Armstrong Introduces the VariSharp CNC band saw sharpener
Armstrong’s VariSharp CNC band saw sharpener features a two-axis CNC system to grind virtually all band saw tooth patterns used by sawmills today. Touchscreen control, industrial-grade Pentium computer, and brushless servo-driven ball screws replace the two-cam system previously used. With VariSharp, it's possible to sharpen saws you are using today, while you design those you will use tomorrow.
Grinding parameters, including on/off the face, gullet depth, and number of grinding passes can be controlled by operator inputs on the touchscreen or manually as on a standard No. 4 sharpener. Grinding wheel rpm and teeth per minute are also touchscreen controlled. A powerful 2-hp grinding wheel motor and variable frequency drive provide optimum grinding performance.
Features:
- Pentium 233 MMX PC control.
- Brushless servo system for long life and precision grinding control.
- Touchscreen control for easy operation and feedback about the sharpener, such as number of teeth sharpened per minute, and a picture of the tooth.
- On-board Armstrong tooth library with over 300 standard, VP, and VPD tooth patterns.
- New teeth or VPD patterns can be drawn or modified on screen and saved to the tooth library.
- DXF (Drawing Interchange File) export capability: the operator can download tooth parameters to a floppy disk that saw makers can use to produce the exact tooth pattern the operator has designed on the console.
- Larger 2 hp (1.3 kW) grinding wheel motor with grinding wheel speed control via the touchscreen.
- Constant power supply for the PC to minimize machine interruption.
- Complete control of machine speed. The operator can change the number of teeth sharpened per minute. On a freshly tipped Cobalt Chromium Alloy saw, it is possible to slowly grind the face and top of each Cobalt Chromium Alloy tip while quickly skipping over the rest of the tooth on the first grinding pass.
- Capacity to sharpen conventional constant pitch saws or repeating segments of teeth with variable pitch or depth, with up to ten teeth per segment.
- Air back feed units and StrongArm II power clamp are precisely timed via computer outputs.
- Step-by-step instructions will be available on demand through the touchscreen console to make it easy to train new operators. A detailed operator’s manual covering installation and machine operation is provided.
- Accommodates toothspace of 1.250" (32 mm) to 3.00" (76mm)
The on-board Armstrong tooth library includes over 300 standard, variable pitch (VP) and variable pitch and depth (VPD) tooth patterns available on the touchscreen. Operators can view, modify, and save a single tooth, or a VP/VPD pattern with up to ten teeth in the segment. The tooth library will hold an unlimited number of tooth patterns. When ordering saws, saved patterns can be supplied from the library to the saw manufacturer for use in producing the exact tooth pattern.
Machine specifications for a VariSharp are the same as for a conventional No. 4 Armstrong band saw sharpener. All No. 4 sharpener options are available for the VariSharp. Sidewinder feed finger, StrongArm power gate, and ShapeUp grinding wheel dressing system are required.