Wood-Mizer Blades:
Using the Best Manufacturing Processes

There are dozens of portable sawmill manufacturers selling thin-kerf bandsaw mills today. But there is only one shop that manufactures mills and blades. Wood-Mizer is the only sawmill and pallet saw manufacturer to produce blades for these equipment applications. Designing and manufacturing our own blade production and maintenance equipment allows us to produce blades with consistent quality.

Wood-Mizer is unmatched in the extensive services we offer, including our exclusive blade maintenance program, ReSharp, and an automatic blade replacement program.

By making our own blades, we are able to control every step of the process, from the selection of raw materials, to the rigorous tests and quality controls, to the equipment used in the manufacturing. The result is a quality blade that'll keep your production at the level you desire.

Our blade manufacturing is second to none in the industry. Here are just some of the components that make our blade manufacturing such a winner in the industry.

Steel
Wood-Mizer blades combine two different metallurgical techniques that result in superior hardness and toughness not found in other blades. The Wood-Mizer DoubleHard blades use high-quality steel, and the teeth are induction hardened so they stay sharp and can be re-sharpened often. The performance of these blades means higher productivity and lower cost per board foot.

Punching vs. Milling/Broaching
Wood-Mizer’s punching process allows us to manufacture blades from pre-hardened, rolled material that provides superior flex-life. The punching process also allows us to provide a wider range of blade profiles with more accurate tooth spacing, while allowing us to manufacture blades more quickly and at a lower cost than other methods.

Welding
Our state-of-the-art fusion blade welding process uses no secondary metals, resulting in higher-integrity welds. The process is controlled and monitored with a computer system that controls the temperature and allows us to customize the weld settings based on the specific characteristics of the blade material being used.

Heat Treating
The heat treatment of blades is a critical process relative to the performance of the blade for the user. Poor heat treating methods can produce blades with camber, dish, fatigue, and/or cracking. These conditions can lead to poor welds, poor sawing performance and low sharp and flex life. Wood-Mizer starts with strict specifications for the material it uses to manufacture blades. The pre-hardened material is designed to provide maximum blade flex life. The teeth are then induction hardened so they stay sharp longer.

Grinding
Wood-Mizer uses a full-profile grinding technique rather than a drag or sweep process. The full-profile grind is faster and provides increased accuracy of tooth height and spacing. Each tooth is flooded with cooling oil during grinding to eliminate damage caused by overheating the teeth.

Setting
Proper tooth set is critical to providing blades that consistently cut straight and smooth. Wood-Mizer pays extra attention to this process. Our computer-monitored system measures and sets each individual tooth to exact specifications.

Identification
Wood-Mizer is the only company that stamps a unique identification number onto every blade we make. This number is stamped permanently into the blade material and won’t rub off like other manufacturers’ labels. The ID number allows us to use computers to track each blade from the raw material to the end user. If there’s ever a question about performance or quality, we are able to track the blade back through the manufacturing process and identify potential areas of improvement. The identification number assures you of a product that performs well now and will continue to improve as we discover even better ways of producing blades.

Quality Control
Wood-Mizer builds quality into every blade we make. From the selection of the raw materials to the output of the final product, every step of the manufacturing process is controlled and inspected. Over 100 separate tests and inspections ensure the quality of every blade that comes to you in a Wood-Mizer box.

Wood-Mizer’s on-site metallurgical lab and sophisticated measuring equipment are used to inspect and test all incoming material, weld and the set of every tooth. Samples are taken from the production line often so we are constantly monitoring and evaluating the entire blade manufacturing process.