely tough steels containing nickel and chrome. However, automotive manufacturers also use circular saws to machine various components. These range from engine blocks to axles through to headrest tubes.

Working together to develop new metal cutting solutions
In their search for suitable solutions for specific requirements, the in-house research team at Lennartz has worked hard to develop new processes, currently focusing on the issues of precision, cutting speed and reduced material waste. And Lennartz also plays a part in the further development of sharpening machines for circular saw blades, as Dr. Stefan Brand, CEO of VOLLMER, can confirm: "We are in constant contact as we work together to develop groundbreaking solutions in the metal machining sector."