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Machine cutting of metal is one of the most basic technologies in modern industry. Band saws exist for well over a century and have evolved from steam-powered monsters into sophisticated computer-controlled precision machinery. In the world of metal cutting tools, band saws occupy the top spot for performance and stand on their own among other types of metal cutting saws. The main element of the band saw that largely determines its performance and cost of operation is the band saw blade.Visit good table top band saw

Curiously, one of the most important characteristics of the band saw blade is its tooth shape. Depending on tooth shape, blades made of the same material can have vastly different cutting speed and lifetime, not to mention the ability to cut tough substances. There are several classes of blades by tooth shape, including precision blade for smooth cuts, buttress blade for large chip loads, and claw tooth blade for fastest cuts. There are also special purpose-specific tooth shapes. This is a field with unlimited research potential where many advances in saw blade technology happen. Material of the blade is important, too, but changes in this area are rare and today’s mass production blades are often made from the same steel as their predecessors.

A class of its own is a toothless blade, which is a cable or a band of metal coated with abrasive particles such as diamond or corundum. These have been around for a long time in stone cutting applications, but the ever-growing demand for productivity and the need to machine cut super alloys makes them more widespread. Truly a technological marvel, super abrasive Cubic Boron Nitride (CBN) saw blades are virtually indestructible and can cut anything including diamonds. CBN is so hard that they never need sharpening, and the life of such blades is only limited by the strength of the underlying material. Band speeds of 5000 ft/min and higher are not uncommon with hi-tech blades.

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