Posted on 16th January 2020
When regularly employing the use of industrial bandsaws within your cutting applications, it’s fairly common to experience issues with your machine’s performance every once in a while; attempting to identify the problem and what it is that needs to be done as to fix it can sometimes become the main issue that individuals can face. So, if you find that the teeth of your band saw blade are experiencing fractures on a more frequent basis and you are unsure as to why, how do you work to eliminate the problem from continuing? Within the article below, we will aim to discuss some of the most commonly seen issues to cause tooth fracturing during the use of bandsaw blades, how to fix these issues, and the possible initial causes of such problems; helping you to reduce the chances of experiencing the same issue repeatedly.
Fractures occurring on the teeth of your industrial bandsaw blade can occur for a multitude of reasons; these include:
- Loose material in the vice
- Incorrect speeds/feed rates
- Use of incorrect tooth pitch
- Saw guides not being properly adjusted
In the case that fractures to the bandsaw teeth are occurring as a result of loose material becoming lodged within the vices on your band saw machine, this is an issue that can easily be resolved through the adjustment of the vices. To avoid this problem from recurring in the future, it should be ensured that the vices on your bandsaw are checked on a regular basis as well as before every operation; this is due to the fact that adjustments may be required to when changing between different cutting materials, as well as if the sawing machine has gone unused for a longer period of time than normal.
Fractures as a result of incorrect tooth pitch can also be fairly easily resolved through checking the tooth selection of your bandsaw blade; the correct tooth per inch (tpi) selection can help to dramatically increase the life span of your blade. The general rule of thumb is to opt for around 3 – 6 teeth in the work piece when working on applications that involve wood and other soft materials such as plastic, and aim for 6-24 teeth in the work piece for cutting applications using much harder materials such as stainless steels, as well as cast iron. This is because harder materials will require more teeth to further share out the work being completed, while generally softer materials need a higher gullet capacity as to clear any larger chips that may be generated, resulting in a lesser number of teeth. Too few teeth used on an application can potentially straddle the work, breaking teeth as a result, whereas too many teeth can lead to a gullet overload, causing teeth to strip as well as fracture.
Issues occurring through the use of either a feed or speed that is too fast for your application can be easily solved through the reduction of the speed at which your bandsaw machine is operating, or the rate at which material is being fed through your machine. Refer to the cutting recommendations for your machine to avoid teeth fracturing as a result of an unnecessarily high speed in the future.
Fractures as a result of improper adjustment of saw guides are easily resolved through the alignment of such guides to their correct positions. To avoid this issue from happening in the future, it is important to ensure that saw guidelines are properly adjusted before beginning your cutting application, helping to maintain the quality of your bandsaw blade and refrain from any unnecessary damage that could result in premature blade replacement.
Overall, some of the most commonly seen issues in bandsaw blade quality and performance can be quite easily fixed by following the recommended procedures specific to your machinery, help to prevent the reoccurrence of problems such as tooth fracturing and ensuring that your bandsaw runs as smoothly as it can. To learn more about bandsaws or for more information, get in touch with our experienced suppliers and discover what Sawcraft can do to help you with your next industrial application.