Ultrasonic Saw Blade Cleaning
BUSINESS TYPE:
✓Saw and tool sales and service company
PART/PRODUCT CLEANED:
✓Saw Blades
SUBSTANCE(S) REMOVED:
✓Resin residue commonly known as “wood pitch”
OMEGA CHEMISTRY USED:
✓OmegaChem
OMEGASONICS SYSTEM USED:
✓Power Pro 6000
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY CREATED:
✓Increased business realized from walk-in business that can be serviced immediately
MONEY/TIME SAVED:
✓Elimination of toxic solution
✓Elimination of labor
✓Saw blade cleaning now done in less than 30 minutes instead of overnight
Staying Sharp for Half a Century
As a youngster, Ray Anderson, the second-generation president of Anderson Saw company, learned the business his father started in 1955 from the ground up.
Based in Hawthorne, California, Anderson Saw is a saw and tool sales and service company serving a wide range of manufacturers, including cabinetmakers and closet organizers.
Too Much Time and Toxicity
Anderson Saw was known in this specialized industry for restoring saw blades to the very sharpest edge possible. But Ray realized that the saw blade cleaning process required prior to actually sharpening the saw blade was limiting his ability to grow his business.
For many years the saw blades, which came to the shop coated with a resin residue called “wood pitch”, were soaked overnight in a highly caustic solution.
The following morning, the shop staff took the blades out of the tanks, a backbreaking and potentially hazardous job, then drained and transferred them to a sawdust bin where the moisture was absorbed. All this painstaking, time-consuming work had to be done before the blades could even be assessed, and eventually sharpened.
Change is Good – So is Business
When Ray learned about Omegasonics and their line of ultrasonic cleaning systems, he saw an opportunity to dramatically increase his output.
He decided to make a change and installed the Omegasonics Power Pro 6000 industrial washer. Now the resin-coated blades are transferred from Anderson trucks directly to the Power Pro 6000.
Instead of an entire night of soaking and a morning of hand cleaning and wiping, the blades come out of the Omegasonics cleaner washed and ready for sharpening in less than 30 minutes.
A Clean Blade Tells All
Because the amount of time it will take to restore a blade to its pristine condition can’t be known until the blade has first been cleaned, it previously took a full day or more for Anderson specialists to determine how much time and cost a job would require. Thanks to Omegasonics, the artisans can now estimate projects in less than an hour.
Omegasonics on the Job Means Increased Business
A portion of Anderson Saw’s business comes from walk-in customers. Before Omegasonics joined his team, Ray Anderson lost a huge portion of his walk-ins.
Sometimes the overnight wait to receive an estimate was the issue, and other times Ray simply didn’t have the cleaning capacity to handle the business. Frustrated, Ray had to watch good customers literally walk out the door. Thanks to Omegasonics technology, the walk-ins aren’t walk-outs anymore.
Going the Extra Mile
When Ray made the decision to add the new technology, he immediately thought of Omegasonics. He was already well aware of their capabilities and reputation.
The fact that Omegasonics was located in Southern California offered a unique benefit in Ray’s way of thinking. Ray is a self-described motorcycle fanatic. In fact, he currently has 14 bikes that he fastidiously maintains and rides.
So, when it was time to see what the Omegasonics technology could do for Anderson, Ray and his son Shad packed up a set of dirty blades, hopped on their bikes and took a road trip to Simi Valley to meet the Omegasonics team for a demonstration.
Now, not only does Ray save time for his customers, he also saves time on his own motorcycle restoration projects by using the Omegasonics Power Pro 6000 to clean bike parts.
The Legacy Continues
Anderson Saw has long been known for producing the best finish on the tools they sharpen. The range of Ray’s customers — from the makers of cabinets and countertops to custom furniture makers creating works of art, and even skateboard manufacturers — all expect and receive the most knowledgeable, service-oriented experience available when they come to Anderson Saw.
As Ray says, “Our pledge is to give our customers the most bang for their buck, and Omegasonics helps me deliver on that promise.”
