400 Series Rip Saws

The Mereen-Johnson 400 Series is a fixed arbor rip saw line built for straight-line gang ripping with guaranteed glue-joint accuracy. As a multiple rip saw — a multi blade rip saw that gangs several blades on one fixed arbor — it rips a board into finished-width strips in a single pass, held dead-straight by the Posi-Feed dip-chain bed. With nearly 2,000 in service worldwide and width accuracy guaranteed to ±0.005″, the 400 Series is the glue joint rip saw shops rely on as the “Standard of the Industry.”

Mereen-Johnson Multiple Rip Saws offer straight line precision gang ripping with glue joint accuracy. Our “Posi-Feed” high friction feed bed provides optimum accuracy with no slippage using the same dependable “DOUBLE-VEE” feed chains utilized on Mereen-Johnson Tenoners. We currently have nearly 2,000 of these high production rip saws in use around the world meeting a wide range of applications.

400-Series-2024-Revised.pdf

400 Series Multiple Rip

Guaranteed Glue Joint Accuracy, Minimal Maintenance, High Production and Higher Yield

Guaranteed Glue Joint Accuracy

Straight, smooth, and square joints. Field proven glue joints using high frequency or clamp carrier systems.

Reliability and Performance

Fixed arbor saws offer the greatest production capacity. Robust construction requiring minimal maintainence.

Precision Dimension Parts

Minimum moulder allowance for increased yield. Width accuracy guarantee is +/-.005”.

More Models – More Choices

Our Dip Chain Series rip saws are the “Standard of the Industry”. Available in 12”, 24”, 31” and 40” width capacities. Short Stock Models for cut first and recovery operations. Shifting Blade Models for maximum flexibility and yield recovery.

412-DC 12″ Model

424-DC 24″ Model

431-DC 31″ Model

440-DC 40″ Model

Pressure Head

Full width air loaded roller hold downs and full width bed plate provide positive containment of material.

Available in smooth, rough, and short stock designs. Split pressure head designs are also available for side by side feed applications.

Feed System

Dual, hardened steel “DOUBLE-VEE” feed chain and rail system. Oil mist lubrication with low level auto shut-off.

Exclusive hardended contoured “Quiet Cam” design for smooth operation. High strength aluminum slats with replaceable high friction steel backed rubber inserts.

Direct coupled feed drive with variable frequency speed control and overload protection. Feed rates 30-225′ per minute, higher rates optional.

Safety

Two rows of upper, and one row of lower fixed mounted anti-kickback fingers.

Zero rotation sensor, air actuated brake and door interlock, for safety and reduced down time.

Additional row of outfeed anti-kickback fingers.

Arbor

Severe duty, direct drive arbor motor eliminates belt tensioning and maintainence.

Heavy duty overbeam and cast aluminum slip-off end bearing.

Change-Over

lnfeed gauge bar facilitates laser light alignment.

Standard removabe sleeve and saw spacers provides high accuracy. Purchase a spare sleeve and spacer set allowing off line set-up for reduced down time.

Mereen-Johnson’s Twistlock fixed blade setting system provides fast and easy changeovers without saw spacers.

Optional tip-up cart assembly provides the preferred vertical set-up method. Cart and swing arm combination eliminates the need to manually left the sleeve.

World Class Performance

Mereen-Johnson Rip Saws deliver consistent, reliable accuracy, whether ripping for moulding stock, dimension, edge glued panels, or re-ripping finger joint blanks for edge gluing.

Moulding Stock

Whether it’s ripping random width solid lumber or full sheets of MDF, Mereen-Johnson offers greater accuracy and wider capacity machines for better utilizing your raw materials, increasing your profit margins.

Dimension Stock

Precision components, S4S blanks for cabinet shops, re-ripping for salvage/reclaim operations. Increased accuracy means fewer rejects and higher value.

Edge Glued Panels

Ripping solid wood and re-ripping finger joint blanks for edge glued panels. Some saw manufacturers say their machines can provide glue joint accuracy. We guarantee it! With minimal maintenance your Mereen-Johnson saw will provide glue joints for many years.

Automation & Robotics

Tailored Solutions for the Solid Wood Sector

Mereen-Johnson stands at the forefront of delivering cutting-edge automated handling solutions that will streamline your workforce and wood machinery assets. Our smart, automated handling solutions are meticulously crafted to enhance your machine throughput and efficacy while substantially trimming your labor expenses.

Our complete spectrum of services ranges from conceptualization and design of production lines to installation, personnel training and ongoing maintenance, and we cater to a wide array of client requirements, offering both standardized system solutions and fully personalized options to suit your specific needs.

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The Mereen-Johnson Difference

Made in the USA Quality

Vertically integrated manufacturing in the USA means we control every step of the process to deliver the performance and longevity that the industry has grown to expect from us.

Turnkey Custom Solutions

Listening to your specific needs, we will adapt a standard machine or develop a fully custom solution, including automation and robotics, and manufacture it in-house.

Excellence Under One Roof

Our state-of-the-art production space has room to build, test and prove large-scale design solutions. Design-build teams work together to make your custom concept a reality.

Parts, Service & Training

We will always support your machine. From training programs to replacement parts, schematics to software support, we’ve got you covered, remotely or onsite.

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How the 400 Series Works

The 400 Series is a fixed-arbor gang rip saw: multiple blades are set at fixed spacings on one arbor, and each board is fed straight through to be ripped into several finished-width strips at once.

Set the blades. Saw blades and spacers mount on the arbor sleeve at the widths you need. TwistLock fixed-blade setting changes setups fast — without saw spacers — and a spare sleeve can be set up off-line for near-zero downtime.
Feed dead-straight. The Posi-Feed high-friction dip-chain bed — the same DOUBLE-VEE chains used on Mereen-Johnson tenoners — carries each board with no slippage, while full-width air-loaded press rolls and a bed plate hold it firmly for a straight, square cut.
Rip to glue-joint accuracy. A severe-duty, direct-drive arbor (up to 150 HP) rips the board into finished strips with width accuracy guaranteed to ±0.005″ — clean enough to edge-glue straight off the saw.
Run safely, all day. A zero-rotation sensor, air-actuated brake, door interlocks, and multiple rows of anti-kickback fingers keep production moving with minimal downtime.

Because a fixed arbor rip saw holds every blade rigidly in place, it delivers the greatest production capacity and the most repeatable glue joint of any gang saw — which is why the 400 Series is the Standard of the Industry.

Model Range

The 400 Series comes in four width capacities, plus short-stock and shifting-blade variants:

412-DC	12″ rip width capacity
424-DC	24″ rip width capacity
431-DC	31″ rip width capacity
440-DC	40″ rip width capacity
424-DCS / 431-DCS	Short Stock Series — shorter minimum lengths for cut-first and recovery

Shifting-blade models are also available for added flexibility and yield recovery. Right-hand throat clearance adds 5″ beyond the rated capacity.

Industries Served

The 400 Series supports high-production solid-wood operations across:

Furniture — dimension components and edge-glued panel stock.
Cabinetry — S4S blanks, face-frame, and door stock.
Mouldings — random-width solid lumber and MDF blanks.
Flooring — solid hardwood strip ripping.
Doors — component and panel stock.
Custom Millwork — precision blanks and re-ripping for salvage/reclaim.

Emerging applications: mass timber and engineered-wood glue-ups, where accurate, square edges are essential to large, high-strength panels.

Specifications

Machine type	Fixed-arbor dip-chain multiple (gang) rip saw — straight-line & glue-joint ripping
Models	412-DC, 424-DC, 431-DC, 440-DC; short-stock 424-DCS, 431-DCS
Rip width capacity	12″, 24″, 31″, or 40″ (by model); +5″ right-hand throat clearance
Stock thickness	1/4″ to 3-1/2″
Minimum length	DC: 22″ bust-up / 30″ glue-joint · DCS: 14″ bust-up / 22″ glue-joint
Width accuracy	Guaranteed ±0.005″
Feed rate	Infinitely variable 30–235 FPM; optional to 300 FPM
Arbor motor	Severe-duty direct-drive; belt-driven 75 / 100 / 125 / 150 HP options; to 150 HP
Arbor	2-3/16″ diameter; powered vertical raise/lower; disc-type brake; slip-off outboard end bearing
Tooling	Saw sleeves for 3-1/8″ (80 mm) bore; single or double keyways
Feed system	Posi-Feed friction dip-chain bed; DOUBLE-VEE hardened chains; “Quiet Cam”; aluminum slats with replaceable steel-backed rubber inserts; oil-mist lube with auto shut-off; VFD with overload protection
Pressure head	Full-width air-loaded roller hold-downs + bed plate; smooth/rough/short-stock; split-head option; 4 press rolls (DC) / 5 (DCS)
Safety	Two rows upper + one lower + outfeed anti-kickback fingers; zero-rotation sensor; air-actuated brake; door interlock & lock-out
Change-over	TwistLock fixed-blade setting (no saw spacers); infeed gauge bar; removable sleeve/spacers; optional tip-up cart & swing arm
Sound enclosure	Machine-mounted, standard
Electrical	60 Hz 230/380/460/575 V; 50 Hz 380/415 V
Certifications	CE, UL, C-UL available
Weight & dimensions	Approx. 9,500 lbs; 7′L × 7′W × 6′H (by model)
Installed base	Nearly 2,000 machines in service worldwide
Country of origin	Made in the USA — Mereen-Johnson (Minneapolis, MN)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a multiple rip saw?

A multiple rip saw (or gang rip saw) mounts several saw blades on one arbor and rips a board into multiple finished-width strips in a single pass — far faster than making one cut at a time. The Mereen-Johnson 400 Series is a fixed-arbor multiple rip saw.

What is a fixed-arbor rip saw?

A fixed-arbor rip saw holds its blades at set spacings on a rigid arbor, rather than shifting them per board. Fixing the blades gives the greatest production capacity and the most repeatable cut — ideal for high-volume ripping to set widths.

What makes it a glue-joint rip saw?

The 400 Series rips to a guaranteed width accuracy of ±0.005″, producing straight, smooth, square edges that can be edge-glued straight off the saw — field-proven with high-frequency and clamp-carrier gluing systems.

What sizes does the 400 Series come in?

Four width capacities — 12″ (412-DC), 24″ (424-DC), 31″ (431-DC), and 40″ (440-DC) — plus short-stock (DCS) and shifting-blade variants.

How thick and how short a piece can it rip?

Stock from 1/4″ to 3-1/2″ thick. Standard models rip down to 22″ (bust-up) or 30″ (glue-joint); short-stock DCS models go to 14″ (bust-up) or 22″ (glue-joint).

How fast is it, and how much power?

Feed rates are infinitely variable from 30 to 235 FPM (optional to 300 FPM), with arbor motors up to 150 HP.

How does the 400 Series reduce changeover downtime?

The TwistLock fixed-blade setting system changes setups without saw spacers, and a spare sleeve can be set up off-line — plus an optional tip-up cart and swing arm for the preferred vertical setup.

Is it made in the USA?

Yes. The 400 Series is designed and built by Mereen-Johnson in the USA, with nearly 2,000 machines in service worldwide.

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