The benefits are largely thanks to a pair of servomotor-driven ballscrews for steplessly adjusting the down-feed to optimise the management of blade chip load. The system is combined with the integration of KASTOrespond technology, which continuously monitors pressure on the blade so that down-feed force can be optimised, irrespective of whether solid material, tube or profile is being cut.
The saw-feed control, without the need for additional and often error-prone sensors, enables cutting parameters to be continuously adjusted, not only at blade entry and exit, but throughout the entire cut. By constantly detecting the changing engagement length when processing round stock, and sensing hard spots in any material, KASTOrespond converts the measured forces on the tool into digital signals for adapting the down-feed speed. Users need only to enter data such as cut lengths and number of pieces, together with the type of material to be sawn and its diameter, directly at the Kasto ProControl with colour touchscreen interface. Everything else is taken care of automatically.
There is an additional, environmental benefit of electrically actuated ballscrew feed, as only a much smaller, separate hydraulic unit is required for stock positioning and clamping, so there is a significant reduction in the amount of power needed to run these machines.
The second-generation KASTOtec machines will be presented for the first time in the UK at MACH 2020. Demonstrated under power will be an AC5 model, which is capable of cutting stock up to 530 mm in diameter, or bundle cutting up to 530 x 630 mm.
As with the earlier machine range, a steel and mineral cast base frame delivers efficient damping and quiet running, even when cutting materials such as titanium, Hastelloy or Inconel, says Kasto Vibration - the main source of sawing inaccuracy and machine wear - is lowered further by spring-loaded tensioner guides inside the top of the saw head guarding that provide the blade with extra support.
Newly introduced is a frequency-controlled bandsaw blade drive through a bevel spur gear that exploits the advantages of both gear types, delivering 15 kW of power and infinitely adjustable cutting speeds from 30 to 300 m/min. Pre-tensioned linear guides, each with two grease-lubricated carriages, also help to extend the working life of the machine.
Kasto has even gone to the trouble of including a system for automatically optimising the position of a pair of cleaning brushes relative to the band so that chips are always removed optimally from the saw teeth, preventing re-cutting and consequent tool wear and damage.
Also new at MACH will be the KASTOmicut range of pivot-bow, metal-cutting bandsaws, which has been extended upwards and downwards from the three pre-existing, automatic and manually operated 2.6 models that were launched at MACH 2018. The newly developed KASTOmicut U 4.6, which will be exhibited at MACH 2020 for the first time in the UK, can saw flats up to 520 mm wide at 90°, and mitres from -45 to +60°. Material clamping is effected by a horizontally acting, hydraulic vice. Band speed range is wide, from 12 to 150 m/min.
A heavy, torsionally rigid, welded saw frame provides stable support for the blade and allows high band tension, ensuring a good quality cut, even with hard-to-machine materials, says the company. Various accessories are available, including a rotary table to support the material.
Included in the range of larger machines is KASTOmicut E 4.6, which has the capacity to cut 335 mm diameter round and 460 x 335 mm flat material. This machine is designed for single-sided mitring at any angle from 0 to +60°.
For users who mainly saw smaller workpieces up to 180 mm diameter, Kasto has introduced the compact KASTOmicut P1.8, which is capable of mitring between 0 and +45°. Down-feed rate is determined by manually guiding the saw frame, while the blade is driven by a 1.5 kW three-phase motor, ensuring high-quality cutting.
Depending on the model, the shortest cutting length is between 6 and 10 mm. With a remnant length of 15 to 30 mm, users can make maximum use of the material being sawn. According to the company, an efficient worm gear drive provides top performance, and the advanced design ensures a constant cutting force for efficient processing of different materials.
As many the parts used in the various bandsaw models are identical, Kasto says it is able to offer them at attractive prices. An extensive variety of accessories is available to extend the application of all the saws.
