Wintersteiger launches the 6 lamella output - 20% higher yield for engineered, wooden flooring top layers.
The Austrian company Wintersteiger has sold more than 1,500 thin-cutting frame saws around the globe and is the only supplier worldwide at present with kerfs starting at 0.7 mm.
The Austrian company Wintersteiger has sold more than 1,500 thin-cutting frame saws around the globe and is the only supplier worldwide at present with kerfs starting at 0.7 mm.
There has been remarkable progress since Wintersteiger presented the thin-cutting, frame saw with ultra-thin stellite saws at the Ligna 2007. The saw was originally able to generate a yield of 5 lamellas from a pre-planed, standard 24.5 mm S4S woodblock. The kerf was set at 0.9 mm and additional waste through the machining procedure was 0.5 mm. This processing resulted in 5 lamellas of 3.98 mm thickness each. The general yield from one cubic metre of woodblock raw material (frieze) amounted to 204 sqm. of wooden flooring top layer.
Now there is even more to be gained. Wintersteiger promises a 20% higher yield. Five cuts provide 6 lamellas instead of just 5. Based on a 0.7 mm kerf and a slightly reduced lamella thickness of 3.33 mm, one cubic metre of wood material is transformed into 245 sqm. of flooring lamella surface. According to Wintersteiger, this could save a wooden flooring producer up to 700,000 euro a year.
Based on the thin cutting technology this standard wood block now provides for 6.
Prices for wood raw material have increased and meanwhile make up 25-30% of general production costs. Consequently there is potential for economisation. If a conventional circular saw is used for processing 3-ply, wooden flooring top lamellas, about 30% of an S4S woodblock end up as wood chips.
Thin cutting is the solution. Kerf reduction from 0.9 to 0.7 mm alone provides a wood cut saving of almost one third. The precise cutting ability of the Wintersteiger system finally offers the revolutionary 6 lamellas output.
Any top lamella producer using this technology will requires less raw material. Based on an annual capacity of one million sqm., demand will be reduced from 5,000 to only 4,080 cubic metres of raw material. The saving potential per sqm. of top lamellas amounts to 0.65 European cents, maintain the Austrians.
Wintersteiger has been constructing speciality machines since 1953. The company comprises three divisions including solutions for ski-service and agricultural field trials. Woodtech is the division engaged in thin cutting technology from which the wooden flooring industry and other clients order frame saws, band-saws, tool edging machines and the matching carbide or stellite saw blades.
Thin-kerf saws may become even thinner
Bernd Wiesenberger, product manager at Wintersteiger's, is interviewed by Parquet International.
Parquet international: Wintersteiger is a world leader of thin-cutting technology. What are the main innovative achievements?
Bernd Wiesenberger: Our clients from the wooden flooring industry, door and window producers, multilayer panel manufacturers and many more benefit from high precision lamellas with a cutting accuracy of +/- 0.1 mm up to a cutting height of 400 mm. There is also optimized wood yield due to minimal kerfs of 0.7 mm.
Parquet international: Will new alloys of metal support the development of even thinner saws?
B. Wiesenberger: Of course, a high quality of basic material is needed. New alloys may provide for an even higher preload of the sawblades and also contribute to prolonged lifetime and the reduction of the kerf. However, the precision of the machine is an important requirement, too.
Parquet international: So it is rather the construction of the machine which provides for the advancement?
B. Wiesenberger: Thin-kerf sawblades and thin-cutting frame saws of Wintersteiger are ideally matched. High precision linear guiding systems ensure a maximum of cutting accuracy. In contrast to the oscillating frame system the free of play saw guiding prevents any lateral pressure to the saw. This results in best cutting accuracy, high lifetime of saw blades and a very fine cut.
Parquet international: Circular saw blades do not reach the thin kerfs of frame saws. What is the reason?
B. Wiesenberger: The blade of a circular saw can not be preloaded, as is a blade of a frame or band saw. The blade of a circular saw has to take on the lateral guidance. So the blade has to be thicker and this goes beyond profitability because the kerf will increase substantially.
Parquet international: Is there potential for future devolopment in thin kerf sawing?
B. Wiesenberger: Even better precision sharpening of the tools could lead to another level of thin-cutting. This means improvement of the cutting material with regard to hardiness and steeliness. Wintersteiger uses special stellite and hard metal tools to meet the challenge. Of course, the adjustment of tool and machine is an important factor and has to be optimized with every task.
Parquet international: How thin may a frame saw become, in the future?
B. Wiesenberger: Technologically there is still potential to go beyond thin kerf saws of 0.7 mm. Our development is on the way. Crucial points are appropriate materials and processing methods as well as the demand and needs of our customers in the industry.
Parquet international: Is there still a difference between ever thinner sawn lamellas and veneer?
B. Wiesenberger: Processing of lamellas and veneer is different. Veneer is made by knives or by paring. Lamellas are sawn. Another method is slicing, which in theory has a zero kerf. But in reality this is hard to achieve. In constrast to slicing the sawing method does not need all the additional wood preparation effort. The lamellas can be further processed right after cutting.
Parquet international: Is Wintersteiger able to internationally safeguard its devolopments by patents?
B. Wiesenberger: Since the early 90's Wintersteiger has applied for and has been granted many patens for frame saws and saw blade technologies in Europe, Russia, China and North America.
Bernd Wiesenberger,
product manager at Wintersteiger's
