Despite the significant current economic and social challenges, recent findings by the Global Circular Saw Blades Market Research Report showed an optimistic forecast for the coming years. The global circular saw blades market is expected to reach approximately $12 billion by the end of 2026 (Global Circular Saw Blades Market Research Report, 2020). To be able to meet the complex needs of the market, continuous material and technology advancements are essential.
Cermet-tipped Saws
Challenging material
One of the composite materials that in recent decades has gained enormous acceptance among cutting tools is cermet. Depending on the composition of the cermet, the material properties and consequently, the areas of application of the materials differ significantly. One of the latest developments in circular saw blades is the equipping of the cutting elements with cermet with high ceramic content. Such saw blades have superior material properties such as increased wear resistance of the cutting edge, high thermal shock resistance as well as oxidation resistance. However, the combination of metallic and ceramic properties of the hybrid material poses a significant challenge to saw blade manufacturers in the processing of cermet and requires advanced abrasive tooling technology.
Meister Abrasives’ Ceramet-Diamond Hybrid Bond
High grinding technology expertise
Edge chipping is considered to be the greatest challenge when grinding cermet teeth on a circular saw blade. Due to its brittle-hard material properties, during processing the cermet teeth tend to crack easily in the contact zone between the grinding tool and the teeth. The resulting chipping at the cutting edges leads to reduced product quality and reduced life of the finished product.
Meister Abrasives has mastered the hybrid properties of cermet to provide manufacturers with an efficient solution for their circular saw blades – Ceramet-Diamond Hybrid Technology. The Ceramet Hybrid tools developed by the Swiss company consist of the highest-strength diamond grains in a ceramic-metal bond. The brand’s expertise and experience allow for the precise matching of the cutting grain, bond and structure of the grinding tool to achieve economical process control without cracking the workpiece.
During the grinding process, both flanks of the circular saw blades are ground simultaneously. Grinding technology tests show that with an average stock removal of 0.12-0.15 mm, a Ceramet grinding tool from Meister Abrasives can grind more than 250,000 cermet teeth, or approximately 5,000-6,000 circular saws. As a result, users get precise cutting edges without chipping. Another advantage of the wheels with Ceramet Technology is their self-sharpening effect with low tool wear, so there is no need to intervene in the grinding process at any time. In other words, process stability is assured.
The innovative Ceramet-Diamond Hybrid Technology also has a positive effect on cycle time: compared to alternative diamond grinding wheels, the open structure enables higher feed rates and reduced cycle time by 25 percent. Consequently, by employing Ceramet grinding wheels from Meister Abrasives, manufacturers increase their process efficiency and reduce both product scrap and production costs.
Other application areas
In addition to cermet applications, the Ceramet-Diamond Hybrid Technology from Meister Abrasives is also used in various other special applications where long tool life, low wear and high precision are required. These include coated brake discs, ceramic hip joints, or various components made of silicon carbide (SiC) and Sapphire. The quality, precision and cutting-edge technology inherent to all Meister Abrasives’ solutions make them the ideal tool to fulfill the requirements of future technologies.