A Heritage of Excellence and Strategic Diversification

Since its 2013 founding, Anchor Fixings has established itself as a leading supplier of fixings and fittings to the construction and engineering trade throughout Ireland and the UK. However, beneath the surface of this traditional business lies a company with an extraordinary heritage across multiple industry sectors.

The combination of experience through a multitude of market sectors has created a corporate culture that consistently invests in the finest equipment available. "If you put in the best machinery, you get fewer problems and better quality. That's the way we work. That’s what we have done with other businesses and on the saw blades as well – it's why we bought VOLLMER machines," explains Business Development Director Guy Walker
This philosophy of excellence-first investment has driven Antrim-based Anchor Fixings to make a significant technology investment that positions it at the forefront of precision blade sharpening services under their new Bladetorq brand.

The Genesis of a Strategic Opportunity
“The investment path began at the beginning of 2025, during a recruitment drive. The industry insight proved illuminating. We discovered that competition in Northern Ireland is lacking in quality. We identified the opportunity to offer the quality and service by putting the right machinery in place,” says Guy Walker. It also aligned perfectly with Anchor Fixings' established business model.

"Within the joinery industry, we supply to kitchen manufacturers and joinery workshops that do bespoke fitted work. These would be the main target customers with the blade sharpening, because it goes hand in hand when you're supplying consumables, fixings and adhesives. The strategic decision crystallised when we employed our own saw doctor.”

Investment in Excellence
True to their philosophy of investing in the best available equipment, Anchor Fixings committed to a comprehensive VOLLMER technology package. The installation, completed between March and June 2025, includes a VOLLMER CS860 with ND 230 automated loading system, a Loroch K850T sharpening machine for steel blade applications, a VOLLMER CHHF 21H side dresser, and a Gockel knife grinder capable of handling blades up to 3m in length.
"We did our research on the best machines, and VOLLMER came out on top. The quality of sharpening is second to none. You will not get a better machine," Guy continues.

Advanced Automation Delivering Immediate Results
The VOLLMER CS860 machine exemplifies technological sophistication. The 8-axis machine handles circular saw blades from 80 to 860mm in diameter with a remarkable level of automation. Gavin Fleming, the company's experienced saw doctor, describes the capabilities of the CS860: "You input the diameter and the number of teeth, and once you've done that, the machine does the rest. It probes and checks the gullet and the angle. The machine is very smart - it does a lot of the work itself."

The learning curve proved surprisingly manageable. "On the VOLLMER CS860, there was probably about a week to get up to speed, and VOLLMER were very supportive when it came to training."

Gavin explains the machine's capacity: "In a 24-hour period, we'll do approximately 80 blades. This depends on the number of teeth the blade has. You could get that up to around 100 blades if it wasn’t doing bevels." This means the company has room for growth.

The automation extends to intelligent quality control. "If something's not right with a blade, the machine will take the blade off, put a red mark against it, put it back on the stack and continue with other blades," Gavin describes. “When you arrive the next morning, the control system tells you why that blade hasn't been sharpened."

Quality Revolution and Market Impact
The impact of VOLLMER machines has been immediate. Guy recounts early customer feedback: "The feedback from the first customer was outstanding. He said his panel saw is now running quieter."

This translates into tangible customer benefits. "The blades last longer and they run a lot quieter as well," Gavin confirms. "Customers will notice straight away how much quieter and how much longer our blades last."

The consistent results with the VOLLMER technology often exceed the original manufacturing quality. Gavin explains: "Depending on blade price when first manufactured, the quality control might check 1 in 100 cheap blades, or 1 in 10 high-quality blades. When we're sharpening, every blade gets checked."

Additionally, the advanced wheel compensation system ensures consistent results throughout extended production runs. "VOLLMER machines automatically check for compensation and wear. We have the machine set to check the dimensions of the grinding wheels after every saw blade. Other brands out there don't do that at all," Gavin notes.

Innovative Service Model and Market Strategy
Anchor Fixings has implemented an innovative distribution service network that leverages existing infrastructure rather than requiring substantial additional investment. "We've actually set up service centres with retail customers, like builders' merchants. So, the DIY customer leaves his blade at a building supplies merchant, and we'll collect the blades from that builders’ merchant,” Guy explains.

This creates customer convenience and optimises logistics efficiency. "It cuts down on just one blade coming in at a time. The builders' merchants collect the blades, and we return them in batches. We have about 12 service centres set up so far."

Advanced Steel Processing Capabilities
The Loroch K850T for metalworking saw blades is a significant technological advancement over previous generations. Saw Doctor Gavin, who has extensive experience with older generation VOLLMER and Loroch machines, describes the efficiency gains: "On older Loroch machines, you'd have to set the blade up three times. Firstly, you would do the sharpening, then set up and chamfer one side, then re-set to chamfer the second side. With the Loroch K850T, you just put the blade on, put all the right information in, and it will sharpen itself in one set-up."

The system incorporates enhanced coolant technology that serves dual purposes. "They upped the pressure on the coolant system too. So, the fluid cools while it's grinding, and it's also cleaning the wheel. HSS build-up will clog the grinding wheel, but the high-pressure coolant cleans the wheel while sharpening the blade."

Current steel blade output is around 20 to 30 blades daily, with scope for 40-50 once full proficiency is achieved. "The Loroch enables us to achieve maximum efficiency over against competition."

Competitive Landscape and Market Opportunity
The quality gap between Anchor Fixings and its competitors has created immediate market opportunities due to the superior capabilities of the new Vollmer, Loroch, iDeal Weld Cell and Gockle.

"Aside from the machines, the main thing is experience," Gavin observes. "Most of the experienced guys have left the industry. People think these machines will do everything, and whilst they're good - especially when you've got a machine as good as ours - you still need some experience to know what's wrong with the blade."

Future Applications and Growth Potential
The equipment configuration supports expansion into numerous industrial sectors beyond traditional joinery applications. The pending VOLLMER software development for food processing applications represents a particularly significant opportunity. "The food industry has massive potential for the steel saw blades."

Food processing applications require specialised blade geometries optimised for cutting bones and meat products. "The HSS blades are for animal bones. You can’t put tungsten on it, as a tungsten tooth could potentially come off. Obviously, this would be a massive issue in the food industry.”

The Gockel knife grinder that has just arrived will further expand capabilities to include the sharpening of guillotine blades for the paper industry, granulator blades for recycling companies, and tree surgeon equipment.
Technology Excellence and Service Philosophy

The VOLLMER equipment incorporates numerous technological advancements that have delighted Gavin: "The new filtration system is great. The separate tank and filtration system keeps the oil crystal clear, so we will essentially never have to change the oil."

This maintenance advantage extends throughout the system design. "On older machines, when you've got the tungsten going through the oil, you'd get dirty oil between the tooth and the grinding wheel. That doesn't happen now, so it's a far better, cleaner grind as well," Gavin notes.

Guy summarises the commitment to a premium technology approach: "We go for the best machinery as you don't have problems with them. If you do have any issues, the backup, service and support are always good – we have found this is the case with VOLLMER."