Fully Automated Grinding Technology for Entering New Markets

Katthöfer Cutting Tools, based in Selm (North Rhine-Westphalia), has evolved from a traditional HSS specialist into a modern precision partner. Due to its proximity to the Ruhr region, the medium-sized company benefits from short distances to important suppliers and customers from the steel, pipe, profile, and aluminum industries. These sectors currently account for about 95 percent of the annual turnover of 800,000 euros. To continue growing, applications in woodworking and non-ferrous metal machining are increasingly coming into focus.

Economic Efficiency through Professional Resharpening
Due to steadily rising material prices for HSS, carbide, and tungsten, extending tool life is gaining enormous importance. The professional resharpening of circular saw blades offers customers an economic and simultaneously sustainable solution.

To further optimize the repair and performance of carbide-tipped (HW) circular saws and to strengthen the close cooperation with manufacturers in the further development of saw blades, a technological upgrade of the machinery was the logical next step.

Precision and Automation with the CS 860
At the beginning of 2026, Katthöfer commissioned the fully automated and completely CNC-controlled CS 860 grinding machine from the Biberach-based sharpening specialist VOLLMER. The system is designed for machining circular saw blades with diameters from 80 to 860 mm and features highly advanced technical characteristics.

A measuring cube and an integrated measuring probe ensure high 3D measurement accuracy, while the automatic tool compensation guarantees absolute process reliability. An additional acoustic sensor system optimizes the setup procedures. On the software side, numerous programs and geometries are already pre-installed at the factory. The feed pawl automatically detects tooth pitches and broken teeth, making manual entries obsolete and preventing operating errors. For unmanned round-the-clock operation, the integrated ND 320 handling system utilizes a robust double gripper that allows for a quick change of saw blades weighing up to 11 kg.

"The VOLLMER technology impresses us with its highest repeatability, excellent reliability, and very high functionality in daily use," explains Daniel Katthöfer, Managing Director of Katthöfer Cutting Tools. "The investment in the CS 860 marks an important milestone for us, as it enables us to grind HW circular saws much more precisely and allows us to enter new markets."




Partnership for Sustainable Growth
Katthöfer Cutting Tools has been a customer of the VOLLMER Group for many years and already operates around a dozen sharpening machines from the subsidiary brand Loroch. For Katthöfer's customers, this technological partnership results in consistent cutting qualities, longer tool life, and noticeable cost advantages.

"Katthöfer Cutting Tools exemplifies how small and medium-sized sharpening services can currently generate new growth through targeted investments," summarizes Tobias Trautmann, Managing Director of the VOLLMER Group. "As VOLLMER, we are able to support our customers on their growth paths in the long term with fully automated machines and digital solutions."

Edited by Maria Brueva, Induportals editor – adapted by AI.

www.vollmer-group.com