Gregory Billhardt

As you conduct routine maintenance on your machinery, it's common to take a look at your machine knives and evaluate them for replacement or sharpening. It's not unusual for knife sharpening to be delayed in place of other more critical maintenance needs. However, overlooking the condition and taking care of your knives as a priority during routine machine upkeep can be a very costly and even dangerous move.

It's easy to drop your knives off at a general machine shop for sharpening because they're close by, they have a grinder, and let's face it. It's easy. However, do you know that working with a general machine shop that doesn't understand industrial knives can negatively impact your cutting operation? It's true. This article provides three solid reasons you should work with an industrial knife specialist. The fact is, a sharpening operation with special knowledge of metallurgy, precision grinding, and cutting applications can provide a level of service and performance

The purchase of industrial knives and blades is typically made based on price. End-users know what knife or blade is required for the machine, they look up the correct item number, compare prices and then buy the product that has the best competitive price. Many decision makers are unaware that changing the material of a knife can influence the performance of the blade including better wear resistance, improved cutting performance, and superior slit quality. As we have mentioned in previous blog posts, metallurgy matters when considering the right material for your cutting application.

Looks Can Be Deceiving

Industrial manufacturers have the unique position of selling both to distributors and directly to end customers. The sales team must treat each of these relationships differently and be prepared to address the distinct needs, challenges, and goals of each of these customer groups.

The goal is always to provide the end customer with the best possible fit for their needs. A product that meets their goals (both immediate and long-term) and is gained with minimal effort on their part. To succeed, the sales team must look beyond the immediate request and rely on their experience and expertise to guide conversations and purchases in a way that builds trust and promotes true partnerships.

The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn't said.

What's the Goal?

At American Cutting Edge, goals are a part of everything we do whether it's the sales team, the marketing department, the accounting organization, the manufacturing arm of the business, or the shipping department. Naturally, our number one goal is making sure our customers are absolutely satisfied and come first in everything we do.

What's the daily driver that motivates you to get things done both in your personal and professional life? Setting goals can be overwhelming and time consuming but it's a critically important part of your personal and professional lives. When you're clear about your goal, motivation isn't a problem. But sometimes knowing exactly where to start can still be challenging.

As business professionals, we all know that goals should be SMART “ specific, measurable, attainable,

When it comes to manufacturing, distributing, and selling industrial knives and blades, metallurgy matters. A keen understanding of metallurgy plays a crucial role in determining what type of steel to use, when an element will enhance or detract from the performance of a cutting edge, and the overall durability of the end product. Metals are considered the backbone of the engineering industry. If your industrial knife supplier doesn't understand the behavior of the metals and alloys, they won't be able to effectively transform those raw materials into an end product that will provide a successful outcome for your cutting operation. Partnering with an industrial knife supplier with metallurgy knowledge and experience can make all the difference in your operation.

Iron

The Steel Tariffs imposed by the Trump administration have garnered significant interest; especially in our industry, where both steel and aluminum play a primary role.

This is hardly the first time a sitting President has imposed a tariff on steel. As early as 1979, then Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton proposed a series of tariffs, including one on steel, each of the new tariffs was accepted.

More recently, George W. Bush, George H.W. Bush, Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, Richard Nixon, and Lyndon B. Johnson all attempted to protect American steel producers by imposing tariffs on steel imports.

Often, it is tough to distinguish fact from fiction as we wade through the political commentary to understand how legislative decisions, such as this one, influence our industry.

Let's start with a few basic facts:

• Although dubbed the Steel Tariffs the trade sanctions signed into law on March 8, 2018, apply to the import of both steel