How to choose the right blade

Shape (geometry) of teeth

Choosing the right tooth geometry is always the foundation of your success. It is essential to thoroughly assess the composition of the material to be cut and decide how you intend to work with the tool. The more versatile the solution you seek, the shorter the life of the bandsaw blade.

Standard S

small cross-section materials
tool and cast steel
materials with higher carbon content

Profile P

profile material shapes O, L, I, T, H, U
cutting in bundles and layers
where vibrations occur during cutting

Positive K

full materials of larger sizes
thick-walled tubes
stainless and acid-resistant steels
non-metallic materials

Extremely positive K+

durable materials of large dimensions forming a long chip
higher cutting performance
exotic alloys

Grinded T

highly durable materials
productive cutting
perfect surface quality of the cut material

Cutting edge

Basic options

The cutting edge materials listed below differ mainly in increasing hardness, wear resistance and higher thermal load. The decisive factors for the correct selection is the machinability of the material to be cut and the machine design.

Material	Hardness	Usability
Tool steel	ca. 850 HV	ca. 200 °C
HSS (bimetal)	ca. 940–1000 HV	ca. 600 °C
Carbide	ca. 1600–3800 HV	ca. 800 °C
Diamond	ca. 9000 HV

Grades of high-speed steel (HSS)

Bimetallic bandsaw blades consist of two types of materials – the body is made of flexible alloy steel and the tooth tips are made of durable high-speed steel. The durability of the cutting edges is determined by their composition and manufacturing processes. You can choose between conventional M42, which offers excellent value for money, and modern powder metallurgy high-speed steel for longer blade life.

Conventional M42
Chromium-molybdenum high-speed steel with 8% cobalt offers excellent wear resistance and performance. A fine microstructure is achieved through high-quality heat treatment.
Powder metallurgy M42P
M42 high-speed steel produced by modern powder metallurgy has a finer and more homogeneous structure, which results in higher resistance and extended service life.
Powder metallurgy M51P
M51 high-speed steel produced by powder metallurgy with a higher Co and C content offers higher heat resistance and is suitable for cutting difficult-to-machine materials.

Tooth pitch options

You can choose between constant and variable tooth pitch as standard, with variable pitch being more versatile. The practical table 4) Tooth pitch selection will help you choose the right solution.

Constant tooth pitch

Variable tooth pitch

Tooth pitch selection

Recommendation for full materials

Diameter (mm)	Number of teeth per inch (tpi)
from 550	0,75-1,25
380-750	1,0-1,5
250-550	1,4-2
120-350	2-3
80-170	3-4

Diameter (mm)	Number of teeth per inch (tpi)
50-100	4-6
40-70	5-8
30-60	6-10
20-40	8-12
to 25	10-14

The decisive factor for choosing the right tooth pitch is the length of the uninterrupted part of the cut. In the case of solid materials it is the diameter of the material, in the case of bundle cutting it is their sum. In order to achieve lower vibrations during cutting, we recommend choosing a variable tooth pitch.

Recommendation for profiles and tubes

Thin-walled profiles
Thick-walled profiles

Wall thickness (mm)	Outer profile diameter (mm)
Wall thickness (mm)	20	40	60	80	100	120	150
2	14	14	14	14	14	14	10-14
3	14	14	14	14	10-14	10-14	8-11
4	14	14	10-14	10-14	8-11	8-11	6-10
5	14	10-14	10-14	8-11	8-11	6-10	6-10
6	14	10-14	8-11	8-11	6-10	6-10	5-7
8	10-14	8-11	6-10	6-10	5-7	5-7	5-7
10	–	6-10	6-10	5-7	5-7	5-7	–

Wall thickness (mm)	Outer profile diameter (mm)
Wall thickness (mm)	80	100	120	150	200	300	500	750
10	-	-	-	4-6	4-6	4-6	3-4	3-4
15	4-6	4-6	4-6	4-6	4-6	3-4	2-3	2-3
20	4-6	4-6	4-6	4-6	3-4	3-4	2-3	2-3
30	4-6	4-6	4-6	3-4	3-4	2-3	2-3	2-3
50	-	-	3-4	3-4	2-3	2-3	2-3	1,4-2
80	-	-	-	-	2-3	2-3	1,4-2	1,4-2
100	–	–	–	–	–	2-3	1,4-2	1,4-2

When cutting profiles and tubes, the choice of the correct tooth pitch is particularly important. The required pitch depends on the material diameter and wall thickness. If you are cutting two or more profiles side by side, double the wall thickness must be taken into account.

Blade width

For horizontal machines, the width of the bandsaw blade is determined and is invariable. Vertical band saws allow the use of different blade widths to a certain extent. Naturally, the strength and stability of the bandsaw blades increases with increasing width. For curved cuts, the smallest cutting radius is the determining factor for choosing the width of the blade.

Width of bandsaw blade in mm

Minimum cutting radius in mm

16
30
40
65
95
140

Blade length

Each machine has a specific bandsaw blade length, which is specified in the machine's technical documentation. If you do not know how to choose the right blade, our technicians will be happy to help you. Please contact our team with confidence.

According to machinability

General use
High productivity

Aluminum, copper, brass	M42 Standarduniversal use	M42 Positivesolid materials
Free-cutting steels			M42 Profilelong lifetime*
Structural steels			M42 Profilelong lifetime*
Case-hardening steels
Bearing steels
Nitriding steels				M51P Positivedurable blade
High-speed steels
Stainless steels			M42 Profile
Titanium alloys
Nickel-based alloys

Aluminum, copper, brass
Free-cutting steels	M42P Positivesolid materials	M42P Profilelong lifetime*
Structural steels		M42P Profilelong lifetime*
Case-hardening steels			M42P Plushigh performance
Bearing steels
Nitriding steels				M51P Plusbest tool
High-speed steels
Stainless steels
Titanium alloys
Nickel-based alloys

Easy machinability
Difficult machinability
* structures / bundles