Vertical Band Saws: Used to cut shapes in metal
material such as circles, curves and angles.
These machines cut through metal using a thin band-type vertical
blade. Typically, the material is
manually fed through the blade, although larger automatic models allow you to
push the blade into the material.
Vertical band saws are sized by the depth and height of the material
they can cut, also referred to as the “throat depth” and “work height”. Blade speed varies with the material type
you are cutting and is measured in feet per minute (FPM). Vertical band saws are very common in both
metal and woodworking shops.
Horizontal Band Saws: Used to cut off a piece of
metal material, generally at a 90-degree angle with a metal band-type
blade. These saws may also have mitre
capability to cut a beveled angle edge.
When operating a fully automatic horizontal band saw, the material is fed
into the saw and the saw arm automatically advances into the material. This cycle
automatically repeats until material is no longer being fed into the
machine. Fully automatic band saws are
very often used in high-volume production type operations that need to keep up
with material demands. During operation
of a semi-automatic model, only the saw head will move up and down and the
material must be manually advanced into the next cutting position. Manually operated horizontal band saws are
the most basic form of saws, where the saw frame is lowered down onto the
material and then must be manually lifted to advance the next piece of material
to be cut under the blade.
Cold Saws: These circular saws use a round metal
blade to cut through the material, leaving a smooth and burr-free edge,
generally with a precise 90-degree angle. Cold saws are typically rated for either ferrous or non-ferrous
material, but can cut both after adjusting blade speed; Very slow blade speeds
are used for cutting ferrous material and fast blade speeds are used for
cutting non-ferrous material. Cold saws
are available in automatic, semi-automatic and manual versions. Abrasive circular saws are also available,
using a grinding wheel type of abrasive blade instead of a metal blade. Abrasive circular saws are used to cut
through particularly hardened specialty materials.
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