The MARTIN Xplane cutterhead with three rows of knives impresses with a remarkably smooth operation even when idling. This impression is again underlined with the cutterhead in action – it works at a very low noise level. Even with a large planing height it only requires a surprisingly low motor power which is a further advantage. But what’s most fascinating – the Xplane cutterhead provides premium surface quality even if difficult types of wood are machined.

MARTIN has been offering cutterheads with individual, spirally arranged rows of knives since 2011. What was viewed sceptically in the beginning has become a serious alternative to the established systems in recent years. Intensive research and development in tool geometry have led to perfection: the MARTIN Xplane cutterhead with three rows of knives. Woodworkers know that a shear cut is far better than a straight cut. Especially on figured woods or woods that are difficult to plane, e.g. birdseye maple, the Xplane cutterhead provides impressive results. With the perfect layout of the three rows of knives tear-outs in the material are reduced to a minimum or even eliminated completely. This reduces costly extra work quite common on planed surfaces. When designing something like the Xplane cutterhead, not only should the alignment of the knives and the number of rows be considered, but the shape of the individual knives should also be factored. With the XS (eXtra Sharp) cutter, MARTIN offers a specifically sharpened staggered knife. This results in smooth, barely perceptible transitions between the individual knife marks, a perfect planing depth, a remarkably light cutting pressure and reduced chip size. Carbide XS-cutters last 20 times longer than normal planer knives. This saves money and what’s more, it opens up completely new machining possibilities. Even compounds can be machined without any difficulty. If it happens that a nail or staple is planed, it is not necessary to replace expensive knives the full length of the planer head. Two or three small inexpensive knives are replaced and you are ready to go again. Every single XS-knife offers four cutting surfaces that considerably help cut costs. Spirally arranging the knives on the planer head naturally leads to considerable noise reduction. The perceived noise exposure is lowered by up to 50% with the Xplane cutterhead compared to common cutterheads with 4 knives. That makes working on the machine and in its surroundings considerably more comfortable. The new 3-row MARTIN Xplane cutterhead is a precision tool that due to its unique construction provides premium surface quality even if difficult materials are machined.

Advantages of the Xplane knife head at a glance:

• Premium surface quality thanks to improved 3-row construction
• Reduction of tear-outs due to shear cuts and MARTIN XS (eXtra Sharp) knives
• Increases safety standards by reducing the perceived noise exposure by almost 50%
• Reduces costs due to 20 times higher durability and four cutting edges of the carbide cutters
• Reduction of manual force and premium surface quality thanks to XS cut of the knives
• Lowered chip volume (chips are broken up) and increased chip flow thanks to the unique tool geometry