Making the blade last longer

Run-in the blade

In order to achieve good cutting performance and a long service life, it is necessary to first run-in the bandsaw blade to slightly round the cutting edges. Otherwise, there is a risk of extensive breakage of the tooth tips and thus a significant reduction in tool life.

Proper bandsaw blade run-in creates a stable cutting edge
New tool with extremely small cutting edge roundness
Incorrect run-in will cause micro-cracks on the cutting edge

Follow these guidelines

For large materials by cutting off approximately 500 cm².
For small materials for approximately 15 minutes.
For bimetals, by setting 100 % cutting speed and 50 % feed compared to recommended values.
For carbides by setting 75 % cutting speed and 50 % feed compared to the recommended values.
When vibrating, by reducing the bandsaw blade speed again.

Watch the chips

You can deduce the correctness of the cutting parameters by the chips ejected from the cut. The shape of the chip is affected by the selected tooth pitch, the speed of the bandsaw blade and also the feed. For most materials, thick and blue chips are bad, powder is unnecessary caution. Similarly, beware of heavily twisted chips, which can indicate a clogged gap and be the cause of a broken tooth.

Loose twisted chips - correct cutting values
Thin or powdery chips - speed up the feed or reduce the blade speed
Thick, heavy or blue chips - slow down the feed or increase the blade speed

Blade service life

The life of a bandsaw blade is always affected by several factors. In addition to the choice of the blade, these include the design of the machine and its regular maintenance, the quality of the material to be cut, which may have inclusions or internal stresses, and last but not least the correct concentration of cutting fluid and the experience of the machine operator. For the best results, follow these recommendations:

Choose the right blade

Choose the right bandsaw blade for the material to be cut.
Keep the blade tension in the range of 250-300 N/mm². If you do not have a tensometer, our technician will take the measurements for you.
Run in new bandsaw blades.
As a general rule, never run a new tool into an old cut if the previous bandsaw blade has been destroyed.

Machining the material

Have the correct cutting parameters for the material being cut. Our technicians will be happy to help you with recommendations.
The chip shape helps you to fine-tune the cutting parameters.
Clamp the material properly in the vise. Above all, avoid rotation and vibration.
It is recommended to clamp or weld the material bundles at the other end.

Keep the machine in shape

Monitor wear and adjustment of the bandsaw blade guidance system.
Always check the functionality of chip brushes when changing the tool.
If chip brushes are not installed, provide more rinsing of the bandsaw blade behind the cut.
Always keep the guides set as close as possible to the material.
The distance between the back of the blade and the impeller flange should be constant at approx. 1 mm. If this is not the case, adjust the tilt of the driven wheel.
Ensure cleanliness and prescribed general maintenance of the machine.

Use quality cutting fluid

Use only high quality media that lubricates, cools and transports chips well.
Monitor the concentration of the cooling emulsion with a refractometer.
Ensure that the coolant is supplied to the cutting area under low pressure and in sufficient quantity.
Do not exceed the recommended lifetime of the media, as this reduces its effectiveness.