Comparison: cutters with ceramic blade vs. steel blade cutters in the workplace

As we saw in a previous article, cutters are a tool Essential in any area of ​​dispatch or warehouse in a company, in addition to being used in many work areas and also, for hobbyist or hobby practices. DIY.

But why is there ceramic sheets for the cutters, also security? Do they offer advantages over steel? In Machines and Tools we did the analysis and we put it in this article.

Cutters with steel blades versus ceramic blades

The ceramic cutters They appeared in the late 1990s in response to a demand for increased blade durability and better mechanical characteristics on the edge, without compromising cutting ability, although at first sacrificing price.

As the ceramic sheet became more popular, its use reached the cutters security, a niche in which it entered into direct competition with safety steel knives, traditional and cheaper. Some manufacturers began to adopt this new technology, thus achieving that in the medium term the production costs of these new blades were reasonably close to those of steel.

But what direct advantages does the ceramic sheet with respect to the steel one?

Advantages of the ceramic sheet

The most notable is the duration of the cutting edge, superior to those of steel. This is due to the fact that the cutting angle is greater, with which the wear in that area is less, as the cutting area is smaller. This feature also makes it safer to work with, since the cutting angle, being less sharp, prevents serious cuts to the hands if the cutting tool accidentally hits the skin.

Cutter with ceramic blades

Another important but less obvious advantage is that ceramic material is much less porous than steel; this gives the sheet of the ceramic cutter a much higher resistance to corrosion and dirt, and also prevents the transmission of odors between materials.

Being a lightweight material, ceramic sheets they are lighter than steel sheets. This, which at first glance is not a great advantage, becomes noticeable if it is necessary to store a large volume of spare parts (more than one hundred).

To take into account when choosing cutters with a ceramic blade

Among the factors to take into account, in the case of this material we can count the price, which is still higher than the steel knives, its fragility – if we try to cut a very hard material it is possible that the edge breaks – and the possibility of finding spare parts with respect to the steel blades.

Another factor that is not easy, due to the cost, is to find safety knives with ceramic blades; the supply is, therefore, less than the traditional steel ones. However, and taking into account what the tool, have a safety cutter with ceramic blade It can undoubtedly greatly reduce very common workplace accidents in any part of the production chain, as well as facilitate the work of tasks that involve systematic cuts and require precision.

Steel Sheet Advantages

Safety cutter with steel blades

The first is the price, lower compared to ceramic blade cutter. Another advantage is derived: that the cost makes it possible to have disposable heads, which in the safety cutters Gooseneck type means that the operator will never have to directly manipulate the blade, thus avoiding unnecessary risks.

Interchangeable blade cutter

A no less important advantage is the resilience of the material; It is able to withstand greater cutting forces without breaking; the cutting edge, thus, will resist better in the short term.

A third advantage occurs in those cases in which it is important to have magnetic susceptibility (to detect the presence of metals, for example in food substance packaging). Being made of steel, it is possible to detect the presence of pieces of the blade, or whole steel knives, inside already closed boxes.

To take into account when choosing safety cutters with steel blades

Being steel safety cutters they have a natural porosity that makes them more susceptible to corrosion and dirt adheres more easily to the blade.

On the other hand, in the medium term, the cutting edge will suffer much greater wear than those ceramic cutters, so they will have to be replaced more frequently.

Other important aspects of comparison

Before deciding to buy one or the other knife or safety cutter, it is important to evaluate three criteria:

• What materials will be cut with the cutters?
• Are there local manufacturers (or established importers) that ensure the supply of knives and their spare parts?
• What intensity of work will the cutting tool?
• Will the cutters for work with food substances?
• Is it important to have a method of detecting foreign elements (metallic) in the packaging once the boxes have been closed?

If the daily work will focus on cutting stationery – cardboard, paper and packing tapes only – it will not be justified, a priori and for that reason alone, the purchase of ceramic blade cutters. However, there are other factors that can influence this criterion, such as occupational safety and other procedural rules that are becoming more and more important in the production chain.

If the local market has a stable assortment of products manufactured there, or importers who buy frequently ceramic blades for cutters, the purchase of these will be cheaper, and their advantages can be taken advantage of.

The pace of work is another determining factor. Is it important to have a tool reliable, that allows cutting for at least a week without the need to change the blade? If yes, choose ceramic blade cutters, since its edge is much more durable.

If you need to work with packaging containing food substances, consider using ceramic knife cutters, except if later, in the production chain, it is necessary to detect foreign objects in the package. In that case always choose the steel blade cuttersas they can be easily detected by electromagnetic means.