Dual-Column Miter Bandsaws Aid Robotic Welding

In the late 1960s, Advanced Machine & Engineering Co. (AME) (Rockford, IL) developed a high-production billet saw using carbide-tipped circular blades. Sold under the trade name AMSAW, the machine disrupted the market by cutting four times faster than high-speed steel (HSS) saws and eight times faster than bimetal bandsaws.

Developed by AMSAW and its partner UZAY, the line of heavy-duty, dual-column bandsaws sold under the trade name AMSAW-WAGNER serve the smaller-size billet saw market as well as billet sizes over 27.5 inches (700 mm) in diameter, which is about the largest billet size circular carbide blades can cut. With this step, AME has become a single source of technology for cutting anything from less than 1inch to 85 inches.

The band saws are specifically designed for the American market with emphasis on rigidity, simplicity, and low maintenance. Integral frame with the idler wheel on one end and the drive wheel on the other end is welded from heavy steel profiles, stress-relieved and precision-machined to house the heavy roller bearings for the wheels.

The frame is guided on heavy-duty preloaded linear ways and slides vertically, fed by a precision ball screw and driven by a servo motor. This very stiff, backlash-free feed system guarantees smooth, low vibration sawing even for interrupted cuts. The tension of the band is maintained by hydraulic pressure that’s  adjusted and monitored throughout the cut. To make vertical cuts, the band must be twisted 90 degrees. This is done by two band guides that are tied to the motion of the horizontal clamps. To minimize band vibrations, the guides must be adjusted as close as possible to the material.

This dual-column miter bandsaw increases productivity for fabricating companies that must cut structural steel and tubing with small wall thicknesses. The upper body can swivel in both directions with a servo-driven curved rack-and- pinion system.

High-production fabricators use welding robots where a high repeatability is required and gaps should be held to minimum. That’s why this saw can be equipped with linear transducers to verify dimension and adjust miter position accordingly to avoid secondary operations.

AME is known for providing turnkey solutions for circular carbide saws. With the AMSAW-WAGNER band saw product line, highly customized systems including drill units, material handling such as infeed and outfeed roller conveyors, tilt tables, transverse transport tables, and other auxiliary options are available as well.

www.ame.com