Gibson Rocks Meyer Rotary Valves
For as long as both Wm. W. Meyer & Sons and the Gibson guitar company have existed, they've both been singing the same tune - a tune about the quality, craftsmanship, and customer service that goes into every one of their products. For the past 15 years these companies have been working in unison with one goal in mind - quality. Gibson has been providing the highest quality custom guitars to musicians around the world, while Meyer has been providing the highest quality airlocks to customers worldwide, including the Gibson Custom Shop in Nashville, TN.
Back in 1995 the Gibson Custom Shop contacted Meyer to inquire about purchasing a high quality airlock for their dust collector. Gibson purchased a 10 x 10 HD series airlock from Meyer for transferring wood dust from a dust collector.
That same airlock is still operating at the Gibson Custom Shop, collecting all different types of wood including mahogany, rosewood, ebony, spruce, and maple, to name a few. Several tons of wood dust pass through the rotary airlock each year.
"During normal operation we empty it [a 3 cu yd bin beneath the airlock] once every two days, but when we are stepping up production on a certain model I'll empty it every day," said Mark Wilson, a maintenance technician at the Gibson Custom Shop.
Keeping Dust Under Control
The airlock plays a vital role in keeping the dust under control in the shop.
"This [Meyer airlock] catches everything coming out of the rough mill, which is quite a load, and everything out of what we call the carve top area. So it gets worked so that if it goes down, it can be bad," explained Mark Wilson. "There has never been a work stoppage because of it."
The only time Gibson had an issue with the airlock, Meyer's customer service showed why it is the best in the business. Meyer received a call from the Gibson Custom Shop regarding their sprockets.
"When the teeth on the sprockets were worn down we had the parts the next day - it didn't actually stop us [from working]," he pointed out.
Gibson maintenance does a great job every month of checking to make sure the airlock is cleaned up, the chain is lubricated, the oil level is OK, and most importantly the seals on the airlocks aren't going bad. With the combination of a great maintenance technician, a high quality airlock, and great customer service from Wm. W. Meyer & Sons., Gibson Custom guitars has been able to operate the airlock without any major issues for 15 years and counting!
