Sawing Machines

Sawing Machines

Sawing Machines

KASTO is a world leader in the manufacture of sawing machines and the only company still producing hacksaws in addition to bandsaws and circular saws. Whether to choose a manual, semi-automatic or fully automatic bandsaw or circular saw for a particular applications is a question often asked by customers, and here we attempt to explain the strengths and weaknesses of each.

Profitability of both cutting methods

When a decision to purchase a new saw needs is made, very often the customer looks only at the cost of the machine. However, they should ensure that all desired options like frequency-controlled drive, minimum amount of lubrication, material feed etc form part of the comparison. A machine, especially a saw, has on-costs that follow the purchase, including the saw blade and, to a lesser extent, the lubricants.

A rule of thumb is that a circular saw and a bandsaw in the same performance range cost an equivalent amount, approximately 8,000 Euro. Machines with automatic material feed and a PLC, depending on design, cost almost double. However, the extra expense can be justified by higher productivity and lower labour costs.

Another factor is the cost of blades. An HSS bandsaw blade costs between 30 and 50 Euro depending on length, and a circular saw blade costs between 80 and 150 Euro depending on diameter and number of teeth. However, if one considers the blade cost for the lifetime of the machine, one comes to the surprising result that the pure machine investment is only about 20% of the total, with the blades accounting for more than 70%. The remainder is consumables. These are only approximate values, which need to be checked for each individual machine and depend on operating conditions.

Carbide cutting

If tungsten carbide tipped (TCT) circular saw blades or bandsaw blades are used instead of HSS blades, a significant increase in productivity can result for the right applications due to the ability to use higher feeds and speeds. However, the extra cost of such blades must be taken into account. In some instances, the lower cost per cut can amortise investment in a robust, carbide-cutting machine in less than a year.

Another advantage of using such highly productive sawing machines is that it may not be necessary to buy so many machines to maintain a required production rate, thus saving both capital expenditure and factory space. Making a like-for-like comparison of two saw users, one with old technology and the other with the latest carbide equipment, the latter will be in a position to provide a faster service to its customers, increase competitiveness and win more business as a result.

Recommendation: avoid low-cost machines

This is very important. The cheapest offer is invariably the least cost-effective, for many different reasons. A lower cost machine can be more susceptible to wear and tear due to less sturdy construction. Since all saws have wear parts and therefore require spares, it is recommended that the purchaser evaluates the cost and availability of the machine supplier's spares. A cheap machine that is not working is of no use to anybody!