Welcome ... to  the (FAQ) Frequently Asked Questions page. Below, we  have tried to answer the most common questions. If you find that your question is not answered on this page, please email our sales department, or call us from 8 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday to Friday at 530-365-3311.

Questions:

1.Why is the metal template used in the edge profiling system so important to this system?

2. Do other companies use a template system?

3. What is Optisand?

4. Precision - Why is precision so important since you’re only working with wood?

5. Manual tool change over time – Has Voorwood Company made any improvements to reduce the complexity and time required for tool changes?

6. Is a six-inch wide tract system better that a three-inch wide system?

Answers:

1. Answer:- The more precisely a shaper profile matches a sander profile, the longer the Turbosand strip life and the higher the quality of the finished product.  The template is made from stainless steel and is precisely profiled (to within .0005 inch of the true geometric shape) so that it can be used as a standard gauge to check the accuracy of all tooling and final products.  This helps to insure a continuous and on-going match between the shaper and sander, even after re-sharpening and repairs.  The template is the “standard” and should be used daily to insure the highest tooling performance.

2. Answer: -Other companies do use templates, but for other purposes such as profile identification and set-up information.  Voorwood supplies a very durable and precise template, with all new profiles, for the specific purpose of providing an accurate profile gauge that can be used in daily production.  Additional templates for any stock profile can also be provided at a very low cost.

3. Answer:- Optisand is a trademark name given to a special sanding system built into various Voorwood machines.  Results from hundreds of sanding tests show that optimum sanding results (hence the name Optisand) could be obtained by selecting a certain sanding head rpm and machine feed speed for various wood species.  Voorwood machines equipped with this feature contain a touch screen showing various types of wood.  Selecting a certain wood species, the machine controller sets and controls the sander rpm and the feed speed chosen to produce the highest quality surface finishing for that species.

4. Answer:- Precision means efficiency.  Efficiency produces higher quality finished products, higher productivity and lower operating costs. Precision is designed into many areas of Voorwood machines and Turbosand tooling such as: 

• A precision match between the shaper and sander decreases the amount of wood removed in sanding.  This lowers sanding costs by increasing the life of the sanding refills and produces a very consistent sanding quality from day to day – week to week.
• Precision shaper spindles and precision cutting tools give you smoother (no knife marks) finish, increased knife life (all knife wings cut the same), lower sanding costs (the sander does not have to work as hard).
• A precision track and machine conveying system produces more uniform and consistent edges and miters.
• The human eye can detect the subtle difference between an average shape and hand sand and a precision shaped and sanded item.

5. Answer:- Voorwood has introduced many new and subtle innovations and improvements for reduced complexity and tool change time such as:

• Accurate and repeatable digital readout settings for shapers and sanders
• Easy touch screen storing and retrieving of digital readout settings
• Easy access to shaper and sander spindles for easier tool changes
• Easy to remove dust hoods and dust hoses that are routed down and out of the way
• Optional “Quick Change Spindles”
• Accurate and repeatable shaper and sander tooling – so that settings are consistent
•  All new machines are tested and the tool settings are entered prior to shipment
• Compact and efficient machine size reduce tool set-up and change-over time

6. Answer At first glance, the six-inch wide lugs look better than three-inch wide lugs, but let’s examine the facts: 

• The cutting force produced by the shaper head is the same for small or large parts.
• The smaller the part size, the harder it is to hold (There is less part area to grip).
• If a track system can hold a small part then it can “easily” hold a larger part -the small part is the problem.
• Voorwood has designed a track/lug system that can precisely hold a part as small as three inches and precisely profile and sand all four edges – every time – 24/7.
• A track system that requires a six-inch wide pad to hold the part cannot hold a three-inch by three-inch part because only half of the six-inch lug is used.
• Clamping a three-inch wide part (or any part narrower than six-inches) in a six-inch wide lug system caused an inaccurate wedging/side loading action and uneven wear to the six-inch lug.
• The three-inch Voorwood lugs are always loaded more uniformly than the six-inch wide lugs.  Uniform loading promotes a more precise conveying of the part.  Voorwood’s three-inch wide lugs have a precision ground-gripping surface made from a proprietary compound that actually out wears steel.  This special compound has two to three times the gripping power per square inch than compounds typically used on six-inch wide lugs.
• Besides the superior gripping power, Voorwood’s lugs are precision ground within .001 inch, to height and are individually “hand lapped” to the precisely machined conveyor milling machine type Vee-track.
• With a more uniform loading, and the Vee-track design, the three-inch Voorwood lugs/track system actually becomes more precise with use.
• The special lug compound gives exceptionally long service life with many lug/track systems still delivering precise conveying after ten years of service. 

The bottom line – Will a machine accurately and repeatedly hold and convey a part past the shaper and sander from a three inch by three inch on up?  Voorwood Company machines are guaranteed to hold this small part – our competitors do not.  We feel the six-inch wide lug is actually a deterrent.  Our three-inch lugs are superior.  Give them a test drive and see the advantages for yourself.