Kasto performance cutting and Cermet-coated blades impress Staniforth-HKB

The company has taken delivery of a Kasto Performance Cutting (KPC) derivative of the German manufacturer's TEC A5 bandsaw and says it cuts hard materials in a third of the time it used to take on a large TEC A7 bandsaw installed in 2005. In designing its high performance bandsaw Kasto reviewed all aspects of the process, including blade selection, guidance and monitoring, machine construction, coolant delivery, feeds, speeds and control system. At Staniforth-HKB 410 mm diameter 817M40 high tensile steel in its annealed state is cut into 31 mm thick slices to form blanks from which circular blades are subsequently produced for food processing. With a cermet-coated, tungsten carbide tipped (TCT) blade on the TEC A5 with KPC switched on, the material can be cut in 9 minutes – 3 minutes faster than when using an uncoated TCT blade with KPC switched off. The same job using a bimetal blade on the TEC A7 took between 25 and 30 minutes to complete each cut, depending on the condition of the teeth – around three times' longer than on the TEC A5 KPC. Image: The Kasto bandsaw cuts much faster Mr Dainty says: "We took a similar grade material to various potential bandsawing suppliers. The feeds and speeds on the Kasto impressed us most, together with the quality of cut. KPC processing combined with cermet-coated bandsaw blades proved to be the ideal combination. Cermet-coated TCT blades are typically £350 each and cut 14 to 17 m2 of steel bar, depending on the grade. Corresponding figures for uncoated TCT blades are £280 and 10 to 12 m2, while for bimetal HSS they are £120 and 8 m2. Average cost for sawing 1 m2 is therefore £23, £25 and £15 respectively for coated TCT, uncoated TCT and bimetal HSS blades. However, the labour cost associated with changing the blades is considerably lower with TCT, especially the coated type, as the 15-minute exercise takes place less frequently. Most importantly, the dramatic increase in cutting speeds leads to much higher levels of productivity. Image: Cutting bundles on the KastoTEC A5 The latest Kasto EC control with touchscreen on the TEC A5 contains optimised cutting data for a library of materials, cross sections and blade combinations, which are called up at the start of each job. Cut length and number of pieces are entered and the cycle then runs automatically. Band speed and infeed rate can be adjusted to optimise the process, as required, and the revised data stored. The control automatically slows band speed and infeed during entry and exit, when cutting circular bar, to prevent undue blade wear. Mr Dainty plans to link the TEC A5 control directly with a PC in his office so that programs can be transferred. The operator will then load the correct materials from the hard copy cutting notes, after which sawing machine operation will be monitored remotely. Actual cutting data stored, including for overnight running, will be uploaded to allow machine and blade performances to be analysed. This information is currently available within the control, accessible from the shopfloor. Image: The latest Kasto EC control with touchscreen on the TEC A5 contains optimised cutting data for a library of materials First published online