DIAMOND BLADE OVERVIEW · 2020-02-04 · 2 Training Manual Because of the overwhelming popularity...

www.mkdiamond.com Training Manual1

DIAMOND BLADE OVERVIEW

• Providesclean,smoothcutson: Glazed ceramic tile, marble, granite, porcelain and quarry tile• Wetanddryspecsavailable• Sizes:4"–14"diameters

CONTINUOUS SMOOTH RIM

Variables in Cutting

• Providesfastcuttingwithminimalchippingon: Roof tile, unglazed tile, masonry, brick, block, paver, stone and concrete• Dryspecs(canbeusedwithwater)• Sizes:4"–16"diameters

SERRATED / TURBO RIM

• Providesmaximumlifeandcuttingstrength: Concrete, reinforced concrete, asphalt, masonry, brick, block, paver and stone• Wetanddryspecsavailable• Sizes:4"–60"diameters

SEGMENTED RIM

• Diamondbladesdonotreallycut,insteadtheygrindthroughmaterial.• Thediamondcrystalsremovematerialbyscratchingoutparticlesofhard,densematerials,orbyknockingoutlargerparticlesof looselybondedabrasivematerial.

Thesegmentisthepartofthebladethatactuallydoesthecutting.Ameasuredquantityofmanufactureddiamondsaremixedto-getherwithaspecificcombinationofpowderedmetals(thematrix)andprocessedingraphitemoldsatahightemperatureandhighpressuretoformindividualsegments.


Becauseoftheoverwhelmingpopularityofhandheldsaws,andtheflexiblenatureofMKdiamondbladestoprofessionallyhandlemostceramic,masonry,stoneandconcretematerials,thedrycuttingbladeisveryattractive.Drycuttingbladesarealsousedwherewaterisnotpermittedornotconvenientorwheresolittlecuttingisrequiredthatset-upofwatercooledequipmentwouldbeinefficient.Incoldweather,thesawoperatordoesn’thavetoworryaboutthewaterfreezing.From4"to16",MKbladesforhand-heldsawsallowyoutoslicethroughthesematerialswhilemaintainingfulldepthofcutforthelifeoftheblade.

MKDrycuttingblades,aredesignedforfastercutting,longevityandsafetyinmind,nomatterwhattheapplication.Remember,MKdrycuttingbladescutupto3timesasfastasabrasiveblades,last100timeslonger,andprovideacontinuousaccuracyanddepthofthecut.

MostcontractorsprefertouseWetcuttingdiamondbladeswheneverpossiblebecausethewaterusedtocoolthesteelcoreenhancesthelongevityoftheblade,improvesthecuttingprocess,andaddstothesafetyfactorbykeepingthedustsignaturedown.

MKDiamondProductsoffersahostofdiamondbladesspecificallyengineeredtohandleallceramic,masonry,stone,orconcreteapplications.Thedesignofthesteelcore,bondingmatrix,anddiamondpartialstrength/crystallanity/wearbehaviormakeourWetcuttingbladestheleaderintheindustry.Theyalwaysperformregardlessofthedemandingnatureofthewetcuttingenvironment.Becauseofuniquesituations,MKcanalwaysrespondtotheneedsofthecustomerbyrecommendingtheproperblade,orbycustommanufacturingbladesspecificallyrequiredforwhatevermaterialisbeingcut.

DRY CUTTING DIAMOND BLADES

TYPES OF CUTTING

WET CUTTING DIAMOND BLADES

• Therearetwobasictypesofcutting–dryorwet.• Thebestchoiceofbladedependsupon: - therequirementsofthejob - themachine/toolutilizingthediamondblade - thepreferenceoftheoperator

NOTE: Watercanbeusedwithdrycuttingbladesbutwetcuttingbladescanneverbeuseddry.

WET & DRY CUTTING


TERMINOLOGY

Continuous Rim: Thebladeisedgedwithsolid,uniformmatrixandsyntheticdiamonds.

Serrated/Turbo:Thebladeisedgedwithnotched,tooth-likesegments.

Segmented:Thebladecoreisedgedwithsectionsofmatrixanddiamonds.Thesegmentsareseparatedbyvariousshapedslotsinthecorereferredtoas"coolingslots"or"gullets".

wet tile bladecontinuous rim

Asphalt over Concrete

Drop Segment

Stress ReliefHole

Arbor Hole

Segment

Cooling Slot

Insert

Drive PinHole

Steel Core(or blank)

Laser Weldedor

Silver Solder(Brazed)

Silver Solder(Brazed)

Sintered

1.800.421.5830 4

Diamondbladesconsistoffourcomponents:diamondcrystals,abondingsystem,asegmentandametalcore.

Diamond Crystals + Metal

Powder = DiamondSegment/Rim + Steel Core = Diamond

Saw Blade

DIAMOND BLADE FABRICATION

• ThediamondcrystalsinMKbladesaresynthetic.• Syntheticdiamondsaremoreconsistentandcanberelieduponduringenormousstress.• Theperformancefactorindiamond-bladesawingisthetype,concentrationandsizeofthesediamondcrystals.

• Diamondcrystalsareheldinplacebyasinteringorlaserweldingprocessofspeciallyblendedmetalpowders.• BondingMatrixservesseveralvitalfunctions: • Dispersesandsupportsthediamonds • Providescontrolledwearwhileallowingdiamondprotrusion • Preventsdiamond"pull-out" • Actsasaheatsink • Distributesimpactandloadasthediamondattacksthecuttingsurface

• CommonlyusedbondsfordiamondblademanufacturingareCobalt,Iron,Tungsten,NickelandCopper.• Diamondcrystalsandbondingmatrixareheatedandshapedintospeciallyengineeredrims/segments.• Rims/segmentsarewiderthanthebladecoretowhichtheywillbeattached.• Rims/segmentsarespecificallydesignedtowearatarateappropriatetothematerialbeingcut.• Softer,moreabrasivematerialsrequirea"toughtowear"(hard)bond;lessabrasivematerialsrequirean"easywear"(soft)bond.

• Diamondsawbladecoresaremadefromhighalloy,heat-treatedsteel.• Thesteelcoresarespecificallydesignedtosupporttheappropriaterimorsegment.• Variousrimsorsegmentsareaffixedthroughabrazingorlaserweldingprocess.• Anarborholeispreciselyboredinthecenter.• Theentirecoreis"tensioned"ortunedsothatthestressesofcentrifugalforceareminimized.

DIAMOND CRYSTALS

BONDING MATRIX

METAL BONDS

PREMIUM STEEL CORE


Adiamondbladeisacircularsteeldiscwithadiamondbearingedge.Theedgeorrimcanhaveeitherasegmented,continuousorserrated(turbo)rimconfiguration.

Thebladecoreisaprecision-madesteeldiscwhichmayhaveslotscalled"gullets".Theseprovidefastercoolingbyallowingwaterorairtoflowbetweenthesegments.Theseslotsalsoallowthebladetoflex.

Bladecoresaretensionedsothatthebladewillrunstraightatthepropercuttingspeed.Propertensionalsoallowsthebladetoremainflexibleenoughtobendslightlyundercuttingpressureandthengobacktoit’soriginalposition.

Diamondsegmentsorrimsaremadeupofamixtureofdiamondsandmetalpowders.Thediamondsusedinbitsandbladesareman-made(synthetic)andarecarefullyselectedfortheirshape,quality,friabilityand

size.Thesecarefullyselecteddiamondsarethenmixedwithapowderconsistingofmetalssuchascobalt,iron,tungsten,nickel,copperandothermaterials.Thismixtureisthenmoldedintoshapeandthenheatedattemperaturesfrom1700°to2300°underpressuretoformasolidmetalpartcalledthe"bond"or"matrix".Thesegmentorrimisslightlywiderthanthebladecore.Thissideclearanceallowsthecuttingedgetopenetratethematerialbeingcutwithoutthesteeldraggingagainstthesidesofthecut.Thereareseveralmethodsofattachingthesegmentstothesteelcore.

BOND TAIL

GULLET

SEGMENTED

CONTINUOUS

SERRATED (TURBO)

Afterthebladeisassembleditis"opened","brokenin"or"dressed"bygrindingtheedgeconcentrictothecenter.Thisexposesthediamondsthatwillbedoingtheworkandestablishesthecuttingdirectionasnotedbythedirectionarrowstampedintotheblade.

• Mechanicalbond-Anotched,serratedortexturedbladecoremaybeusedto"lock"thediamondrimorsegmentsontothe edgeoftheblade.Mechanicalbondsusuallyalsoincludebrazingorothermetallurgicalbondingprocessestoholdtherimor segmentsinplace.

• Brazing-silversolderisplacedbetweenthesegmentandthecoreandthenheateduntilthesoldermeltsandbondsthetwo together.Thismethodisusedforwetcuttingbladesonly.

• Laserwelding-Thediamondsegmentandsteelcoreareweldedtogetherbyalaserbeam.Thisprocessisforsegmented bladesandensuresthehigheststandardofexactingtolerances,performanceandusersafety.

DIAMOND CUTTING TOOLS

Diamondbladesdon’tcuttheygrind!Theexposeddiamondcrystalsdothegrindingwork.Themetalmatrixorbondholdsthediamondsinplace.Trailingbehindeachexposeddiamondisa"bondtail"whichhelpstosupportthediamond.Asthebladerotatesthroughthematerialtheexposedsurfacediamondsgrindthematerialbeingcutintoafinepowder.

Afterseveralthousandpassesthroughthematerialbeingcuttheexposeddiamondsbegintocrackandfracture.Thematrixholdingthediamondalsobeginstowearaway.

Eventually,thediamondcompletelybreaksupandit’sfragmentsaresweptawaywiththematerialthatitisgrinding.

Astheolddiamondsareworndowntheyarereplacedbynewonesandtheprocesscontinuesuntilthebladeiswornout.

METAL MATRIX

BOND TAILMATERIAL

BLADEROTATION

METAL MATRIX

EXPOSEDDIAMOND

BLADEROTATION

METAL MATRIX

EMBEDDEDDIAMOND

BLADEROTATION

CRACKEDDIAMOND

BLADEROTATIONCONTINUALLY

EXPOSED DIAMOND

METAL MATRIX

Types of Diamond Blades

1.800.421.5830 6

UNDERSTANDING MATERIALS

TheManufacturingProcess

Hardness of Ceramic Tiles

Stone

Ceramictileproductionbeginswiththeexcavationofclaystobeusedinthemanufacturingprocess.Dependingonthetypeoftilebeingproduced,anynumberoftwotosixdifferenttypesandcolorsofclaymaybenecessarytoblendtogetherinamixture.

Theselectedbulkclaysaremixedwithwaterandthismixtureispumpedintolarge,rotatingcylindricalmills,whereextremegrindingactionpulverizestheclayintouniformandhomogenousparticles.Thissubstrateiscalled"body-slip,"andhastheconsistencyofamilkshake.

Next,moisturefromthebody-slipisevaporatedbyaspraydryerburner,creatingfineparticlesofuniformlysizeddryclaycalled"powder."Thepowderisthenfedintomoldswithinahydraulicpress,whereitismoldedunderpressure(approximately4,000PSI)toform"greenware"(whatthetileiscalledpriortobeingfired).Thegreenwareisdriedagaintofurtherreducethemoisturecontent,andthentravelsdown"glazelines"wherevarioustypesofglazesareappliedtothesurface.

Theglazedgreenwaretravelsthroughakilnandundergoesa45-50minutefiringwheretemperaturescanreach2300°Fcausingtheglazetofusetothebody.Thetilethatemergesfromthisprocessisveryhard,durableandimpactresistant.

Naturalandprecaststonesvarysignificantlyintheirgeographicorigin,mineralogicalcomposition,andphysicalandmechanicalproperties.Therearenumeroustypesofstonetoselect,witheachoneexhibitingspecificqualitiesofcompressivestrengthandabrasiveresistance.

Additionally,thesequalitieswoulddictateappropriatediamond-bladeselectiontoeffectivelyhandlecuttingrequirements.YourchoiceofstonerequiresaspecifictypeofDiamondBlade.

• Waterabsorptionrate,glazes,compressionandmaterialalldeterminethehardnessofceramictile.

• ThepercentageofwaterabsorptionbythetilebodydetermineswhethertheceramictileisImpervious,Vitreous,Semi-Vitreous,orNon-Vitreous.FromImpervious,whereabsorptionratesof15%andhigher,hardessfactorschange.

• Mostglazesfallinthe5to6MohsScalerange.However,certaintypesoffloorandporcelaintilescanhavecompressivestrengthsof10,000PSIandaMohshardnessfactorof8.

• Marble• Granite• Slate/Flagstone

• Sandstone• Limestone• PrecastStones

ThecomplexnatureandvariablesofNaturalandPrecaststonemakeitdifficulttogeneralizetheiroverallphysicalandmechanicalprop-erties.Unlesstheoperatorhashadexperienceincuttingaparticularstone,therearemethodsthatcanhelppredictthestone’ssaw-ability,andsodeterminethe"best"diamondblade.TheAmericanSocietyofTestingandMaterials(ASTM)recognizesseveralphysicalpropertymeasurementsthatcanidentifyastone’shardness:

GeneralCharacteristicsofStone

UniaxialCompressiveStrength(UCS)Measuringbasicrockstrengthparameters.CommonlymeasuredinPoundsPerSquareInch(PSI).

CercharAbrasivityIndex(CAI)Measuringarocksabrasivityfordeterminingcuttingwearrates.Definedbyagraduatednumericalscale:lowernumbersindicatinglessabrasivequalities,andthereforegreaterhardness.

MohsHardnessScaleAscaleofhardnessappliedtomineralsthatrangesfrom1to10,andcomparativelyindicatesamineral’sscratchpoten-tial.Thehigherthenumbertheharderthemineral.

Ceramicproductsarevariedanddependingontheirmanufacturingprocesses,theyexhibittheirownspecialqualitiesandproperties.Thehardnessoftheceramicmaterialisdirectlyattributedtoitsmanufacturingprocess,andgenerallyreferencestheMohsScaletocategorizeitshardness.

Ceramic Tile


Masonry

Hardness of Bricks

Concrete

Itisrecommendedtoreviewalldatarelatingtoastone’shardnessandabrasivequalitiestoeffectivelychoosetheproperdiamondblade.NosingularPropertyMeasurementTestcandefinethecharacteristicsastonewouldexhibitduringthecuttingprocess.Asageneralreminderforstonediamondblades:testsandindustryexperiencehasdocumentedthatstoneexhibitingagreaterdegreeofhardnessandabrasiveresistancerequiresofterbondmatrixes.

Brickmanufacturingtodayfollowsfundamentalprocedurespioneeredcenturiesago.However,betterknowledgeofrawmaterialsandtheirproperties,bettercontroloffiringandimprovedkilndesignshaveresultedinasuperiorproduct.Theproductionofbrickscentersaroundthetypeofclaythatisused.Claysoccurinthreeforms(SurfaceClays,FireClays&Shales).Althoughtheysharesimilarchemicalcompositions,theywilldifferintheirphysicalcharacteristics.Allpropertiesofbrickareaffectedbythecompositionoftherawmaterialsandthemanufacturingprocesses.Essentiallybricksareproducedby:(1)mixinggroundclaywithwater,(2)formingthemintodesiredshapes,(3)thendryingandfiringthem.Establishingahomogenousblendisnecessarybeforesubjectingthemixturetooneofthreeformingprocesses(Stiff–Mud,Soft–MudorDry–Press).Next,theprocesscontinueswithdrying,firingandcooling.Kilnfiringtempera-turesduringmanufacturinggraduatefrom400°Fto2400°F.

• Therearemanydifferenttypesofbrick(Building,Facing,Hollow,Paving,CeramicGlazedandThinBrick),anddifferentscalesofhardness.Thestrengthofaunitisusedtodetermineitsdurabilityandeaseofcutting.Bothcompressivestrengthandabsorptionareaffectedbypropertiesoftheclay,methodofmanufacturinganddegreeoffiring.Mostbrickshaveastrengthrangingfrom3,000PSItoover20,000PSI,withtheaveragebeingaround10,000PSI.

• Brickmayalsoincludedifferentsize,typeandvolumeofaggregatestofurtherstrengthenthemix.

Fouressentialsmustbeknownabouttheconcretetodetermineproperdiamond-bladeselection.

1.CompressiveStrengthThehardnessofconcreteisreferencedbyitscompressivestrengthmeasuredinPoundsperSquareInch(PSI).Curedconcreteslabsvarywidelyincompressivestrength;withmoisture,temperature,designofmixtureadditives,cementitiousmaterials,andcuringprocessesoftendeterminingtheirmeasuredlevelofstrength.Thehigherthecompressivestrength,theharderthematerial.

CompressiveStrength

Concrete Hardness PSI Typical Application

VeryHard 8,000ormore NuclearPlants

Hard 6,000-8,000 Bridges,Piers

Medium 4,000-6,000 Sidewalks,Patios,Parkinglots

ShoreScleroscopeHardnessTestAdynamicindentationhardnesstestusinganumbertoindicatetheheightofareboundinghammeroffthesurfaceofthematerial.Thehigherthenumbertheharderthematerial.

2.AgeoftheConcreteThe"age,"orlengthofcuringtime,greatlyaffectshowthediamondbladeinteractswiththeconcrete.Althoughmethodsexisttoacceleratethecuringprocess,the"state"ofconcretefrominitialpouringtoaperiodof72hoursandovercanbedefinedin3distinctincrements,andisinfluencedbytemperature,weather,moisture,aggregate,timeofyear,admixturesandcomposition.

State1–0to8hoursTheconcreteisconsideredinits"green"state0to8hoursafterthepour,meaningithassetbuthasnothardenedcompletely.Withgreenconcrete,thesandinthemixturehasnotbondedtothemortarblendfirmlyandwillcauseextremeabrasiveactionandcrackingoncethephysicsofsawingbegin.Further,theslurrygeneratedbygreenconcreteisequallyasabrasiveandwillrequirespecialundercuttingprotectionforthesteelcoreofthediamondblade.Typically,sawingcontroljointsofhighways,industrialflooring,driveways,runways,andsimilarprojectsareperformedduringthisstate.


1.800.421.5830 8

State2–8to24hoursTheconcreteisconsideredfairlycured,8to24hoursafterthepour.Thesandisheldfirmlyadheredtotheoverallmixture.Generally,controljointsestablishedinState1arewidenedduringthistime.

State3–24to72hoursTheconcreteisconsideredascompletelycured24to72hoursafterthepour.Thesandisheldfirmlyinthemortarmixture,andtheoverallabrasiveactionsandpropertiesoftheconcretearegreatlydiminished.Now,considerationoftheaggregates,compressionstrengthandsteelcontentoftheconcretebecomeimportantfactorsindeterminingproperdiamondbladeselection.

3. Aggregates and SandAggregatesarethegranularfillersincementthatcanoccupyasmuchas60to75%ofthetotalvolume.Theyinfluencethewaybothgreenandcuredconcreteperform.Aggregatescanbenaturallyoccurringminerals,sandandgravel,crushedstoneormanu-facturedsand.Themostdesirableaggregatesusedinconcretearetriangularorsquareinshape,andwithhard,dense,well-gradedanddurableproperties.Theaveragesizeandcompositionofaggregatesgreatlyinfluencethecuttingcharacteristicsandselectionofthediamondblade.Largeaggregatestendtocausebladestocutslower;smalleraggregatesallowthebladestocutfaster.

AggregatehardnessisreferencedbytheMohsScale.Thisscaleassignsarbitraryquantitativeunits,rangingfrom1through10,bywhichthescratchhardnessofamineralisdetermined.Eachunitofhardnessisrepresentedbyamineralthatcanscratchanyothermineralhavingalower-rankingnumber.Themineralsarerankedfromtalcor1(thesoftest),upwardthroughdiamondor10(thehardest).Thehardertheaggregate,theshorterthebladelifeandcuttingspeedisreduced.Hardaggregatesshortenbladelifeandreducecuttingspeed.Sandcompositionisanotherfactorindeterminingthehardnesscharacteristicsofthecementandtheabrasivepropertiesofthemortar.Threetypesofsandaregenerallyusedinthemixture:

Difficulty AverageAggregateSize

HardertoCut(Bladewearsslower)1-1/2"ormore1-1/2"to3/4"3/4"to3/8"

EasiertoCut(Bladewearsfaster) Peagravel(lessthan3/8")

• RiverSand(roundnonabrasive)• RiverBankSand(sharpabrasive)• ManufacturedSand(sharpabrasive)

MetricSize(mm) Diameter ImperialSize Diameter

10 9.5 #3 .375

13 12.7 #4 .500

16 15.9 #5 .625

19 19.1 #6 .750

22 22.2 #7 .875

25 25.4 #8 1.000

29 28.7 #9 1.128

32 32.3 #10 1.270

Heavy Rebar: #6Rebarevery12"oncenteror2Matsof#4Rebarevery12"oncenterMedium Rebar: #4Rebarevery12"oncenterLightRebar: WireMesh,singlemat

4. Steel ReinforcementFurtherstrengtheningandstructuralintegrityofconcreteisaccomplishedbyintroducingconcretereinforcingsteelbars(rebar),steelwirestrandofwiremeshingintotheconcrete.Itcostsmoretocutconcretethatcontainsreinforcingsteelbecausecuttingratesareslowerandbladelifeisreduced.Ifthecross-sectionalareaofconcreteis1%steel,thebladelifewillbeabout25%shorterthanifnosteelwerepresent.Concretewith3%steelcanreducebladelifeasmuchas75%.

RiverBankSandandManufacturedSandaremoreabrasivethanRiverSand.Themoreabrasivethesandis,theharderthebond-matrixrequirements.Sharper,moregeometricallydefinedsandsalsorequireharderbonds.

MOH’s Scale



Maximizing efficiency = cost reduction

Therearemanycostsinvolvedinthesawingofthematerialssuchasconcreteandasphalt.Labor,fuel,thecapitolexpenseofthesawitself,andofcoursethebladethatperformsthecutting.Eachofthesecostsaresignificantinandofthemselves,however,itappearsthatwhensawingcostsrise,thebladeisgiventheblame.

Thisisanunderstandablereactionbecauseinefficiencyinanyaspectofthesawingoperationwillmanifestitselfinpoorperfor-manceoutoftheblade.Oftentimes,poorperformancefromabladeisadvancenoticeofotherlessobviousproblemsinequipmentortechniquethatrequiresimmediateattention.Thefollowingpageswillcontainanoutlineofthemanyfactorsthatcanaffecttheblades,bladesection,sawingtechniquesandmachinemaintenance.

Whencuttingconcreteandasphalt,reducingthecostperinch-footofmaterialcutisthemaingoal.Costperinch-footisthemostaccurateindicatorofbladeefficiency.Thiscanalsobedeterminedbydividingthedepthofthecutininches,bythelengthofthecutinfeet.Youwillthentakeanumberanddivideitintothecostoftheblade.

Totrulycomparetotalcuttingcosts,thereareformulasthatwillcalculatecapitolandlaborcostsperinch-foot.Thesecostsareaf-fectedbybladeefficiency.Formoreinformationonthis,pleasecallouroffice.

Theconceptofcostperinch-footisnotwidelyunderstoodbyalargeportionofthemarketwhichusesdiamondblades.Wheneveryouhaveasituationwhereacustomersayshecutonly1500’withacuredconcreteblade,makesureheunderstandsthatifhecut3"deep,heactuallyattainedexcellentcuttingefficiencybygetting4,500inch-feet!Hoursorevendaysofuseisnotacomparablebasisforcomparingblades.Itisentirelypossibletowearoutabladeinlessthanadayandachieveexcellentefficiency.Makeyourcustomerunderstandhowallthevariablescanaffectcuttingcosts.Showthemhowtocorrectproblemsandmakebetteruseofwhattheyhave,andtheircuttingcostsperinch-footwilldecline.

Example: If a blade costs $450 and cuts 4" deep for 1700 feet, the cost per inch-foot would be:

4" x 1700’ = 6800 inch-feet/$450 = 15.11 cents per inch-foot

HowDoConcrete/AsphaltDiamondBladesWork?

Diamondbladesworkinbasicallythesamewaythat"Carborundum"typebladesdo;byabrasiveaction.Diamondbladeswilloutlastandoutperformabrasivetypebladesinmanyways:theyaresafertouse,cutfasterandlastmorethan100timeslonger.

Adiamondbladeisasystemofcomponentsintegratedtoachieveefficientcuttingofconcrete,asphaltandotherbuildingmaterials.Thethreebasiccomponentsare:

1.DiamondbearingSEGMENTS2.Silversolder,BRAZINGorLASER WELDING3.HighgradesteelCORE

CONCRETE AND ASPHALT APPLICATIONS

Theslotorgulletareaofthebladeservesmorethanonepurpose.Theypermitbettercoolingduringthesawingprocedure.Theyallowforheatdissipationduringweldingorbrazingprocessandallowforacertaindegreeofflexwhichotherwisecouldcausecorefatigueandsegmentbreakage.

1.800.421.5830 10

Thefollowingfactorseffecttheperformanceofaconcretecuttingbladeorbitandshouldbeconsideredwhenmakingyourselection.

FACTORS THAT EFFECT PERFORMANCE

ConcretemayvarygreatlyincompressivestrengthwhichismeasuredinPoundsperSquareInch(PSI).Mostconcreteroadsareapproximately4-5,000PSI,whiletypicalpatiosandsidewalksareabout3,000PSI.

Largeraggregatestendtomakeabladecutslowerwhilesmalleraggregatestendtoallowabladetocutfaster.Themostcommonaggregatesizesare:

ConcreteHardness PSI Application

CriticallyHard 8,000+ Nuclearpowerplants

Hard 6-8,000 BridgePiers

Medium 4-5,000 Highways

Soft 3,000orless Sidewalks&Patios

COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH

SIZE OF AGGREGATE

Steelreinforcingtendstomakeabladecutslower.Lessreinforcingallowsthebladetocutfaster.Heavyrebarcanalsoresultfromdifferentgradesofsteel.Typicalrebarisgrade40butgrade60isalsocommon.Rebargaugesareineighthsofaninch.#4is1/2"diameter,#5is5/8"diameteretc.

Size PSI

Light Wiremesh,singlemat.

Medium #4rebar,every12"oncentereachway(OCEW)Singlemat,WiremeshMulti-mat

Heavy #5rebar,12"OCEW,singlemat.#4rebar,12"OCEW,doublemat.

REINFORCING STEEL

Size PSI

PeaGravel Usuallylessthan3/8"indiameter

3/4" Sievedsize

1-1/2" Sievedsize

Thedryingorcuringofconcretegreatlyaffectshowtheconcretewillinteractwithadiamondblade.Greenconcreteisfreshlypouredconcretethathasnotyetcured.Itissofterandmoreabrasivethancuredconcrete.Aharderbondwithundercutprotectionshouldbeusedinthisapplicationuntilitiscuredatwhichpointasofterbondwouldbeappropriate.Thedefinitionofgreenconcretecanvarywidely.Watertemperature,moistureintheaggregate,timeoftheyear,andtheamountofwaterinthemixallinfluencethecuringtime.Itisgenerallyconsidered"green"for8to48hourafterithasset.

GREEN OR CURED CONCRETE

Sandisthecomponentofthemixwhichdeterminestheabrasivenessoftheconcrete.Sandcaneitherbesharp(abrasive)orround(non-abrasive).Crushedsandorbarksandareusuallysharp;riversandisusuallyround.

TYPE OF SAND

Therearemanydifferenttypesofrockusedasaggregate.Generallyhardaggregatebreaksdownthecuttingdiamondsfasterwhichmeansthebondmustbesoftertoexposenewdiamonds.Softeraggregategenerallydoesnotbreakdownthecuttingdiamondsasquicklyandthereforerequiresaharderbondtoholdthediamondsinplacetousetheirfullpotential.TheMohs’scaleisusedtomeasurethehardnessofaggregateandhasarangeof1-10.Mostaggregatesfallintothe2-9range:

Mohs’Range Description Application

8-9 CriticallyHard Flint,Chert,TrapRock,Basalt

6-7 Hard RiverRock,Granites,Quartz,TrapRock

4-5 Medium/Hard Granites,RiverRock

3-4 Medium Limestone,SandStone,Dolomite,Marble

2-3 Soft SoftLimestone

HARDNESS OF AGGREGATE

Variables ChangeResults

CuttingSpeed BladeLife

TheBlade

SegmentBondHardness

Harder Slower LongerSofter Faster Shorter

DiamondQualityLower Slower LongerHigher Faster Shorter

DiamondConcentration

Lower Slower LongerHigher Faster Shorter

SegmentWidthThicker Slower LongerThinner Faster Shorter

TheSawHorsepower


BladeSpeedHigher Slower LongerLower Faster Shorter

TheJob

WaterVolumeHigher Slower LongerLower Faster Shorter

CuttingDepthDeep Slower Longer

Shallow Faster Shorter

CuttingPressure


TheMaterial

MaterialHardness

Harder Slower LongerSofter Faster Shorter

MaterialAbrasiveness

Less Slower LongerMore Faster Shorter

AggregateSize Larger Slower LongerSmaller Faster Shorter

SteelReinforced More Slower LongerLess Faster Shorter


WHYSHOULDYOUREADTHIS?Thereareseveralcostsinvolvedinthesawingofmaterialssuchasbrickorblock.Labor,thecapitolexpenseofthesawitself,andofcoursethebladeswhichpreformtheactofcutting.Allofthesecostsaresignificant,butitalwaysseemsthatwhensawingcostsgetoutofhandthebladeisgiventheblame.

Thisisanunderstandable(thoughunfair)reactionbecauseinefficiencyinanyaspectofthesawingoperationwillmanifestitselfinpoorperformanceoftheblade.Oftentimes,poorresultsoutofabladeareadvancednoticeofotherlessobviousproblemsinequip-mentorcuttingtechniquethatrequireimmediateattention.Inthefollowingpageswewilldiscussthefactorsthatcanaffectthebladeandthesawingoperation,bladesection,sawingtechniquesandmachinemaintenance.

Itisalsoimportanttonotethatbuyingthecheapestdiamondbladeavailablewillinnowayensureeconomicalcutting.Manytimesamoreexpensivebladespecificallydesignedfortheproductbeingcut,orwithahigherdiamondcontent,willprovidefastercutting(savingonexpensivelaborcosts)andlongerservicelife,yieldingalowernetcostpercut.

MASONRY APPLICATIONS

WET CUTTING BLADES FOR MASONRY SAWS

MKDiamondmanufacturesthreedifferenttypesofbladesforuseonmasonrysaws.

For14"saws,ifyourprospecthasa1.5HPsaw,sellhimtheStandardorthePremiumgradediamondblade.ThePremiumhasahigherdiamondconcentration,andwillcutfasterandlastlonger.Ifhehasa2or3HPsaw,thebestbladeforhimtouseistheSupreme.Thisbladehasthehighestdiamondconcentrationofthethreeblades.Akeytorememberisthateachdiamondbladeisacuttingtoolrequiringacertainamountofpowertomoveitthroughthecut.Themorepoweravailable,themorediamondsyoucanpushthrough.Ifhehasa20"saw,itwillbeeithera3,5,7,13HP.Sinceamasonwitha20"sawisobviouslyaprofessionaltowhomproductionisimportant,alwayssellthehighergradeblades,eitherPremiumorSupreme.Ifhehasa7HPsaw,theSupremeisthebestchoice.

Thefirsttypeisour"10"seriesforbrick.Thisbladehasasoftmatrixandiseffectiveonalltypesofbrick,especiallythoseintheharderrangesuchasPacificClayProducts"Padres".Thisbladewillgivefasterandefficientcutting,andalonglife.Sinceithasasoftmatrix,usingitonanabrasivematerialsuchasconcreteblockwillaccelerateweartoanunacceptablerate.

Thenextbladeisthe"30"series.Thisbladeisreferredtoasa"combination"bladebecauseithasamedium-hardmatrixandisdesignedtocutbrickandblock.Atradeoffismadeinthatbygainingtheabilitytocutbothtypesofmaterial,yousacrificesomecuttingspeedandsomebladelife.

The"50"seriesisdesignedespeciallyforcuttingblock,bothprecisionandslump.Theabrasivenatureoftheproductrequiresahardmatrixthatwearsmoreslowlythanthe10or30series.Thisenablesthebladetolastlonger.Thisbladewillworkwellonlyonblockandwillcutanybrickproductbutveryslowly.

MKalsomakes"Refractory"bladesthatweredesignedforuseincuttingbrickswhichareextremelyhard.WiththeadventofmaterialssuchasEndicottpaversandsomePCPbricksthatareextremelyhard,wereceivedcomplaintsthattheMK-10bladeswerejustnotworkingeffectively.WedesignedanewlineofRefractoryblades,whichworkverywellontheseproducts.Thelineincludesthe410RSupremeGradebladesforHardAcidBrickwithahardnessof5,000to8,000psi,the440RSupremeGradeBladesfor70%HighAluminaBrick,the450RSupremeGradeBladesfor50%SuperDutyHardBrickandthe480RSupremeGradeBladesforSoftAbrasiveMulite,SilicaandBrick.

Inrecommendingabladetoyourcustomers,makesureyoudetermine:

• Whattypeofsawtheyhave • Whattypeofmaterialtheyworkwith • Whatbladetheyarecurrentlyusing

Ifyouarenotsurewhattorecommend,callusatMKDiamond,andwewillbegladtoassistyou.

WetCuttingBladesforMasonrySaws

1.800.421.5830 12

DRY CUTTING BLADES

MKDiamondmanufacturesalltypesoflaserweldeddrycuttingblades.TheMK-404DareSupremeGradeHighSpeedBladesaremanufacturedindiametersof4"to20".Themostpopularisthe7".Thisgeneralpurposebladeshouldbesoldtoeverycontractorwhohasapowersaw,whichisabout99%ofthem.Itisaneconomicalalternativetothemasonrysaw/wetbladecuttingsysteminthatitcutsmanytypesofmaterialrangingfromconcrete,brick,block,plasterandstuccoandwillcutthemfast.ThepotentialforabuseontheMK-404Dbladesisgreaterthanforanyothertypeinourline.Thekeytolonglifeoutofthesebladesistoletthebladedothecuttingandtoletitcoolperiodically.Toforcethebladeintothecut,ortomakeasustained,longcutincuredconcretewillover-heattheblade.Thiscancreateapotentiallydangeroussituationthatcouldcausesegmentstocomeofforthecoretofracture.Cuttingonaradiusisalsoacommoncauseforfailureinthisblade.

TheMK-414DStandardGradeHighSpeedBladesforbrickandblockareavailableindiameters4"-24"andweredevelopedforcoldweatherclimateswherewaterinthetraymayfreeze.Itisalsopopularinthesun-beltstatesforuseonstoneandsometypesofblock.Someblockmaybecomediscoloredevenwhenusingcleanwater,andoncoloredblockthatcontainsahighlevelofcalciumthatisdrawnoutbyhydrationorcapillaryaction.ThesebladesworkwellonanymaterialandhavebeenextremelywellacceptedbycontractorsallacrossU.S.A.MKoffersmanyothertypesofsegmenteddiamondbladesforalltypesofmasonry.

DrycuttingTurboRimBladesareanexcellentrecommendationforfast,smoothcutsinmasonrymaterial.ThenewestMKDiamondbladeinthislineistheMK-TLX,ageneralpurposeturborimwithsuperhighsegmentsforlonglife.Theycutconcrete,brick,pavers,sandstone,rooftileandblock.

Themostcommonproblemwithdry-cuttingbladesisthatofover-heating.Youcantellifbladehasbecomeover-heatedbya"blueing"whichisevidentonthecorejustunderthesegment.Ifabladehasreachedthisstate,itshouldbereturnedtoourplantforinspection.Excessiveheatcancausethebladetolosetension,whichcauseswobbling.DonotreplacebladesthathadblueingwithoutapprovalfromourRepairCenter!Over-heatingiscausedbyoperatorinexperienceorneglect,notproductfailure.Toavoidthis,thecontractormustnotdoprolongedcuttinginhardmaterialandallowthebladetocoolperiodically.

Dry Cutting Blades

WHEN A BLADE STOPS CUTTING

Ifacustomercomplainsthathisbladeis"worn-out"or"notcutting",butappearstohaveplentyofsegmentleft,suggestthissolution:Have the contractor put the blade on his saw, and run some material such as a firebrick or concrete block repeatedly through the blade. Nine times out of ten, this will bring life back into the blade.

Whydoesthishappen?Diamondblades,especiallycontinuousrimbladesaresubjectto"closingup"becauseofthehardnessofthematerialtheyareaskedtocut.Diamondbladesrelyonacertaindegreeofabrasiontowearaway,ataregularpace,thematrixthatholdsthediamondsinplace.Ifthematerialisdensewithlittleabrasiveness,thediamondsarewearingoutfasterthanthematrix,soitbecomesliketryingtosawwoodwithadullhandsaw.Runningahighlyabrasivemateriallikeaconcreteblock,wearsthematrixawayfast,exposingnew,sharpdiamondswhichwillcontributetomuchfastercutting.

MACHINE MAINTENANCE

Asawwithamisalignedhead,wornbladeshaftbearings,wornbladeflanges,wornbeltsorpulleys,orimproperlytrackingconveyorcart,willgenerallystillcutmaterial,butputsstressesonthebladethatwillresultincutsthatarenotsquare.Thiswillalsocauseashortbladelifeorabladethatwearsunevenly.Theseproblemsarenotalwaysapparenttothenakedeye.Ifyouhaveaproblemwithabladethatisnotrelatedtomisapplication,takealookatyourcustomers’ssaw.Checkthemainpointslistedabove.

WhenABladeStopsCutting

MachineMaintenance

Service

Theonefactorthatwillguaranteeyourreputationasareliablesupplierofdiamondbladesisservice.YoucanbesurethatweatMKwilldoourparttosupportyou,evenwhenaproblemarises.OneContractorcommentingadverselyaboutaproductinthefieldcandoseveredamagetoacarefullybuiltreputation.Youarethe"FrontLine"andwetrustyourgoodjudgementinhandlingareturnedproductwhenyouarepresentedwithaproblem.Wecanrepairalmostanybladethatisdamaged,andgenerallydosoatnocharge,andwithinafewdays,regardlessoffault.Atleast90%ofallreturnedbladeshaveeitherbeenabusedorusedonanincorrectapplication.

MASONRY APPLICATIONS


TileandStonematerialsaregenerallycutusingawetcuttingcontinuousrimdiamondblade.Thehardnessofthematerialdeter-minesthetypeofbladeneeded.Thebestsmoothcutfinishisusuallyachievedwithcontinuousrimdiamondbladesandareusedwhencuttingglazed,ceramictilesandothereasilychippedmaterialslikeporcelain.

MK-215PremiumGradeBladeisafastcuttingforsmoothfinishcutsontileandotherstonematerials.Excellentondensefloormaterials.

MK-415SupremeGrade,SuperHi-RimBladehasbeendesignedwithathickercoreforhighproductionjobsthatrequirestraightandfastcuts.Thehighrimprovideslongerlifethanstandardtilebladesofsimilarquality.

MK-225HotDogthin-rimbladeisdesignedforwetcuttingofhardmaterials,especiallyporcelain,granite,andvitreoustile.Thelasercutcoolingslotsandultra-thinkerfallowsittocutwithlessdragandresistancethananyothertileblade.

GraniteandMarblebladesincludetheMK-62GandMK-62Mandaresegmentedbladesespeciallyengineeredforcuttinghardstone.Theyprovidesuperiorcuttingspeedandaggressivecuts.

MK-404CRSupremeGradeThin-rimBladesfordrycuttinghardandvitreousceramictile.Designedtoensurechip-freecuttingoftileandotherhardmaterialswithminimalheatbuild-up.

MKS-935Disasuperfastdrycuttingbladethatisdesignedforcuttingstoneandotherhardmaterials.Itisengineeredwithanewlydevelopedbondthatguaranteesimprovedlife.TheV-slantsegmentsprovideadditionalsideclearancetopreventbindinginthecutandprotectthesteelcoreduringcircularcutting.

Whenusingcontinuousblades,itisveryimportanttoapplylighttomediumpressurewhenfeedingthematerialintotheblade.Feedthematerialslowlyintobladeuntilitbeginstocutatitsownspeed;nevershouldthebladeslowdownfromtoomuchpressure.Excessivepressurecancauseyourbladetobendordish.

Adiamondblademayoccasionallyrequiredressingwithadressingstickmadespecificallyforthispurposeoranabrasiveblock.Dressingthebladecausestheglazeddiamondstobecleanedandrecoverthediamondsharpness.

TILE AND STONE APPLICATIONS

Wet Cutting Blades

Dry Cutting Blades

Cutting

1.800.421.5830 14

Themostcommonmaterialwalkbehindsawsencounterareasphaltandcuredconcrete.Insomecaseyoumayneedtocutgreenconcrete,whichisconcretethathassetandhardened(lessthan72hours).ItisverysoftandabrasivewhenGreen,butneedstobecutassoonaspossible.Whycutgreenconcrete?Crackingoccursastheconcretecuresandwaterintheslabdis-sipates.Crackscomefromthebaseoftheslabandseektheweakestpointsinthesurface.Cuttingcreatesa"weakenedplane"wherethecrackwillseekthebottomofthecut.Mostoftentherearenovisiblesurfacecracks.Nevercutgreenconcretewithacuredconcretebladeforreasonspreviouslydiscussed.Occasionally,asphaltovercuredconcretemustbecut.MKDiamonddoeshavebladesthataredesignedtodothis,butneversellthisasanall-purposebladebecauseitisnot.Ifthesebladesareusedinthismanner,allyouwillhaveisanunhappycustomer.The600Seriesbladesarethebestbladesforcuttingasphalttodayandcuredconcretetomorrow.

Concreteandasphaltvaryinhardnessandabrasivenessdependingonwheretheaggregateorsandforthemixwasquarried.Conditionsthataffectbladelifearedifferentineverypartofthecountry.SomeofthehardestconditionsintheUSAcanbefoundinSanDiego,CA.Therefore,abladethatyieldsexcellentlifeintheareasofsoftaggregatemaynotperformnearlyaswellinareasofharderaggregate.Thisiswhy"averagelife"predictionsaboutbladesareusuallyjustguesswork.Theonlywaytocomparetwobladesfairlyistocutexactlythesametypeandamountofmaterialatthesametime,withthesamemachineandoperatorandunderexactlyidenticalconditions.Sincethisrarelyhappens,thebestwecaneverestimateonceweknowallthefacts,isaball-parkfigure.

Themostfrequentproblemencounteredistheusercuttingthewrongmaterialwiththewrongblade.MKDiamondhasdifferenttypesofbladesforwalkbehindsaws.Allofourbladesarestampedwiththeappropriateseriesnumberandarecolorcodedforeasyidentification.Thegroupsare:

1. 500orBlue SeriesforCured Concrete2. 600orGreen SeriesforGreen Concrete 600orYellowSeriesforAsphaltoverConcrete(Combination)3. 700orBlack SeriesforAsphalt

Withintheseparameterofblades,weofferseveralgradesofbladestochoosefrom.Thelownumbersineachseriesarethebladeswhichcostlessinitially,andaredesignedforlowerhorsepowersaws.Althoughtheinitialcostislowwiththeselowseriesnumberedblades,actualcostsperinch-footarehigherthanabetterqualitybladewithhigherinitialcost.Sellyourcustomerswhattheyneedtogivethemthegreatesttotalefficiency.Beware of selling price only.

Sincebladeslooksimilar,itisquitepossibletoforgetwhichbladeisonthesaw.Thismayresultinanunfortunatesituation:

Example:Cuttinggreenconcretewithacuredblade.

Remember: Matchthediamondbladetothetypeofmaterialtobecut!

Ifthishappens,itisnotthefaultofthebladeoryourcompanyifthebladewearsoutprematurely.Werecommendthatyousuggesttoyourbladeusersthatitisagoodideatoremovethediamondbladefromtheirsaweverynight.Thiswillalsopreventdamagewhenyouaretransportingthesaw.Itisalsoagoodideatoremindyourcustomerstomountadifferentbladeifthematerialtheyarecuttinghasbeenchanged.Thiswillalsogiveyourcustomersanopportunitytoinspectthebladefordamage.

Type of Material to Be Cut

Blade Specifications

PRINCIPLES OF DIAMOND BLADES


DepthoftheCutWhenmakinganespeciallydeepcut,itisalotmoreefficienttomakeseveral"step"cutsthanonedeeppass.Thisisbecauseeachdiamondincontactwiththematerialbeingcuttakesapercentageoftheavailablepowertomovethroughthecut.Themorediamondsthatarecuttingatonetime,thelesspowerthereisbehindeachdiamond.Ifyoureducethecontactarea,thereismorepowerbehindeachdiamondandthecutismoreeconomicalintermsofbladewearandmachinelife.Cuttingtoodeepisacommonproblembecausethedeeperyougo,thelesseffectiveafixedsupplyofwatercanbefunctioningtocoolthebladeandflushthecuttingsoutofthecut,whichmayresultinundercutting.

Undercutting

Undercuttingoccurswhenlooseabrasiveparticlesthatmixwithwaterformaslurrythatactstogrindawaythecorejustunderthesegments.Theouteredgeofthecoreisworndowntoaknifeedge,reducingthecontactareabetweenthesegmentcore.Undercuttingwilloccurandquicklygettothepointwherethebladebecomesuselesswhenwelloverhalfofitssegmentliferemains.Overandabovetheeconomiceffectofundercutting,isthefactthatusingaseverelyundercutbladeisdangeroustothesawoperatorandthosearoundhimduetotheincreasedchangeofsegmentloss.Undercuttingcanbeslowedbytheadditionofwearreducingsegmentsorinserts,andtheoperatorcantakestepstoeliminateitbyfollowingthesesteps:

Itisrecommendedtocutthroughhalfofthematerialinsteadofallthewaythroughit.Dirtandsandcanruinabladeinverylittletime.Watchthewaterwhileitisflowingawayfromthesaw.Ifthewaterisdirty,raisetheblade,becauseyouhavecutintothesub-base.

•Useplentyofwatertothintheslurry•Reducethedepthofthecuttoreducesuspendedcuttings•Takinggreatcaretonotcutintothesub-basewhichcanbeveryabrasive

Water Waterisveryimportanttothecuttingoperation,thereforeuseitingenerousamounts.Itsfunctionistocoolthecoreandthebondingagentandtoflushthecuttingsoutofthecut.Theonlytimetoreducetheamountofwaterusedinthecuttingoperationiswhenyoudesireto"openup"thebladeandexposenewdiamonds.Thisisatrickusedbyexperiencedcuttersandshouldbeperformedonlybyqualifiedoperatorsusingextremecare.

OperatorTechniqueVariables

Thisisaverysensitiveareatodealwithbecausenooneeverlikestobetoldthattheyaredoingsomethingwrong.Thisis,however,therightthingtodoifinfactoperatortechniqueneedsimproving.

Themostcommonproblemasitrelatestotechniquesiscuttingspeed.Theoperatormustallowthebladetodothecutting.Ifyouforceittocut,itcausesthebladeto"closeup"or"glazeover".Thispreventsnewdiamondsfrombecomingexposed.Whenthisoccurs,segmentsmaycrackorshatter.Thecorecanalsofractureorsplit.

Whencuttingonagrade,thesawmustbeginthecutatthelowpointofthegrade.Pointingthebladedownhillintothecuthasthesameeffectofincreasedintolerablepressureonthebladeasforcingitthroughaflatcut.

Generally,thefirstreactionofthesawwhenitisbeingforcedisforthebladeto"walk"upthecut.Ifthisoccurs,SLOW DOWN!Puttingaweightonthefrontofthesawhelpstokeepthebladeinthecut.


1.800.421.5830 16

SawVariablesThereareatremendousnumberofsawsonthemarketwithvaryingfeaturesofbladecapacity,horsepowerandoverallquality.Theonlythingthesesawshaveincommonisthattheycancut.Whenyoufindoutwhatyourcustomeruses,baseyourrecommenda-tionsonalltheinformationatyourdisposal.Asarule,higherhorsepowermachinescanuseabettergradeofbladeandwillcutfasterthanalowhorsepowersaw.Forexample,thebladethatworkswellcuttingconcreteona8HPsawwillnotbeefficientona35HPsaw.Thebiggersawrequiredahardermatrixofthesameapplication.Diamondbladesaredesignedtorunatabout9500SFPM(SurfaceFeetPerMinute).Therefore,thebladeshaftspeedmustbematchedtothebladediameter.Thelargertheblade,thelowerthebladeshaftspeed.

EngineRPMisalsocrucialtogettingmaximumperformanceoutofyourdiamondblades.Powercurvesaredifferentforeachmachine.(Specificdataforeachofyoursawsmaybeobtainedfromthemanufacturerortheirdealers).Bearinmind,thatHPavail-abletothebladeisusually60%oftheratedHP.Itisaruleofthumbthatonehorsepowerperinchofbladediameterisrequiredforefficientsawing.Itpaystokeepyoursawengineinpeakcondition.

Bladeshaftanddrivewheelalignmentsarecrucialtoefficientsawing.Havingeitheroneorbothoftheseoutofalignmentwillcauseunevensidewear.Checkthesealignmentsoften.

Inspectthebladeflangesforwear.Cuttingtofulldepthcausestheflangestocontactthesurfaceofthecutmaterial.Thiscancauseadecreaseintheirdiameter.Sincethecontactpointsoftheflangesareonlyabout1/2"wideattheouteredges,areductionintheirdiameterwilldecreasetheefficienttransmissionofpowertotheblade.Ifyoueverreplaceaflange,replacethepairtoensuretheyareofexactlyequaldiameter.Failuretodosocouldcauseunevenclampingpressure,leadingtobowedblade.



Thereareagreatmanyparametersorvariableswithadirectaffectonbladeperformance.Theyare:Materialbeingcut,sawbeingused(horsepower),andthebladeitself.Thesecanbestbedescribedandunderstoodingraphorchartform.

BLADE PERFORMANCE

Parameter Variation Speed of Cut Blade Life

MaterialhardnessHarder Slower Longer

Softer Faster Shorter

SawHorsepowerLower Slower Longer

Higher Faster Shorter

Bondhardnessofblade

Harder Slower Longer

Softer Faster Shorter

Diamondqualityofbladesegment

Lower Slower Shorter

Higher Faster Longer

Segmentdiamondconcentration

Lower Faster Shorter

Higher Slower Longer

Whiletherearemanymorevariableswhichcomeintoplay,thesearethemostimportantandtendtosimplifythelearningprocess.

Itshouldbementionedinmanyinstancespeopleseeminterestedina"generalpurpose"blade."Generalpurpose"isoneofthemostoverusedphrasesintheconstruction/industrialmarketplace.Itshouldbeunderstoodthatthereisalwaysatrade-offincuttingspeedandbladelifewhenusingagivenproductas"generalpurpose".

Allthingsbeingequal,onahardmaterialthecuttingspeedwillbeslowerwithlongerbladelifeexperienced.Ontheoppositesideofthespectrum,onsoftermoreabrasivematerialsthecuttingspeedwillbefasterwithshorterbladelifeexperienced.

1.800.421.5830 18

Balanceindiamondbladedesignisveryimportantwhenyoulookattheaspectsofwhatittakestobuildtherightbladefortherightapplication.

Anyshiftinonepositiveunitcreatesanegativeinanotherarea(Increasediamondconcentrationanditwillresultinlongerlife.Butwillincreasethecostofthebladeandlowerthecuttingspeed).Thisaddsuptohigherpricesandunhappycustomers.

THE BALANCE OF DIAMOND TOOL DESIGN

Performance DiamondCost

AbrasionResistance

CrystalExposure

ToolCost

ToolLife

CuttingSpeed

WorkpieceFinish

DIAMONDTYPE

DIAMONDTYPE

BONDMATRIXBOND

MATRIX

DIAMONDCONCENTRATION

DIAMONDCONCENTRATION

DIAMONDSIZE

DIAMONDSIZE


A QUESTION OF QUALITYDO YOU WANT TO KNOW THE PRICE OR HOW MUCH IT WILL COST

WHICHBLADEDOIBUY?

THE BOTTOM LINE IS:

Thehighertheinitialcostthelowerthefinalcost!

12x.125x20MMSupreme Grade$575(istheprice)

ApproximateLifeinInchFeet-10,000

CostPerInchFoot

=$575

=.0575¢perft.10,000

InchFeetToBeCut25,000

=.0575¢(Costperft.)x25,000=$1437.50CostofBlade

12x.125x20MMPremium Grade

$425(istheprice)Approximate

LifeinInchFeet-6,500CostPerInchFoot



12x.125x20MMStandard Grade$325(istheprice)

ApproximateLifeinInchFeet-4,5000

CostPerInchFoot



=$425

=.0654¢perft.6,500

=$325

=.0722¢perft.4,500

1.800.421.5830 20

CUTTING DEPTHS

Masonry BladesDiameter Cutting Depth

10" (254mm) 3-3/4" (95mm)

12" (305mm) 4" (102mm)

14" (356mm) 5" (127mm)

18" (457mm) 7" (178mm)

20" (508mm) 8" (203mm)

24" (610mm) 10" (254mm)

Hand-HeldHighSpeedBladesDiameter Cutting Depth

4" (102mm) 1" (25mm)

5" (127mm) 1-1/2" (38mm)

6" (152mm) 2" (51mm)

7" (178mm) 2-1/2" (64mm)

8" (203mm) 3" (76mm)

10" (254mm) 3-3/4" (95mm)

12" (305mm) 4" (102mm)

14" (356mm) 5" (127mm)

CuredConcreteandAsphaltBladesDiameter Cutting Depth

12" (305mm) 4" (102mm)

14" (356mm) 5" (127mm)

18" (457mm) 7" (178mm)

20" (508mm) 8" (203mm)

24" (610mm) 10" (254mm)

26" (660mm) 10-5/8" (270mm)

30" (762mm) 11-5/8" (295mm)

36" (914mm) 14-3/4" (375mm)

42" (1067mm) 17-3/4" (451mm)

48" (1219mm) 20-3/4" (527mm)

Green Concrete BladesDiameter Cutting Depth

6" (152mm) 2" (51mm)

7" (178mm) 2-1/2" (64mm)

8" (203mm) 3" (76mm)

10" (254mm) 3-3/4" (95mm)


DIAMOND BLADE SPEEDS

SFPM 12’ dia. 14’ dia. 16’ dia. 18’ dia. 20’ dia. 22’ dia. 24’ dia. 30’ dia. 36’ dia

RPM RPM RPM RPM RPM RPM RPM RPM RPM

4000 1273 1091 955 849 764 694 641 509 424

4500 1432 1228 1071 955 859 781 716 573 477

5000 1592 1364 1194 1061 955 868 796 637 531

5500 1751 1501 1313 1167 1050 955 876 700 584

6000 1910 1637 1432 1273 1146 1042 955 764 637

6500 2069 1773 1552 1379 1241 1129 1035 828 690

7000 2228 1910 1671 1485 1337 1215 1114 891 743

7500 2387 2046 1790 1592 1432 1302 1194 955 796

8000 2546 2183 1910 1698 1528 1389 1273 1019 849

8500 2706 2319 2029 1804 1623 1476 1353 1082 902

9000 2865 2456 2149 1910 1719 1563 1432 1174 955

9500 3024 2592 2268 2016 1814 1649 1512 1210 1008

10,000 3183 2728 2387 2122 1910 1736 1592 1273 1061

10,500 3342 2865 2507 2228 2005 1823 1671 1337 114

11,000 3501 3001 2626 2334 2101 1910 1751 1401 1164

11,500 3661 3138 2745 2440 2196 1997 1830 1461 1220

12,000 3820 3274 2865 2546 2292 2083 1910 1582 1273

12,500 3979 3410 2984 2653 2387 2170 1989 1592 1326

13,000 4138 3547 3104 2759 2483 2257 2069 1655 1379

13,500 4297 3683 3223 2865 2578 2344 2149 1719 1432

14,000 4456 3820 3342 2971 2674 2431 2228 1783 1485

14,500 4615 3956 3462 3077 2769 2518 2308 1846 1538

15,000 4775 4093 3581 3183 2865 2604 2604 1910 1592

DATA FOR 12" TO 36" DIAMETER SAW BLADES(RPMVSSFPM)

Diamondbladesaretensionedtorunbetween9,000and13,000surfacefeetperminute(SFPM).Nominaltensioninginabladeisfor9500SFPM.However,bladespeedshouldbeincreasedforsoftabrasivematerials,andshouldbedecreasedfordensematerials.

Caution...Reducedperformanceisfrequentlyincurredwhenbladesarerunoutsideoftheselimits.Theabovetableshowstheoptimumbladespeeds(RPM)fordifferentbladediametersandperipheralspeeds(SFPM).

1.800.421.5830 22

DIAMOND BLADE SPEED GUIDELINES

Diameter Recommended RPM* Never Exceed RPM

4" (102mm) 9,000 15,200

4-1/2" (114mm) 8,000 13,500

5" (127mm) 7,200 12,200

5-1/2" (140mm) 6,500 11,090

6" (152mm) 6,000 10,185

7" (178mm) 5,100 8,730

8" (203mm) 4,500 7,640

9" (229mm) 4,000 6,700

10" (254mm) 3,600 6,115

12" (305mm) 3,000 5,095

12"(HighSpeedBlades) 6,300

14" (356mm) 2,500 4,365

14"(HighSpeedBlades) 5,460

16" (406mm) 2,200 3,800

18" (457mm) 2,000 3,300

20" (508mm) 1,800 3,000

22" (559mm) 1,600 2,780

24" (610mm) 1,500 2,550

26" (660mm) 1,300 2,350

28" (711mm) 1,200 2,185

30" (762mm) 1,200 2,040

32" (813mm) 1,100 1,910

36" (914mm) 1,000 1,700

42" (1067mm) 800 1,455

48" (1219mm) 700 1,275

*RecommendedRPMbasedon9,500SFPM


For more information call 1-800-963-9424 or go to www.dir.ca.gov/dosh

Silica Hazard Alert

08-019V3

Exposures to respirable crystalline silica dust during construction activities can cause serious respiratory disease. Each year more than 300 U.S. workers die from silicosis and thousands more are diagnosed with the lung disease. It is frequently misdiagnosed, so actual numbers may be higher.

The Source:

Silica is a natural mineral that comes in several forms, some more hazardous than others. Typically, it’s the crystalline forms that are of greatest concern.

Silica can be present in large quantities in certain types of rocks and sand. Construction materials made from these natural ingredients then become the source of exposure associated with several of the construction trades, such as tile roofs, masonry and concrete nishing or re- nishing.

The Hazard:

Breathing too much dust containing the crystalline forms of silica particles small enough to enter the deep parts of the lung can cause “silicosis”, which is a scarring of the lung tissues, cancer and other forms of lung disease, including an increased risk of getting tuberculosis. It usually takes several years before you know that you have a problem. Higher exposures can produce health problems much sooner. At rst, there can be no symptoms of disease, and then shortness of breath, fatigue, severe cough and chest pain can develop later on. Short of a lung transplant, silicosis can not be reversed, so best to minimize exposures now to prevent disability later in life.

The Types of Operations:

The following are some examples of work-operations where the Cal/OSHA 8-hour average PEL of 0.1 mg/m3 for crystalline silica can be exceeded. There may very well be other operations you do, not listed here, that can also produce excessive exposure levels, such as dry grinding on granite counter tops.

Where to go for more info on the types of exposures you might expect, along with some control measures:

* http://depts.washington.edu/silica/index.html

* http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/construction/

Tuck point grinding

Surface grinder

Rock drill

Broom or shovel

Jackhammer / chipping gun

Hand-held masonry saw

Road mill

Backhoe, excavator, bulldozer

Walk-behind concrete saw

Mixing concrete, grout, etc

Bobcat

Best Ways For Employees To Protect Themselves:

Knowledge, equipment and work practices:

Ask your employer if your work can produce excessive silica dust exposure, and what control measures are to be used.

Where possible, work with products that don’t contain silica.

For example, there are a variety of materials such as glass beads, pumice, sawdust, steel grit, shot, and walnut shells that are available as substitutes for sandblasting operations.

Understand the hazards and take the appropriate preventative measures.

Minimize dust getting into the air you breath:

Use equipment designed to cut, saw and grind wet or use ventilation that captures the dust as it is created.

Proper use and preventive maintenance is critical.

•

•

◊

•

•

◊

*


Silica Hazard Alert

Training Requirements Checklist for Employees Exposed to Dust Generated from Concrete and Masonry Materials.

Who?

All employees and their supervision required to work with or around powered tools and equipment used to cut, grind, core, or drill concrete or masonry materials.

•

NOTE: Reference T8CCR Section 1530.1 for details, along with other applicable Cal/OSHA standards. 1530.1 is applicable to most concrete and masonry activities; there can be a number of other sources of silica at a construction site that can be a signi cant health hazard.

Don’t smoke tobacco products.

Never use compressed air to clean dust off equipment, surfaces or your clothes. Where safely feasible, use water or a HEPA vacuum. Consider using disposable or re- usable clothing that stays at the work site.

Minimize dust generation when working with or around silica-containing materials.

Handle and dispose of waste materials without generating airborne dust.

Use a HEPA vacuum, squeegee instead of broom, or sweeping compound, in that order

You may still have excessive exposure despite using controls, which means you may still need to use an appropriate respirator, along with a good respirator protection program. Establish de ned areas beyond which protection is required. [Reference T8CCR, Section 5144 for details on respirator requirements]

◊

◊

◊

◊

*

Supervisors are required to go through additional training.

When?

Before their initial assignment in which these operations will be conducted, and

Repeated at least annually.

What?

Potential health effects, including silicosis, lung cancer, chronic obstructive lung disease and loss of lung function. Refer to the MSDS and the NIOSH Website.

Methods to be used to control airborne dust exposures, such as wet-cutting, local exhaust systems, and isolation of the process.

These procedures will likely be new to the company, therefore ensure that the company’s Code of Safe Practice(s) are updated to re ect the new operations.

Proper use and maintenance of dust control equipment, including safe handling of collected waste.

Good personal hygiene and housekeeping, including,

Not smoking tobacco products

Avoiding activities that can contribute to generation of airborne dust

Cleaning up without generating airborne dust.

For supervisors, also include:

Identi cation of tasks that may result in employee exposures.

Implementation procedures for the control methods employees are to use.

Outlining the pre-operational steps the supervisors need to go through to identify hazards is critical to preventing exposures to begin with. If the hazard can be eliminated through some sort of control, the likelihood an employee is overexposed to airborne silica dust is greatly diminished.

◊

•

•

•

•

◊

•

•

◊

◊

◊

•

◊

◊

*

1.800.421.5830 25

•Bladesshouldbegenerallyrunbetween9,000to13,000surfacefeetperminute.Thismeansthatlarger bladesshouldberunatalowerRPMthansmallerblades.Ifabladeisnotcutting,runitatareducedRPM; thisshouldopenthebladeup,exposethediamonds.Ifthebladeiswearingtoorapidly,increasetheRPM.

RememberalwaystoconsulttheManufacturerfortheproperRPM.

•Agoodwaterflowequallyonbothsidesoftheblade(2-4gallons/min)isbestforwetcuttingblades.

•Whenabladeissnuggedupevenlytotheflangesitwillrunstraightandprovidemaximumefficiency.Bladesthat runlopsidedandshowsignsofheatbuildupbecomeeggshaped,andaretheresultofbadseatingbytheflange.

• Certainspecificationshavebeendevelopedtoprovidethebestcuttingforeachapplication.Makingsurethat thebladeissuitedforyourcuttingjobwillresultinfaster,easiercuttingandbetterbladelife.

• Themorehorsepower(torque-notpressureontheblade)suppliedtothespindle,themoreefficientthecutting actionwillbe.Lowerhorsepowermayrequireasofterbladebondorlessdiamondconcentration.

• Checkyourequipment.Badbearingsorwornshaftsarethecauseforbladerunoutwhichcausesexcessive

stressandwear.Maintainingyourequipmentwillgivediamondbladeslongerlifeandbettercutting performance.

• Excessivepressureonthebladewilldullthediamond,createstressinthesteelcore,andcausethebladeto becomeoutofround.Tomuchpressureonlightweightsawswillcausethebladetorideupoutofthecut. Listentosoundoftheengineandthesmoothcuttingsoundofthebladetodeterminethebestoperating conditionsfortheblade.

• Alwaysputthebladeonthespindlesothatthebladeisalwaysrunninginthesamedirection.Lookforthearrow.

• Ifyouhavetocutthroughsubbaseofeitherasphaltorconcrete,waterlosscanresultandtheabrasivesand willputextremewearonboththesteelcoreandthediamondsegment.

• EachbladeistensionedtoruntrueataspecificRPM.Bladesthatrunatahigherorlowerspeedthanthey aretensionedforwillwobbleorflutter,creatingexcessivesidewearorcorecracking.

• Thecuttings,ifnotproperlyflushedfromthecut,willabradeboththediamondmatrixand/orthesteelcore. Besuretomaintainsufficientwaterflowtothecut.

• Thelossoftensioninabladeisonlyevidentwhenthebladedoesnotruntrue(wobbles)andthecutwidens. Mostbladescanberetensioned.

DIAMOND BLADE DO’S AND DON’T


Cause Shaftbearingsareworn(masonryandconcrete).

Remedy Installnewbladeshaftbearingsorbladeshaft,asrequired.

Cause Engineisnotproperlyturnedonconcretesaws,causingsurgesinbladerotation.

Remedy tuneengineaccordingtomanufacturers’Manual.

Cause Bladearborholeisdamagedfrompreviousmismounting.

Remedy Replacewornshaftormountingarborbushing.Bondistoohardformaterial,causinga“rounding”andwearingonehalfoftheblademorethantheother.Makecertainthatdrivepinisfunctioning.Useproperbladespecification.

Cause Bladeistoohardformaterialbeingcut.

Remedy Useasofterbondedblade.Selectproperbladespecificationformaterialbeingcut.

Cause Bladehasbecomedullasaresultofbeingusedontoohardamaterial.

Remedy Improperbladespecification;bladeistoohardforthematerialbeingcut.Useasofterbondedbladetoreduceoperatingstresses.

Cause “Dull”Blade

Remedy “Open”bladebydressingsegmentonabrasiveblock.

Cause Insufficientwater(usuallyononesideofblade).

Remedy Flushoutwatersystemandcheckflowanddistributiontobothsidesofblade.

Cause Equipmentdefectscausethesegmentstowearunevenly.

Remedy Replacebadbearings,wornarborshaft,oralignspindle.Withconcretesaws,enginemustrunsmoothlytopreventharmonicvibration.

Cause Sawismisaligned.

Remedy Checksawheadalignmentforsquarenessbothverticallyandhorizontally.

Blade Worn Out of Round

Blade Will Not Cut

Uneven Segment Wear

DIAMOND BLADE TROUBLESHOOTINGHerearesomesuggestedsolutionstotheproblemswearemostcommonlyapproachedabout.

1.800.421.5830 27

DIAMOND BLADE TROUBLESHOOTING

Cause Bladecollarisnotproperlytightened,permittingbladerotationorvibrationontheshaft.

Remedy Tightentheshaftnutwithawrenchtomakecertainthatthebladeisadequatelysecured.

Cause Bladecollarsarewornordirty,notallowingproperbladeclamping.

Remedy Cleanbladecollars,makingsuretheyarenotworn.

Cause Bladeisnotproperlymounted.

Remedy Makecertainthebladeismountedonthepropershaftdiameterbeforetighteningshaftnut.Ensurethepinholeslidesoverdivepin.Makesurethatdrivepinisinpinhole.

Cause Loosebeltonsaw.

Remedy Tightenbelts.Checktoseeifarboronsawisrunningtrue.

Cause Abrasionofsteelcenterduetohighlyabrasivefinesgeneratedduringcutting.

Remedy Useasmuchwateraspossibletoflushoutfinesgeneratedduringcutting,orusewear-retardantcores.

Cause Cuttingthroughmaterialintosub-base.

Remedy Wear-retardantcoresarenotalwaystheultimatesolutiontoeliminatingundercutting.Yourbestdefenseistoalwaysprovideanadequatewaterflowtothesteelcenterareaimmediatelyadjacenttothesegment.Thisisespeciallyimportantwhenmakingdeepcuts.

ArborHoleOut-of-Round

UndercuttingtheSteelCenter



Remedy Useabladewithasofterbond.

Cause Bladebeing”forced”throughthecut,causingchattering.

Remedy Runsawatnormalspeed.“Open”bladebyresharpeninginabrasivematerial.

Cause Bladerunsatimproperspeed.

Remedy Checkforbadbearings,bentshaft,orwornmountingarbor.Speedofthesawiseithertoofastortooslowforthesizeoftheblade.RPMoftheshouldbeverifiedtothespecificspeedsestablishedbytheNASIStandardsforminimumandmaximumbladespeeds;makecertainthatbladeshaftisrunningatrecommendedRPMtomatchtensionedspeedofblade.ShouldthebladecontinuetowobbleafterverificationofthesawRPM,thenthebladeshouldbereturnedtothemanufacturertoberetensionedandflattened.

Cause Bladecollardiametersarenotidentical.

Remedy Checkbladecollardiscstomakesuretheyareclean,flatandofcorrectdiameter.

Cause Bladeisbentasaresultofdroppingorbeingtwistedinthecutduringoperation.

Remedy Baldeshouldbereturnedtothemanufacturertoberetensionedandflattened.

Cause Lossofbladetension.

Remedy SeeLossofTensionpage40.

Segment Cracks

Blade Wobbles


1.800.421.5830 29

Cause Overheatingduetolackofwater.

Remedy Checkwaterfeedlinesandmakesureflowisadequateonbothsidesofblades.

Cause Steelcenteriswornfromundercutting.

Remedy Usesufficientwatertoflushoutthecut.

Cause Defectivebladecollarsarecausingblademisalignment.

Remedy Cleanbladecollarsorreplaceifcollarsareunderrecommendeddiameter.


Remedy Useproperbladespecificationformaterialbeingcut.

Cause Bladeiscuttingoutofround,causingapoundingmotion.

Remedy Replacewornbearings:realignbladeshaftorreplacewornblademountingarbor.

Cause improperbladetension.

Remedy ensurebladeisrunningatcorrectRPM.BladeistensionedforcorrectRPM.Tuneengineaccordingtomanufacturer’smanual.

Cause Bladefluttersincutasaresultofbladelosingtension.

Remedy Tightenthebladeshaftnut.Makesurebladeisrunningatpropertensionedspeedandthatdrivepinisfunctioningproperly.

Cause Bladespecificationistoohardforthematerialbeingcut.

Remedy Useasofterbladebondtoeliminatestressesthatcreatecracks.

Cause Badbladeshaftbearing.

Remedy Replacebladeshaftbearing.


Remedy Checkwaterfeedlinesandmakesureflowisadequateonbothsidesofblade.

Segment Loss

Cracks in Steel Center



Cause Steelcenterhasbeenoverheatingasaresultofbladespinningonarbor.

Remedy Checkwaterflow,distributionandlines.Tightenthebladeshaftnut.Makecertainthedirvepinisfunctioning(onconcretesaws).

Cause Steelcenterhasbeenoverheatingfromrubbingthesideofmaterialbeingcut.

Remedy MakecertainbladeRPMiscorrectsothebladeoperatesatitstensionedspeed.Tuneengineaccordingtomanufacturer’smanual.

Cause Unequalpressureatbladeclampingcollars.

Remedy Bladeclampingcollarsmustbeidenticalindiameterandtherecommendedsize.

Cause Bladebondormatrixtoosoft.

Remedy Useahardermatrixblade.


Remedy Checkwaterfeedlinesandmakesureflowisadequateonbothsidesofblade.

Loss of Tension

ShortBladeLife


DIAMOND BLADE OVERVIEW · 2020-02-04 · 2 Training Manual Because of the overwhelming popularity...

Documents

Transcript of DIAMOND BLADE OVERVIEW · 2020-02-04 · 2 Training Manual Because of the overwhelming popularity...