Mark Dillenbeck has been cutting meat for years at Wolverine Packing Co. in Detroit. He's good at it – fast, precise, efficient. But speed and a running bandsaw blade don't always mix well.
"Bandsaws are intimidating right off the bat," says Spencer Pippin, Plant Manager. "They're a big piece of equipment with a blade running at an incredible rate. When people are focused on yield and quality, they don't always realize how their hand may be misplaced."
For operators, that's the trap: you're thinking about the cut, the portion weight, the production quota – not about where your fingers are in relation to a blade moving at over 100 feet per second.
Installing a zero-accident bandsaw
Recognizing the need for a safer solution, Wolverine sought out Guardian's zero-accident bandsaws. It was a no-brainer for Spencer Pippin. “Our employees are our number one asset in the company. They come here to make a living to go home and be with their families," he tells us.
In 2023, they installed four Guardian G400 bandsaws. Since then, they haven't had another bandsaw accident. Guardian's vision system tracks hand position in real-time. Get too close? The blade stops in milliseconds – before contact.
"When you get too close to these blades, the machine stops on you," explains Dillenbeck.
A surprising benefit: Higher productivity
What surprised Pippin: productivity went up.
"The operators have become more efficient in their day-to-day productivity because they're more confident in the saw," he explains. "The saw really alleviates a lot of the stress off of them."
When you're not worried about losing a finger, you can focus on the work. Dillenbeck puts it simply: "Safety is everything. It's very important to have safety at a higher standard so I can feel comfortable doing my job. I don't have to worry about any injuries happening. I can increase my speed."
And at the end of the day? "My wife is happy because she knows I'm coming home without injuries."
Watch the full story below, or see our video demonstration to learn more about our safety system.
