improves productivity. SineWave especially reduces cut times in tough sawing applications. Compare two methods of parting a large billet of an exotic
alloy used for sub-sea drilling components—sawing vs. abra- sive cutoff. Abrasive cutting requires a large abrasive cut-off wheel to cut the material. For a 30" (764-mm) billet, a cut-off abrasive wheel exceeding 60" (1500-mm) in diameter must be used. Further, the wheel oſten exceeds ¼" (6-mm) thick- ness, thus the width of the cut path being “ground” through the billet wastes a significant amount of material and requires a tremendous amount of horsepower. Te machines that are used to perform this oſten have motors rated at hundreds of horsepower. On the other hand, a state-of-the-art bandsaw machine with a properly engineered blade uses only 30 hp (22.4 kW) or less. Te abrasive cut path also creates a swarf of mixed grind-
ing particulates, with the micro-sized chips being ground out. Tis is a mixed slurry of materials that are required to go through an expensive energy-consuming process of separation in order to dispose of or recycle them. Te alternate method is to dispose of the swarf as an expensive hazardous material. By comparison, bandsawing creates uncontaminated chips of the material being cut, eliminating any separation operations and allowing the material to be directly recycled.
Material/Performance Examples
Here are three test cases in which both SineWave and conventional blade systems were used to cut a variety of materials: • In a 10" (254-mm) round of stainless, a bimetal pro- duction blade can average a cut time of 23 minutes. If this blade was SineWave enhanced, the cut time would plunge to 11 minutes. The result is 52% faster cutting without sacrificing blade life.
• With the appropriate equipment, a conventional triple-chip carbide tipped blade making this same cut could average 15 minutes. If this blade was SineWave enhanced, the cut time would drop to 7 minutes. That’s 53% faster with a similar blade life.
• In a 10" round of Inconel, a conventional triple-chip carbide tipped blade can average a cut time of 70 minutes. If this blade was SineWave enhanced, the cut time would fall to 45 minutes, producing a 36% faster cutting without sacrificing blade life.
• On a 10" round of Hastelloy, a conventional triple- chip carbide tipped blade could average a cut time of 63 minutes. If this blade was SineWave enhanced, the cut time would be 40 minutes, producing a 37% faster cutting rate and extended blade life due to less machine pressure and fewer teeth in the work.
tion, which poses a challenge to the environment and in- creases the coolant-replacement cost. Bandsawing tempera- tures are only a fraction of abrasive cutting temperatures, so evaporation issues caused by the cutting operation are virtually non-existent.
Less Time, Less Waste, Less Energy Consumed SineWave’s proprietary design offers several advantages
SineWave produces a noticeably smooth finish on exotic materials.
Cutting by abrasive methods also creates heat transfer into
the billet. Tis generates a heat-affected zone on both surfaces of the cut, which also produces a poor surface finish, requiring an extra facing operation that consumes additional time, re- sources and energy. On the other hand, bandsawing creates a “cool” cutting path. Te heat is primarily carried out and away from the cut by the chips. For this reason, there is no addi- tional refacing required, ensuring that the remaining material has not been altered. In some cases, additional face finishing operations have been eliminated entirely. Due to the high heat created in abrasive cutting, the fluids used for cooling and lubricity are subject to evapora-
that greatly reduce the risk of costly errors such as crooked cuts, pinching, poor finish and machine wear. SineWave also reduces cut times and lengthens blade life versus traditional bandsawing, leading to substantial savings and labor costs. A review of the benefits include: • Up to 75% less material waste • Decreased energy consumption • Improved surface finish and cut accuracy, reducing the need for downstream operations and face refinishing
• Reduced heat creation within the cut, thus eliminating the creation of waste for cleanup caused by a heat- affected zone
• Cut chips can be immediately recycled without mixing abrasive particles
• Reduced heat creation in the cutting process decreases fluid usage.
Energy Manufacturing 2013 83
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