b'Productive TimesMAKING THE SPIRAL CUTP anafab Inc. is a custom machine builder that has spent several decades furthering the special au-tomation processes of customers, ranging from large component and tool manufacturers to small machin-ing firms and even worm farmers.Weve dedicated ourselves to customers looking to augment their production lines with customized equipment and automation sys-tems, said Joe Panetta, president of the Suwanee, Georgia-based company. After years of investing in the highest-quality engineering and programming software, we are now transitioning to the design and build of proprietary lines of industrial au-tomation equipment designed to in-crease the productivity, improve the quality and reduce the costs of our clients manufacturing processes. We are, however, still supportingBestway Productsmany of our existing partners withPanafab designed and built a custom bandsaw machine to sequentially cut aluminum handles industry-specific solutions designedfrom an aluminum extrusion.to reinforce their unique production,END USER SOLUTION PROVIDERassembly and fabrication needs.Since 2013, Panafab has producedPanafab Inc. Bestway Products Co.a custom handle made of 6061 alu- 770-614-9006 310-329-0600minum for a hand-held heat-sealingwww.panafab.com www.bestwayproductscompany.tool used by the military to hermet- com or www.spyralsaw.comically seal jet engines in foil poly-mers. He said the company annu- CHALLENGE Reduce the cost of producing a custom aluminumally makes about 1,000 handles. Ithandle for a hand-held heat-sealing tool.previously formed the handle from sheet metal and welded the handleUse a custom bandsaw machine and a saw blade with a together. SOLUTION single continuous cutting tooth that spirals 360That was very expensive, Pa- degrees around the length of a hardened steel wire.netta said. We investigated the idea of having it cast, but the tool- online for a wire saw suitable fora hardened steel wire, Spyral saw ing costs were a bit prohibitive be- his own application. As a result, heblades enable tight, intricate cuts cause our volumes back then werefound Gardena, California-basedthat are virtually impossible with even less than they are now. Bestway Products Co. and its Spyralconventional flat saw blades. Spyral Hesaidafriendalsobuildswire saw blades. blades can cut a variety of materi-unique machinery and was usingDesignedwithasinglecon- als, including metal, foam, ceramics, a diamond-impregnated wire totinuous cutting tooth that spiralsrubber, graphite, composites, wood saw parts, which led him to search360 degrees around the length ofand bone.ctemag.com/cteguide.com31ProTimes.indd 31 11/16/22 10:36 AM'