Formula 1 of saw blades

Alexander Knebel appreciatively refers to high-performance sawmills as ”Formula 1 customers“. They get their circular saw blades, segment hoggers and template rings directly from the AKE Knebel tool manufacture in Swabian Balingen/DE. Yet it is important to note that the requirements for a saw blade in the primary breakdown are very different from those in a resaw or an edger. It also makes a difference if you cut a knotty pine, a fine-grained spruce or a resinous Douglas fir.
Yet whatever the challenge may be – AKE Knebel comes up with a suitable solution. The company‘s current sawmill catalogue includes nearly 100 pages. The tools are divided into primary cut, guide, rip, cross-cut and planing-cut saw blades. The catalogue also includes chippers and profilers, segment hoggers, built-up hoggers and cleavers as well as tools for further processing and template rings. The experts in Balingen are known for their high quality. Therefore, many saw lines of renowned manufacturers are originally equipped with AKE tools.

How to apply lasers, cut, cure and temper

Whoever – accompanied by applications engineer Wolfgang Lenhart – passes by the CNC laser cutters, glowing saw blades and hammering employees realizes where these skills come from. Balingen has the complete value chain of the saw blade production and a workforce with many years of experience on their premises.

Quality for 52 years

Lenhart begins the guided tour in the steel storehouse. There the commodity is stocked in various thicknesses, alloys and curing degrees. AKE Knebel has detailed know-how as to which material is suitable for which application - thanks to 52 years of experience. ”We can set all the parameters exactly to our customer‘s specifications“, says Lenhart – the outward shape (diameter, number of teeth, gullet design) as well as the intrinsic properties (hardness, stiffness).
AKE combines high-tech manufacturing with the craftsmanship of Swabia. What counts first are the machines: Numerous laser units cut sawblade blanks out of the primary material. Then comes the curing furnace. There the material is heated to incandescence and quenched in an oil bath. Through this process carbon is fixed in the metal lattice which increases the hardness of the steel. Selective tempering reduces the brittleness of the structure, until stiffness and hardness are up to what the purpose requires. AKE is noticeably proud about the curing furnace. ”Hardly any other tool manufacturer will offer this processing service“, emphasizes Lenhart.
The design of the tool interface is done depending on the saw line manufacturer. What counts here is highest accuracy. CNC machines drill holes for countersunk screws into the steel. ”We are talking about 0.02 mm accuracy here“, Knebel points out. The same is true for saw blades with offset saw technology. So this is not about a riveted steel ring, but the blade ring is shaped as material is removed from the body. ”This is a complex process but it definitely increases quality“, says Lenhart. To make the saw blade fit for use at several thousand revolutions per minute, AKE applies pitch circles or expansion slots. The tool may not even deviate when the logs whiz through the saw line at 200 m/min or boards fly through the edger at 500 m/min.

High performance, high-tech and high-craft

It seems a bit anachronistic when Lenhart shows the visitor around in the sharpening shop. He himself has worked there for many years. And he regularly applies his skills when customers come for a visit or guided groups stop by (see picture on the left). Few well placed strikes suffice to remove distortions in a saw blade. ”No CNC machine can do that“, says the Swabian in conclusion as he looks at the blade affectionately.
Customers benefit from the long experience. AKE runs three service centers in Germany. AKE application engineers provide technical support for sawmills all around the world and offer training session in Balingen or on site.

AKE KNEBEL

Location:Balingen/DE (headquarters), Prien/DE, Rietberg/DE
Managing Director:Alexander Knebel
Employees:300 Product range:circular saw blades, cutters, drills, clamping systems for wood, plastic and metal processing