Solutions to Sawing Problems Through Band Evaluation

The wear on teeth is smooth across the tips and the corners of set teeth have become rounded.

• Improper break‑in procedure.
• xcessive band speed for the type of material being cut. This generates a high tooth tip temperature resulting in accelerated tooth wear.
• Low feed rate causes teeth to rub instead of penetrate. This is most common on work hardenable materials such as stainless and tool steels.
• Hard materials being cut such as "Flame Cut Edge" or abrasive materials being cut such as "Fiber Reinforced Composites."
• Insufficient cutting fluid due to inadequate supply, improper ratio, and / or improper application

The side of teeth on both sides of band have heavy wear markings.

• Broken, worn or missing back‑up guides allowing teeth to contact side guides
• Improper side guides for band width.
• Backing the band out of an incomplete cut.

Only one side of the teeth has heavy wear markings.

• Worn wheel flange, allowing side of teeth to contact wheel surface or improper tracking on flange-less wheel.
• Loose or improperly positioned side guides.
• Blade not perpendicular to cut.
• Blade rubbing against cut surface on return stroke of machine head.
• The teeth rubbing against a part of machine such as chip brush assembly, guards, etc.

A scattered type of tooth breakage on tips and corners of the teeth.

• Improper break‑in procedure.
• Improper blade selection for application.
• Handling damage due to improper opening of folded band.
• Improper positioning or clamping of material. (Bars that have spun)
• Excessive feeding rate or feed pressure.
• Hitting hard spots or hard scale in material.

The tooth tips show a discolored surface from generating an excessive amount of frictional heat during use.

• Insufficient cutting fluid due to inadequate supply, improper ratio and/or improper application.
• Excessive band speed.
• Improper feeding rate.
• Band installed backwards.

Section or sections of teeth which broke from the band backing.

• Improper or lack of break‑in procedure.
• Worn, missing or improperly positioned chip brush.
• Excessive feeding rate or feed pressure.
• Movement or vibration of material being cut.
• Improper tooth pitch for cross sectional size of material being cut.
• Improper positioning of material being cut.
• Insufficient cutting fluid due to inadequate supply, improper ratio and/or improper application.
• Hard spots in material being cut.
• Band speed too slow for grade of material being cut.

High temperature or pressure generated during the cut bonding the chips to the tip and face of teeth.

• Insufficient cutting fluid due to inadequate supply, improper ratio and/or improper application.
• Worn, missing or improperly positioned chip brush.
• Improper band speed.
• Improper feeding rate.

High temperature or pressure generated during the cut bonding the chips to the tip and face of teeth.

• Too fine of a tooth pitch ‑ insufficient gullet capacity.
• Excessive feeding rate producing too large of a chip.
• Worn, missing or improperly positioned chip brush.
• Insufficient cutting fluid due to inadequate supply, improper ratio and/or improper application.

Both sides of band have heavy wear patterns.

• Chipped or broken side guides.
• Side guide adjustment may be too tight.
• Insufficient cutting fluid due to inadequate supply, improper ratio and/or improper application.

Wear patterns are near gullet area on one side and near back edge on opposite side.

• Loose side guides
• Chipped, worn or defective side guides
• Band is rubbing on part of the machine
• Guide arms spread to maximum capacity
• Accumulation of chips in side guides

To determine if the band broke at the weld, inspect the sides at the fracture to see if there are grind markings from the weld finishing process.

• Any of the factors that cause body breaks can also cause butt weld breaks.
• (See Observations 11, 12 and 13).

"Short" on the tooth edge is a term used to describe the straightness of the band. The teeth are on the inside of the arc when the strip is Iying on a flat surface.

• Side guides are too tight - rubbing near back edge
• Worn band wheels causing uneven tension
• Guide arms spread too far apart
• Excessive feeding rate

The band does not retain its normal shape while holding the sides of loop together. This indicates the flatness has been altered during use.

• Excessive band tension
• Any of the conditions which cause the band to be long (#16) or short (#17) on tooth edge
• Cutting a tight radius

When a broken band Lying on a flat surface displays a twist from one end to the other, this indicates the band flatness has been altered during use.

• Excessive band tension.
• Any of the conditions which cause the band to be long (#16) or short (#17) on tooth edge.
• Cutting a tight radius.

Heavy wear in only the smallest gullets is an indication that there is a lack of gullet capacity for the chips being produced.

• Improper break‑in procedure
• Excessive band speed for the type of material being cut. This generates a high tooth tip temperature resulting in accelerated tooth wear
• Low feed rate causes teeth to rub instead of penetrate. This is most common on work hardenable materials such as stainless and tool steels
• Insufficient cutting fluid due to inadequate supply, improper ratio, and / or improper application
• Improper blade selection for application
• Excessive feeding rate or feed pressure
• Worn, missing or improperly positioned chip brush
• Improper band tension