Elquip Solutions seeks out the latest industrial technology to supply to the South African market. As an established local provider of quality global electrical, automation, mechanical and consumable products as well as capital equipment, the company aims to provide quality at all times to its customers. In the current economic downturn, it is also equally concerned with providing them with the best value for money.

As such, Elquip represents and distributes many well-known industrial brands, which are synonymous with quality and value for money, locally. One of these is Kinkelder, a family-owned business based in the Netherlands, with a focus on saw blade manufacture dating back 55 years.

“We have successfully represented Kinkelder and supplied their blades to the local market for over a decade now. Their superior quality is a perfect match with what we always aim to achieve at Elquip,” says Mike Cronin, Managing Director of Elquip Solutions.

Kinkelder is located in the east of the Netherlands, in the city of Zevenaar, which is close to the leaders in European research and development in machine tool manufacture. The company also participates in joint research projects with industry and universities. This ensures that the Kinkelder manufacturing plant improves the performance of its saw blades on an ongoing basis, meeting the latest customer requirements.

“We have this continuous improvement approach in common with Kinkelder, also going beyond merely delivering products. As such, we work closely with our customers to understand the requirements of their current project and provide the most effective solution,” Cronin advises.

Kinkelder has a range of specialist blades able to meet a variety of material specifications and cutting speed or finish requirements, and Cronin adds that Elquip Solutions will assist customers to select the correct blades for their particular requirements.

“We also provide a value-add in terms of evaluating the set-up of our customer’s cutting equipment, to ensure that they achieve the best speeds, production efficiencies, cost-per-cut and ultimately, return-on-investment,” he explains.

The newest addition to Kinkelder’s impressive range of blades is the TCT (tungsten carbide tipped) ‘Champion’ blade, designed for high-volume steel tubing and solid cutting. The blade is manufactured from tungsten carbide and PVD (polyvinlidene) formulations, which significantly reduce wear and provide cutting speeds of between 180 and 300 m/min.

Cronin, delighted with the assortment of blades from Kinkelder says: “Kinkelder blades can not only cope with an assortment of material, but also have blades suitable for many types of sawing machines: from the lighter sawing machines to the automatic variety”.

Another impressive Kinkelder product is their TCT flying cut-off range for standard, orbital and scarf cutting. These industrial blades are perfect for instances where high mechanical stresses and operating temperatures place great demands on the blades. The blades are designed to service the ERW (electric resistance welded) tube and pipe industry.

“Kinkelder HSS blades can be repaired and re-sharpened by Elquip Solutions at our on-site blade sharpening facility, which is a fantastic value-added service offering to our customers,”’ enthuses Cronin.

The HSS (high-speed steel) blade is used for either steel-based or non-ferrous materials, such as brass and aluminium. Sizes range from 150 mm to 630 mm in diameter with a number of tooth styles available as standard stock. There are several different coatings available such as flash chrome, titanium nitride (TiN), titanium carbon nitride (TiCN) chromium nitride (CrN) and titanium aluminium nitride (TiAlN).

“We are really excited to be able to offer, along with our valued and long-standing principal Kinkelder’s expertise, blades customised to our customers’ exact requirements, which provide them with the best cutting speeds and cut quality, and meet any production needs,” Cronin concludes.