“Our Metamob line of bandsaw blades is particularly well suited to the pallet industry and has been designed for the harsh working conditions they’re exposed to,” said Ed Bissell, who founded the North Carolina business more than three decades ago.
Union Grove is a full-service cutting tool company dedicated to the woodworking industry, with experience manufacturing round and band saw blades, as well as industrial knives. It produces circular saw blades in carbide and satellite tipped configurations for all machinery types, and offers wide and narrow bandsaw blades from 1”- to 14”-width in single- and double-cut configurations. Products are refined for specific applications and can also be customized for specific production requirements.
Bissell attributes the durability to quality steel imported from Europe and Japan. “We use premium grades of material for these blades and optimize the tooth form specific to the application. This gives the blades a longer useful life and they can be sharpened multiple times,” he says. “The fine structure of the edge ensures smooth cuts and a high durability.”
In order to obtain this condition, the top of the tooth is heated up to its hardening temperature with high-frequency currents and then quickly cooled in the air. The depth of the hard layer on the blades reaches 0.2-0.3 mm, while the core and body of the blades keep their initial structure and remain malleable.
The blades are then fine tuned for operating conditions in the United States, and fully benched and tensioned with 100% inspection before every shipment.
“We employ skilled craftsmen in a time where other competitors are trying to automate every aspect of the cutting tool manufacture and service process and as a result, we have far better quality control and tool performance,” Bissell added.
Bissell founded Union Grove in 1983 aiming to become known for service and quality. Today, its mission remains the same, he says, as the business services more than 300 customers and still maintains its original 10 accounts.
“We are competitively priced with a higher standard of quality and service with timely delivery, every time, all the time," Bissell says. "We understand that today we must squeeze every ounce of efficiency and cost savings to remain competitive.”
Union Grove Saw & Knife's staff have over 120 years of combined tooling experience, allowing them to offer technical support and training to customers. The staff is also trained to respond with urgency to its customers’ tooling needs.
“Our vision for the future is to become our customer’s best employee,” Bissell said.
Bissell said he enjoys working in the production environment of his business, and likes the challenge of providing solutions.
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