Band Saw Blade Tooth Stripping. Some questions to consider when band saw blades end up with stripped teeth early in its life span.
- What type of saw is used to cut materials?
- What types of materials are being cut?
- Are there too few teeth in the cut? Too many?
- Is the chip brush working?
- Are the lubricants and coolant being utilized?
- Are the gullets filling with material, causing bounce?
- What speed is being run for the particular production task being operated?
- Is it a quality blade that is being used?
- Is the saw blade’s weld straight? If no, Stop! Call your supplier right away.
- Is the correct feed rate set up according to specifications or is the blade over-penetrating the material?
- What about blade tension? Is or has it been properly tensed on the band? Is the saw blade slipping?
- Are the belts in good shape, or are they slipping under the load and causing over-penetration?
- Is the hydraulics pressure been accurately applied and monitored? Is the penetration still the way it is supposed to be based on the pressure?
All of the questions raised will result in the loss of teeth on a saw blade. The answers provided in either the affirmative or negative, depending on the question, to any or some or even all of these questions can and should help to understand why tooth breakage can and does occur.
The causes for tooth breakage are now known, so it is up to the band saw machine operator to decide if premature breakage is worth the trouble or replacement time and cost, and if there are issues in production that facilitate rather than eliminate the problem.
