Automated equipment has continued to be developed and implemented to improve saw repair quality, with the end goal of operational uptime and productivity.
Saw bands operate under high stress and heat and in the presence of wood chips.
Gumming prevents case hardening and fatigue cracking of the saw band gullets.
Fitting means tooth dressing and involves swaging, shaping, gauging, and grinding.
The tip of the saw tooth is swaged to a flare, then the sides are compressed in slightly with a shaper tool to an exact kerf.
Sometimes, however, the kerf is made with stellite or carbide tips, in which case swaging and shaping isn't needed, although gumming is still required.
When a saw band is run on a mill it is stretched with force, and during operation the cutting edge heats up.
A single light at the benchman’s work station, along with ground gauges, allows the saw filer to measure level and tension.
Other bandsaw duties include welding broken teeth, fixing cracks, and trouble shooting lumber defects.
CNC equipment has evolved to the point of being able to do significant benching and fitting tasks without human monitoring.