Diamond is one of the hardest materials known to man. Due to its high abrasion and tough nature, it is ideal for cutting applications. Diamond cutting tools find many applications in various industries. In construction, diamond saw blades are an excellent example of a diamond as a cutting tool.
Let’s talk about how diamond tool accessories work, using a diamond saw blade for example.
A wall saw blade consists of 2 parts, the steel core, and the segment or cutting part. For this article, we will focus on the segment where all the diamonds are.
The segment: the cutting part
The SEGMENT is composed of two elements: the diamond and the metallic links.
Has. Diamond crystals – Diamonds used on tools are synthetic because their shape, size, and strength can be controlled throughout the manufacturing process. This allows for accurate prediction of cutting speed, blade life, and consistent repeatability. The most important factors to consider about diamonds are:
• Quantity of diamonds in the segment
• quality of diamonds in the segment
• Cut diamonds in the segment
Amount of diamonds
when more diamonds are added to the segment, more power is needed to make the cut, so blades designed for high-power saws will have more diamonds in the segment.
Quality of diamonds
the quality of diamonds determines the ability to withstand heat and maintain a sharp edge. Better diamonds can hold a sharp point longer at higher temperatures.
Diamond cutting
in practice, finer diamonds are used for extremely hard materials like chert or quartz while larger diamonds are used for soft materials like asphalt and red brick.
Link system
Bond is a mixture of metal powders used in various combinations to achieve specific wear rates. A properly formulated binder holds the diamond in place just long enough to get maximum use from the diamond tips before releasing the stone and exposing the next layer of diamond. Hard bonds are mostly made of hard metals like tungsten carbide.
How do diamond blades work?
Diamond blades don’t cut, they grind. The exposed diamond crystals do the grinding while the binder holds the diamonds in place.
After several thousand passes through the material being cut, the exposed diamonds begin to crack and fracture. The matrix containing the diamonds also begins to wear.
As the diamonds wear and break, the controlled erosion of the metal bond containing the diamonds exposes new sharp diamond points. This cycle of erosion and exposure continues until all diamond and binder segments are gone.
Here are some examples of diamond cutting tools and accessories:
Diamond saw blades
these are used in portable grinders, high-speed gas saws, bridge saws, tile saws, etc.
(polycrystalline diamond) cutting tools – these are mainly used for machining non-metallic and non-ferrous materials and are widely used in the automotive and aerospace industries.
Diamond cup wheels
are used on hand grinders to grind concrete or stone.
Diamond wire saws
these saws use wires embedded with diamond crystals for more industrial cutting purposes.
Diamond chainsaws
are used to cut stones, bricks, and concrete
Types of diamond blades:
Continuous edge saw blades provide smooth cuts on floor and wall tiles, marble, slate, granite tops, etc. – note that a special blade must be used for hard porcelain. wall saw blade These blades can be used for wet or dry cutting, but wet cutting is recommended and will extend the life of the blade.
Segmented edge saw blades are intended for high production cutting of hardened concrete, stone, masonry, brick, and block. They can be used for wet or dry cutting, but wet cutting is recommended and will prolong the life of the blade.
