The KASTOwin tube A 5.0’s blade cuts from the bottom upwards, unlike on other bandsaws where the reverse is the case. The novel action, for which patent applications have been made, reduces wear on the blade and avoids the damage to its teeth that often occurs when a blade travels downwards into swarf that has accumulated inside the bottom of a tube. Until now, this problem made it virtually impossible to use a high efficiency, tungsten carbide tipped (TCT) blade for sawing tube, as the delicate teeth were invariably damaged. A bimetal blade was the only option. This is a thing of the past with the KASTOwin tube A 5.0, on which TCT blades may be used without fear of premature wear, resulting in greatly increased productivity. The automatic saw has a feed mechanism rotated through 180 ° so that the cutting action starts at the surface supporting the stock. Round tube up to 530 mm in diameter can be processed, and shortest cut length is 10 mm. The frequency-controlled drive can be adjusted steplessly to deliver a cutting speed between 12 and 150 m/minute. The SmartControl incorporates a new KASTOrespond feature that continuously records the force on the tool, without the need for additional sensor systems that are often fault-prone. An intelligent algorithm continually varies the feed rate so that the force on the blade is maintained at a constant, optimised value. The feature was developed for the KASTOwin tube A 5.0 but is applicable to cutting all types of stock. The tube saw is the sixth model to be introduced to the KASTOwin range of bandsaws, and was originally launched at the manufacturer’s German factory in May 2014. As a result, the KASTOwin missed the opportunity to be exhibited at the last MACH show by a matter of weeks.
The original five fully-automated bandsaws have maximum cutting capacities from 330 to 1,060 mm and are suitable for processing a variety of materials, especially steels, in stockholding and manufacturing. At MACH, a KASTOwin 3.3 with a maximum cutting capacity of 330 mm diameter or 330 by 350 mm will be demonstrated equipped with a hydraulic layer clamping device. All of the various sizes of saw are similarly constructed and the components used are largely identical. Moreover, 25% fewer parts are used in each machine compared with their predecessors, so Kasto is able to offer the saws at considerably lower prices than comparable products. Nevertheless, quality remains high. For all machine sizes, the saw band is hydraulically tightened and looped around hydraulic band guides, which now have interchangeable carbide inserts. The latter save 80% of the previous cost of replacing an entire carbide guide. To reduce idle times, an innovative feature called KASTOsense eliminates the need for a 5 mm stand-off from the material surface, which can waste a lot of time when the saw is programmed to cut tough materials at slower rates. Instead, the saw blade descends straight into the material and stops within microseconds to continue the cut at the programmed infeed rate, without damaging the teeth. For simple, intuitive operation, KASTOwin saws are equipped with the innovative touch-screen SmartControl unit that monitors and controls all relevant order requirements and sawing parameters using an in-built material library. At the end of last year, a variant of the largest model in the range was introduced. Called KASTOwin F 10.6, it has a moveable, 2,600 mm long support table that allows heavy, bulky stock such as ingots, large tools or forged eccentric shafts to be fed into position easily and reliably, ready for sawing.
The established range of KASTOtec bandsaws will be represented on the MACH stand by model AC4 KPC with 430 mm cutting capacity. It is designed for operating with tungsten carbide tipped blades, which increases productivity three- to four-fold compared with using standard bimetal blades. KASTOtec AC-series machines feature a steel/mineral cast composite construction that is six to eight times more vibration-absorbing than cast iron. High precision cuts are a result of having blade guides as close as possible to the stock on both sides and maintenance-free linear guides for the hydraulic infeed. Together with feedback of cutting force, blade speed and position, they provide consistent feed per tooth, irrespective of the ambient temperature. The machine at MACH will feature the optional, factory-fitted Kasto Performance Cutting package, designed to raise band speed even further by vibration management. Benefits include increased production output and hence lower cost per cut, reduced noise levels, better accuracy, improved surface finish of the cut face and longer blade life.
Another machine on the MACH stand is the KASTOfunctional pivot-type bandsawing machine with hydraulic infeed is available in manual, semi-automatic and fully-automatic versions, with suffixes M, U and A respectively. The semi-automatic model will be on the stand at MACH. It is of solid construction with a robust, torsion-free welded base for rigorous use in workshops, capable of cutting material up to 260 mm round / square. Mitre-cutting to the left at up to 45 ° and to the right at up to 60 ° can be performed on tube, section and solid material. The mitre angle can be adjusted without having to alter the material position to achieve the correct cut length. A precise ballscrew drive ensures exact positioning of the stock prior to cutting. The hydraulically actuated, horizontal clamping vice ensures accurate sawing to length without slippage and also allows short rest pieces, minimising material wastage. Cutting speed is infinitely adjustable from 20 to 110 m/min to suit any type of metal, even tough varieties. The BasicControl with swivelling operator’s panel ensures optimum machine operation via function keys. Up to 98 programs can be preselected.
Finally, KASTOradial is a family of cold circular saws including four manual, pull-down versions designated M4, M6, M7 and M10 and two semi-automatic models, U7 and U10. With two cutting speeds for universal use in workshops, the KASTOradial M6, which will be on show, is capable of straight cutting and mitre cutting on both sides within 45 degrees. A double vice with quick clamping lever provides security for holding bar stock. A 315 mm diameter HSS saw blade, length measuring stop and re-circulating coolant system are standard equipment.
