American Cutting Edge
Based in Centerville, Ohio, American Cutting Edge (ACE) is a U.S. cutting solutions provider of a full line of converting blades and wear parts that reduces downtime and improves profitability for converters worldwide through increased wear and less downtime caused by fewer blade changes. Offering both In-stock product options and custom blades, items are available in a variety of steels, powdered metals, and coatings including tungsten carbide and zirconia ceramic. A true full-service supplier, American Cutting Edge offers something for everyone in their comprehensive selection of precision converting products and wear parts.
“Like many businesses, we’re seeing an increasing amount of our day-to-day business grow online via our website (www.americancuttingedge.com). However, we also have a dedicated on-site sales and service team that partner directly with our customers, consulting with them one-on-one, providing tremendous insight that they just can’t get with other suppliers. The best blade material is completely dependent upon the runtime needs and material being run. Our customers rely on our team’s industry knowledge regarding which coatings and materials will extend blade life and offer the best cut based on their specific application of the blade. Raw materials aren’t created equally and the decision of what to use as the base material makes a huge difference in performance,” says Heather Vreeland, Product Manager at American Cutting Edge.
“We move on from the base material to discuss coatings and other upgrades to further enhance longevity and performance. Most customers have found improvements making significant reductions to required maintenance, reducing change outs, downtime, and ultimately increasing profitability,” Vreeland continues.
According to Vreeland, “Male knives used in shear slitting can be upgraded to M2 or A11 steel for enhanced performance but many times customers aren’t aware of that option or when the upgrade makes sense. There are also cases when it might be beneficial for the bottom portion of the shear knife to be upgraded with a carbide inlay to enhance blade longevity. ACE converting experts are on-hand to talk to customers about what they’re trying to achieve with the blades they’re ordering, not just sell them something.”
“There are so many decisions that go into choosing the right blade or knife for the application you’re running. Our team strives to understand what customers are trying to accomplish so that we can partner with them and enable them to do a better job with fewer blade change outs, less downtime due to maintenance, and meet their specific labor and budget targets. Our ultimate goal is to make cutting effortless for our customers,” says Vreeland, “And, the only way to do that is through asking the right questions and making sure that we truly understand their needs. Making cutting effortless goes way beyond just selling our customers a blade or a knife.”
“ACE’s stock from razor, shear, score, and core cutting applications gives us the ability to be a premier supplier of converting supplies. In addition to off-the-shelf options, ACE specializes in custom applications for those times when the right solution isn’t available in a ready-made product,” says Vreeland. “Our in-house engineering staff has the unique ability to reverse engineer blades to perform in-depth analysis and determine exactly what went wrong in the event of performance failure so that we can help our customers come up with a better, more effective solution that will outperform their current blade.”
American Cutting Edge also has the capability to sharpen carbide blades, shear knives, and score cutting blades, which makes their offering a well-rounded option for those looking for a full-service supplier who can offer a full range of services. “Sharpening both the top and bottom blades of the shear slitter can extend the overall life of the blades with the option to use the same part multiple times. In many cases, end users attempt sharpening parts in-house without the correct equipment, which can be wasteful and expensive,” according to Heather Vreeland.
For additional information about converting products and sharpening services from American Cutting Edge visit www.americancuttingedge.com or contact Heather Vreeland, Product Manager, at hvreeland@americancuttingedge.com (888-543-6860).