Machine knives are some of the unsung heroes of the manufacturing process.

They are silent, dedicated workers that help cut and shape our products from raw material to packaged product.

Without them, all the engineering skill, all the experienced labor, and all the automation in the world would yield a whole mangled heap of unfinished everything.

I’m not sure why the tools and parts that make our processes work don’t get more attention. Maybe they’re not as fun to watch as high-tech robotic automation. Maybe they’re less easy to relate to than a line of skilled workers laboring at a factory.  Maybe both are true, but that doesn’t make knives any less important.

To illustrate my point, here are just five simple things we use every day that without machine knives would be, at the very least, much less convenient.  At the very worst, they’d be impossible to use. (more…)

At least from our viewpoint, 2010 has so far been a busy year for the machine knife manufacturing industry.  We’d like to thank our loyal clients, friends, and readers for helping us toward all our success.  I mean, without you – well – we’re nothing!

Here at York Saw & Knife, we’ve got some great news and great products in the works.  Meanwhile, we thought we’d share our most popular stories of the quarter with you.  Some are recent, and others have been around so long they’re becoming classics! (more…)

The following is a reprinted article from our March 2010 E-Newsletter.
To get your free copy, click here.

Tell us your thoughts on flexible packaging

Back in January we wrote about the main packaging trends to watch for 2010.  Included in that list was a prediction for the growth of flexible packaging across various industries.

Here at YSK we’ve seen a steady increase in demand for cutoff knives to fit Form Fill Seal machines used in flexible packaging. And, with almost a quarter of the year behind us, we’ve also noticed growing attention to this market in other media: be it in press releases, industry studies, blog posts, and other “expert opinions.”

So We Want to Know: How’s the outlook from where you stand?

Please take our easy 5-question survey about flexible packaging to weigh in your thoughts on one of the most-talked about industry trends. We’ll post the results in a follow-up next month.

We promised some follow up on the Shark Tooth blade a little while back…

York Saw and Knife recently assisted a major consumer products, pressure-sensitive adhesives and materials producer in creating a new cut-off knife for a Winder/Rewinder machine.

The company developed a new, very tough film that typical knife designs could not cut cleanly and completely, resulting in a shredded, undesirable edge. Aware of York Saw and Knife’s free test cutting a perforating services (of flexible films utilizing a plunge cut with a straight, serrated edge blade), the company contacted York Saw and Knife and we quickly started to tackle the challenge.

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The following was a special April Fools’ email sent to our monthly email members. If you would like to subscribe to the YSK monthly email, email us and include your contact information.

York Saw and Knife continually searches for new materials and methods to manufacture our leading-edge cutting tools. Our applications engineers recently completed a three month working vacation in New Mexico working on – in conjunction with a private entity – a breakthrough, game-changing material. (more…)

Apple has the iPod nano. An Indian car maker (Tata Motors) launched its Nano this week.

Related, there’s buzz building re: nanotechnology in some of the industries York Saw & Knife serves. But, it’s only buzz, and it’s only building.  Packaging World notes a January report on nanotechnology in packaging by the Swiss Center for Technology Advancement TA-SWISS.

From PW, the Swiss group noted nanotechnology:

“…is already incorporated into some food packaging, for example in films, nano-silver layers or layers in PET bottles to improve barrier properties. They even cite greenhouse gas reductions associated with ‘nano-PET bottles.’ The study recognizes that th

ere is a huge market potential for nano-materials in packaging.”

(more…)

We talk to a number of people out there, and visit with others at shows or on the road when we can. We’re unsure, however, how many of you out there are aware of York Saw and Knife’s capabilities to manufacture specialty knives for OEM’s and their end users.

York Saw and Knife can outfit your slitter, scorer, bologna slicer… whatever. Our manufacturing system for producing knives and blades is one of the most flexible in the world, and we can produce premier product prototypes in less time than industry standards.

We also feature no minimum quantity order requirements.

The Challenge: Stump Our Team With Your Cutting Quandry

OEM or end user, we challenge you to stump our customer support team and applications engineers with a blade (that you intend to produce/use). We’re confident we can manufacture any blade you can throw at us (although we’d prefer if you just mailed it or sent drawings).

Our version will be high quality, economical, tough, precision and feature less lead time. If we can’t, well, I don’t know. You’ll win the challenge and I’ll have to send something your way.

In the latest Food & Beverage Packaging (they’re welcome for the free pub), there’s an interesting roundtable featuring some of the heavyweights of food and beverage packaging (including one – Steve Gaeta of Unilever – who shares the same last name as this mutineer on Battlestar Galactica).

Anyway, the discussion centers on the industry outlook in 2009 and the challenges in creating an aesthetically pleasing, handy package that can be developed economically using principles of sustainability and (preferably) green materials.

Adaptability, flexibility and the openness to new ideas were common themes. The round table discussed the development and implementation of new designs, processes and materials with an eye on value and sustainability.

It’s an interesting read. The article made us consider how well-positioned YSK is to work with the packaging industry and OEM manufacturers. Want to know how? Email us!

York Saw & Knife is thankful for our wonderful customers and excellent employees.

To show our thanks, today, York Saw & Knife is providing free, frozen turkeys to our staff.

On a related note, our meat processing and food processing customers inform us they are thankful for York Saw & Knife’s high-quality, precision toothed, serrated edge and beveled circular knives, straight knives and speciality knives.

York Saw & Knife Company wishes everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. Please take time over the holiday to think about all you are thankful for.

In a little over two weeks, York Saw and Knife is hitting Chicago to take part in the 2008 Pack Expo. We’ll be there November 9 – 13. We’re currently finishing our final preparations for the show – crossing t’s and dotting i’s.

Pack is an event devoted to the packaging industry, serving suppliers and buyers of packaging machinery, materials, components and services. This year, the show is held at McCormick Place and co-located with the Process Expo and Converting & Packaging Printing (CPP) Expo.

We’re looking forward to Pack, and the opportunity to visit with past and current customers and vendors, and meet some new people. If you’re attending Pack, Process or CPP, stop by the York Saw and Knife booth (#E-7827) to say “hi” and see our full displays of leading-edge cutting tools.