Ironwood rip saw puts focus on safety

The new Ironwood SLR 330 straight-line rip saw provides constant ripping ability to shops with low-to-moderate production volumes. Classified as an entry-level machine, the saw is geared for cabinet and furniture manufacturers wanting to rip any type of lumber, panels or plywood to width while offering a high degree of glue-line accuracy.

“The benefit of the straight-line rip saw is that they offer wider rip capacity so they can rip panels or plywood board whereas gang rip saws and multi rip saws have more of a limited ripping capacity. These machines can provide a very high cutting tolerance at a lower price,” says Stiles Machinery product manager Chris Dolbow. Stiles Machinery is the exclusive U.S. distributor of Ironwood.

The saw has a 15-hp motor and features eight pressure rollers for glue-line accuracy up to 13’ long. It has an 18” ripping capacity for applications that require wide boards. Ground connector pins with diamond-cut, heat-treated chain blocks allow straight-line feeding for glue-joint rip capabilities, according to Stiles.

Dolbow says the saw incorporates improved safety measures, such as three extended rows of anti-kickback fences and longer side guards.

“Straight-line rip saws have a pretty nasty history of accidents because of the potential for kickbacks. So what we first and foremost focus on with this machine is making it heavier than most machines and giving it more safety features to protect the operators. We’ve extended the side guards, covering many exposed areas from the cutting area.”

Additionally, he says the rip fence system was redesigned to improve the accuracy and setup. The new rip fence glides along THK linear guideways and locks in place by a single movement, ensuring absolute parallel positioning and a more accurate setup and fast movement.

The Ironwood SLR 330 sells for $20,490.

Contact: Stiles Machinery. Tel: 616-698-7500. www.stilesmachinery.com

This article originally appeared in the March 2013 issue.