SAWING & STEELWORKING APPLICATION-SPECIFIC SOLUTIONS
efficient cutting of larger structural
shapes such as I-beams, angle and thick
wall tubing, says Bison Machinery. The
Beam-Master blade uses bi-alfa cobalt
and is produced with a HSS M42 cutting
edge. Here, the tooth profile delivers
aggressive cutting performance, while
resisting tooth stripping and blade
damage, thanks to its larger kerf.
Moving to aluminium, this lightweight
material presents more issues than
many might think, when it comes to sawing
operations. According to Prosaw (https://
is.gd/awujoz), aluminium can dull the saw
blade, which is why the company says that a
circular saw with a carbide blade reaps the
best and quickest results, and produces a
good surface finish.
Depending on the profile and size of the
raw aluminium material, Prosaw can offer
various circular sawing machines for the job,
including up-stroking saws such as the
Yilmaz SK450 or Bomar AL range. Automatic
extrusion saws from Metlsaw, which can
hold tolerances of ±0.075 mm, the TAC 75
circular saw from ExactCut, or the Ileri
Teknik LCS 350 are further circular saw
options for cutting aluminium.
Prosaw reports, however, that bandsaws
are also being used increasingly for cutting
aluminium, due to their variable blade speed
and ramp feed. A blade can enter the
workpiece at a lower speed, work up to high
The V360M-CTS2 large vertical bandsaw
developed for machining graphite by
HE&M Saw, which is represented in the
UK by Kaltenbach
speed, then return to low level speed when
exiting the material. Furthermore, like some
circular saws, bandsaws can cut bundles of
aluminium. Danobat HDS saws for horizontal
cutting and Danobat VP series saws for
vertical cutting, as well as the Karmetal ODG
PLC and Bomar Production series, are
among Prosaw’s recommendations.
So, what of a slightly more unusual
engineering material, such as graphite?
Well, the challenges here are not actually
concerned with the actual sawing process,
but rather the specific material qualities of
graphite itself. Under a great deal of
pressure and heat, this material converts to
diamond, a far tougher material. In its pure
form, however, graphite is relatively soft,
and highly conductive of heat and electricity,
which is why it is commonly used in
products such as electrodes, batteries,
solar panels and other industrial items.
At HE&M Saw, which is represented in
the UK by Kaltenbach (https://is.gd/gifaka),
a customer recently enquired about a
bandsaw that could cut graphite, prompting
the company to design and build a large
vertical bandsaw that minimised the risks
involved with cutting this material.
Graphite offers unique challenges for
saw designers, because the dust resulting
from the soft material is quite fine. When
airborne, it can settle around electrical
components and connections, prompting the
potential for electrical shorts, due to the
material’s high conductivity. The result is
likely to be component failure, or perhaps
even a fire. Graphite is non-flammable in
bulk form, but combustible, and even
explosive, with the proper mixtures of
graphite dust and air.
Determined to overcome these issues,
the HE&M engineering team set about
designing a solution for its customer, the
V360M-CTS2 vertical bandsaw. This
customised solution has safety features that
minimise the risks of electrical shorts by
incorporating a dust-proof and ATEX-rated
motor. Additionally, all electrical parts have
been specified with sealed housings to
minimise the amount of exposure to graphite
particles. ■
Sawing industry & product news in brief
■ Behringer (https://is.gd/unavem) recently celebrated its 100th
anniversary. A century ago, the business started when August
Behringer founded a small locksmith and mechanical workshop in
the village of Kirchardt, near Stuttgart, Germany. Production of the
first sawing products, metal hacksaws, began in 1952, with the
necessary cast iron made at its own iron foundry. Since that time,
Behringer sawing technology and the use of vibration-dampening
cast iron components have been closely linked. The first bandsaw
arrived in the 1970s, with a focus on robust, column-guided
designs that prevails to this day. Behringer’s portfolio has since
been bolstered by the addition of mitre saws and vertical
bandsaws, while the integration of circular saw specialist, Eisele,
in 2000, made it one of the few complete suppliers in the sawing
technology market.
■ Harrison Saw (https://is.gd/yuhosu) is introducing the Pegas
Thor 5, a premium range double-column bandsaw for the cutting of
carbide and exotic materials at a noticeably reduced noise level.
The saw is of robust construction, optimised to achieve maximum
rigidity and minimum vibration. A Siemens Simatic S7-1200 PLC
with colour touchscreen display is used to control the band blade,
arm movement and feeder motion. The bandsaw can run in
automatic or semi-automatic mode.
■ The bandsawing of titanium by Accurate Cutting Services
(https://is.gd/gizilo) on site at the Accrington facility of RLC
Callender is enabling the company’s fan blade machining cell to
produce parts for use in Rolls-Royce and Pratt & Witney ‘hollow fan
blade’ aero engines. By working on-site, Accurate Cutting Services
is able to create short communication lines with its customer,
achieving quick turnarounds and maximum flexibility. These
economic advantages are combined with the benefits of technical
expertise acquired over four decades of providing a subcontract
sawing service.
58 www.machinery.co.uk @MachineryTweets March 2020
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