The Benefits of Using Saw Blade Manufacturers

Are you still trying to find that blade that gives you fast and accurate cuts with outstanding blade life and surface finish?

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Then you’ll need the right tools for the job.

Introducing DoALL circular saw blades. Cermet and coated carbide circular saw blades are steel saw bodies with tungsten carbide or cermet brazed to them.  DoALL’s blades are the top choice of professionals in manufacturing and fabrication. Offering a wide variety of blades for every high production application, DoALL is the brand of blades you can always depend on.

In this article, we will introduce the 11 advantages of TCT saw blades.

Benefit #1- Wide Range of Sawing Applications

Circular saw blades consist of steel saw bodies with cermet and carbide-tipped teeth. The tips are then ground to match the application for which the blade is being used. Circular saws have a wide range of sawing applications such as: carbon steel, alloy steel, stainless steel, bearing steel, tool steel. DoALL’s current carbide-tipped saw blade lineup ranges from 285mm to 660mm in diameter with other sizes available per request.

Mainly for heavy production applications. Some of these applications include：

• Cutting sections
• Metal tubing, rails, and pipes

Heavy-duty jobs such as these are specific to：

• Solid metal bar industry
• Steel pipe industry
• The aluminum industry

If you happen to work in any of the fields above, then circular saw blades would help you. Of course, if you work with any of the materials listed above, circular saw blades could greatly benefit you and your customers.

Benefit #2- High cutting rates, low energy consumption, low material losses

Longer life and faster cutting are the main reasons why a shop would switch to circular blades. Carbide-tipped blades start off sharper and remain sharp much longer than steel alternatives because of their great wear and heat resistance. A sharper edge means less chipping and shattering with the higher feed rates. You won’t have to change your blade as often, saving you time and money over the long term.

Benefit #3- Less vibration, low noise level, extended blade life, superb surface finish

Circular saw blades generally create less vibration which will lower the noise level ultimately leading to a better surface finish of parts. 

Benefit #4- Increased productivity

If you are tired of wasting money on saw blades with short life spans, circular saw blades are well worth the investment. Generally, they stay sharper for a more extended period. Making that dreaded blade change happen less often allowing the saw to stay running and your operator to focus on more important tasks. 

Benefit #5- Superb surface finish for secondary applications

Due to the durability and toughness of the blade, the edges can remain sharp for a considerable time. Only a sharp edge is capable of making smooth and clean cuts. The fact that cermet/carbide tips will stay sharp for a significant time will enable you to cut various applications smoothly. The precision cut of a circular blade helps to avoid kerf tear-out for smoother and more precise cuts. You spend less time fixing errors and finishing the surfaces all while minimizing your material waste.

Benefit #6- Longer blade life = less downtime

Did you know that circular saw blades can last for thousands of cuts? Not only will you gain an advantage in cut times you also gain time from not changing a blade as often as your competitor. Let them change blades while your production jobs are going out the doors.

Benefit #7- Hardened blade for repeatable accuracy

Do you know what the primary benefit of using a circular saw blade over a band saw blade is? Saw experts say it’s the ability to have fast and repeatable accurate cuts with a great surface finish. These saw blades are tough and capable of pushing through the material effortlessly.

Benefit #8- Cermet or TCT tooth

The DoALL circular blades come in Tungsten Carbide or Cermet tooth tips. If you are cutting low to high carbon steels, we recommend using a Cermet tip. It is a high heat resistance blade because of its ceramic properties but is very brittle. If cutting non-ferrous, bearing, tool steels, or stainless we recommend using our tungsten carbide tips with a coating. Tungsten is tougher against impact still has a high heat resistance (less than Cermet) and who could forget a longer life expectancy.  

Benefit #9- Coatings available for longer life in TiAlN & TiN

DoALL saws offers coating available for longer blade life. It creates less resistance and friction when cutting into materials leading to less material loss and a smoother finish. 

Benefit #10- No burrs

Circular saws offer more cutting control than most blades, and you will need to change the blade based on the type and size of the material you are cutting. Additional advantages include:

• Minimal burr production
• Less discoloration
• No more flood coolant (less of a mess and smell)
• Mist oil allowing the blade to stay cool and lubricated

Benefit #11- Fits a wide variety of machines

No matter the manufacturer of your Circular/Cold saw DoALL has the blade for it.  Our blades fit most manufacturers' machines. 

Are you ready to get the right tool for the job?

Whether you work in a small or large metal warehouse, machine shop, or a forge. circular blades can significantly benefit you. They last longer, produce better finishes, and are more versatile than standard saw blades. With a large variety of sizes, choosing the proper circular blade for your project is well within sight.

Let DoALL help you figure out which blade is most suitable for you.

Manufacturers are always looking for ways to do things faster and more efficiently, with less tool use and downtime for tool replacement. The same is true for band saw operations.

There are many ways that fabricators can optimize the process, and one of those ways is by introducing coatings for band saw blades. Today’s saw blade coatings have advanced properties to meet the demands of high-speed, high-precision, and long-duration cuts in metal fabrication.

Some of the more popular coatings include titanium nitride (TiN), titanium carbonitride (TiCN), and diamond-like carbon (DLC).

TiN is highly resistant to corrosion and oxidation. It has a low coefficient of friction, which means that less heat is generated during cutting. These coatings offer a harder, more durable surface that increases blade life by reducing wear and edge rounding. TiN is best suited for cutting ferrous metals and non-ferrous alloys where burring must be kept to a minimum.

TiCN is both harder and more wear-resistant than TiN. It also has better heat resistance, making it best suited for higher-speed applications. TiCN-coated saw blades are effective on stainless steel and harder materials that would typically dull an uncoated blade quickly and in applications where abrasiveness is a concern.

DLC is both hard and slick, providing an extremely low-friction coefficient. These coatings offer similar properties to diamond, including high hardness and excellent resistance to abrasive wear. They are designed to excel in high-speed cutting operations and often are used for thin, heat-sensitive materials. The low friction reduces cutting forces and heat buildup, resulting in a cleaner, smoother edge.

Many saw blade manufacturers have developed and introduced proprietary coatings with additional benefits.

Regardless of the coating type, a coated blade offers significant advantages over non-coated counterparts.

Benefits of Advanced Coatings in Fabrication

Increased Blade Life. Most coatings are designed to enhance the hardness and durability of the blade. If used correctly, this will increase the blade life even in harsh cutting environments.

“Coatings protect the blade by reflecting the heat off the coating,” said Russell Chibe, territory manager, Midwest at Cosen Saws, Charlotte, N.C. “This is especially important because coatings often allow the operator to run higher speeds and heavier feeds, which tend to generate more heat, so the coating acts as a barrier for heat dissipation. Heat is a major destroyer of band saw blades.”

Coatings prevent the heat from penetrating too deep into the blade and creating wear, enhancing blade longevity.

Improved Performance. Coatings reduce friction, helping achieve smoother, cleaner cuts with fewer burrs or warping issues.

With low-friction characteristics, coatings help facilitate smoother chip flow during the cutting process. Efficient chip removal helps to prevent clogging and overheating, ensuring consistent cut performance.

“Coatings allow operators to cut faster and have a better experience in the cut,” said Stefan Dolipski, vice-president at Kasto Inc., Schaumburg, Ill. “By simply introducing a high-quality coated blade, fabricators can see anywhere from a 20 to 30 per cent increase in speeds and feed rate.”

Coatings often are used on heavy-duty machinery for the cutting of hard-to-chip materials. They can help shops hit performance goals and output levels without needing to add other machines to deal with the increased time it would take to cut with a non-coated blade.

Dolipski noted that it is important to remember that there will be an increase in heat generation when running higher speeds and feeds. Fabricators need to pay attention to the coolant flow and solution ratio to ensure they are suited for the application.

“The oil-to-water ratio will need to be adjusted along with coolant flow,” he said. “The machine needs to be set up properly to deal with that added heat.”

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High-quality coatings help ensure uniform properties across the blade, leading to consistent cutting performance. This consistency reduces variability in cutting outcomes, allowing for more predictable production cycles and improved overall quality control.

“Fabricators can expect better cut quality but also increased production out of the blade,” said Chibe.

Reduced Maintenance. Because the blade stays sharper for longer, coatings are responsible for reducing the frequency of blade changes and maintenance downtime.

The combination of reduced friction, increased hardness, and thermal stability significantly lowers tool wear rates. This leads to longer intervals between tool replacements, decreasing operational costs and maintenance efforts.

A blade that maintains its sharpness for longer also can operate at a higher efficiency.

Chibe noted that some saw blade manufacturers have started incorporating coatings on the back edge of the blade rather than just the tooth tips. This provides additional protection where the blade rubs against the backup guides, limiting the need to change out the blade or guides.

Cost Efficiency. Coated blades may have a higher initial cost, but the longevity and reduced wear properties can lead to lower overall costs, particularly in high-production settings.

Not all applications will require a coated blade, and the upfront cost may not be balanced by operational improvements.

However, saw blade manufacturers are introducing popular blade types with coatings to expand the application range while keeping the upfront costs at a minimum.

“For example, coated bimetal blades are becoming increasingly popular,” said Dolipski. “You get the advantage of a lower-cost blade with the bimetal option, but the coating turns it into somewhat of a super blade on a discounted cost basis.”

Tips for Choosing the Right Coating

Not all blades are created equal, and determining the best blade and coating combination for a given application can be challenging.

Talk to a Blade Manufacturer. Speaking to a saw blade manufacturer is a great place to start for those looking to integrate saw blade coatings.

“Take the saw blade manufacturer along through your process so that they can best determine what the machinery can handle and if it can take advantage of the benefits of a coated blade,” said Dolipski.

For example, if a shop is cutting standard-strength steel with a regular non-coated carbide blade, the saw should be running somewhere between 400 and 450 RPMs. With a coated blade, the saw should be able to reach up to 600 to 650 RPMs. If the saw can’t reach that fast of a speed, then the operator won’t be able to get the most out of the blade and its benefits.

A band saw blade manufacturer, in conjunction with a saw manufacturer, can help determine the best approach to the application and production needs.

Assess Material Type. The workpiece material will dictate the type of coating needed to enhance the blade performance.

“If you are cutting carbon steels or soft alloy steels, a coating may not be worth the investment,” said Chibe. “If you are cutting stainless steels, coatings can provide a significant reduction in cut time, making it a worthwhile investment. It really depends on the application.”

For example, structural steel can be very tough on band saw blades. A bimetal blade or a bigger set blade can help accommodate any deviations and cutting squeeze, where cuts are either imperfect or often interrupted. These are generally not applications where coatings make sense.

Chibe noted that it’s all about evaluating the cost per cut of a given application and how the addition of a coating will reduce that cost per part, while balancing that against the upfront cost.

"Blade manufacturers are able to dial down the coating to whatever applicable blade would be the best for the job at hand,” said Dolipski.

However, there are some applications where coatings offer significant benefits, including the cutting of high-strength steels, even in large series.

Also, as more superalloys enter the market, fabricators looking for better and faster ways to cut these tough materials could turn to coatings.

“There is a wide range of band saw blade coatings to keep up with the expanding material types being cut,” said Dolipski. “Some blade manufacturers offer specialty coating that they only use for certain applications, in conjunction usually with a special blade tooth type on the blade. It’s all important to have dialled in correctly.”

Evaluate Cutting Conditions. It is important for shops to look at cutting parameters like cutting speed, feed rate, and coolant availability. From there they can assess how a coating will apply and calculate what changes need to be made to adjust for better conditions.

The best place to start is with the saw itself, to ensure that it can handle the increased cutting parameters needed to get the most out of the blade.

“With a coated blade, because you're able to feed heavier and to run at a higher speed, you're going to start having issues with the drive of the saw,” said Chibe. “This is why it’s important to have a heavy-duty saw that can accommodate the process parameters.”

The machine needs to be very rigid and have a strong setup. It also needs to be able to pull the strength of the blade and cut straight without introducing any vibration into the blade and workpiece.

Without the proper technology in the machine, such as the feed rate and speed rate to match the material, fabricators cannot get the best performance out of the blade.

Coolant flow is another consideration. An increase in speeds and feeds means an increase in heat generation. Shops need to ensure that there is enough coolant flowing properly to dissipate the heat from the cut.

Prioritize Surface Finish Quality. If the surface finish is critical, coatings with low friction properties are best.

To create a high surface finish, a sharp edge is not always the best way of making a cut. It can put streaks into the workpiece.

Coatings can be used to apply a small radius in the corners of the tooth edge. This will provide better surface finish and reduce tooth breakage, leading to increased blade life.

Cost vs. Performance. While coated blades tend to have higher upfront costs, their longer lifespan and performance improvements can lead to overall cost savings.

“There is a misconception that using a coated blade will solve all your problems,” said Dolipski. “This is not the case. Everything else has to be right to make this work. If you think using a more expensive blade will lead to a better cut, you will probably be let down.”

Chibe noted that there are some applications where coated blades just don’t pay dividends. For example, if you are only gaining five seconds on a cut, is it worth the added cost of a coated blade? But, if it’s a large production run, that five seconds per part can make a difference.

For a long time, it was rare for a bimetal blade to be coated because it was a low-cost option. Advancements have led to the increasing popularity in coated bimetal blades, and at a reasonable price point.

A coated blade is a premium blade, and the price often reflects that. It is important to find out how the advantages of using a coated blade will offset the upfront costs to determine if it makes sense to invest in a premium product.

Senior Editor/Digital Editor Lindsay Luminoso can be reached at [ protected].

Cosen Saws, www.cosensaws.com

For more information, please visit Saw Blade Manufacturers(ar,pl,de).