We are talking ‘carbide’ and its amazing ability to cut extremely hard and abrasive materials. Did you know Starrett makes carbide tipped band saw blades? In this blog we delve into the Advanz range and discover its origin, strengths and capabilities.
Tungsten Carbide or simply “carbide” is three times harder than steel; and when placed on saw blades, cuts cleanly through steel.
Its most basic form is that of a fine grey dust. Tungsten carbide is one of the hardest compounds found naturally and used to produce a long wearing, heat and scratch resistant material when combined or cemented with other materials.
Our Advanz band saw blade range, with carbide tipped teeth, can cut through abrasive materials that other bi-metal blades cannot.
The original Advanz line goes back decades. Starting with the Advanz TS. This blade was designed to cut any number of materials from carbon steels through to tool steels.
Starrett’s ongoing Research and Development process collects data during every test and uses it to troubleshoot and determine any necessary adjustments to blades. If a blade is not cutting effectively, testing continues until the blade works as intended. The process to perfect a new product can take up to five years from drawing board to use by customers.
Trends are monitored across the metalworking industry very closely, if there are new materials or groups of materials, then the process of fine-tuning, testing, or redesigning starts. The blade produced five years ago, or even yesterday, is not the blade we have today—whether it is an upgrade or a product change, Starrett is ready with the most optimal solution.
Each member of the Advanz family has a specific focus. For example, the Advanz FS was designed for cutting gates and risers in foundry applications, while the Advanz CS with its negative tooth rake was designed specifically for very hard materials 50 HRC and up.
The most recent additions in the range, designed by Gene Ramsdell and Carlos Estrada from our global R&D team, are the Advanz MC5 and MC7. These blades are designed to cut the harder alloys. By utilising a multi-chip approach, the chip load can be spread amongst the teeth allowing for faster cutting and better.
Industries such as Aerospace and Oil demand that the materials used in their construction can stand up to rigorous use, loading conditions, and environmental conditions and its these engineered steels, stainless steels, carbon steels, nickel alloys, Inconel, Monel, Hastelloy that the Advanz range is designed for.
With exceptional resistance to fatigue, abrasion and shock our Advanz range blades are extremely wear resistant, making for a longer blade life. The carbide tipped technology allows for faster cutting rates, higher productivity, precise clean cuts with an excellent finish, all making for excellent cost benefits for production cutting.
