Wafering Blade Case Studies

A small rod of 100 steel: 6 chromium 15mm in diameter by 35mm in length was obtained for cutting tests. Three cuts were made to evaluate cutting time, surface finish, and accuracy of the cut (parallelism) using different diamond wheels. The surface of the part following cutting was inspected using an inverted optical microscope at low magnification to qualitatively compare surface roughness. The width of the sample following cutting (the thickness) was measured to determine if any significant variation was observed in the specimens. Finally, a comparison of cutting times was made to compare the wheel cutting efficiency as well. The sample rod material was cut using similar conditions for each diamond wheel.

The sample was mounted onto the Model 650 Low Speed Diamond Wheel Saw using a Model 65006 Vise sample holder. A water-soluble coolant was used to prevent excess heating during the cutting process, and was replenished after each cut. Cutting load was applied to the specimen directly onto the arm mechanism, and the counter-balancing weight was used to prevent wheel binding during the cutting process. A total cutting load of approximately 600 grams was used with the diamond wheel saw during each cut, and dressing of the blade was done periodically every hour during the cutting process.