Introduction to Band Saws

The band saw, band saw, also called band saw or endless saw, is a pedal or electric tool that has a long, narrow, flexible, toothed metal band. The belt travels on two wheels that are in the same vertical plane with a space between them. Are saws They can be used in carpentry and metalwork, as well as to cut various materials, and are very useful in cutting irregular shapes.

This machine consists of a frame, in the shape of a gooseneck, supporting two balanced and superimposed flywheels in the same vertical plane and on which a sheet of endless saw called tape.

Types of Band Saw

The market offers three types of band saw, each with specific functions and care, according to a special type of work: manual, semi-automatic and automatic, which perform horizontal, vertical and angular cuts and, which in turn are classified as:

• Band saws for metal cutting: They are those that require a coolant that is constantly supplied on the band saw blade, keeping the saw at a low temperature and preventing, in turn, overheating that would cause defects in the cuts and shorten the useful life of the blade. knife. Lack of cooling also results in a slower cut.
• Band saws for wood cutting: It consists of a highly flexible toothed sheet of metal that is cut and welded according to the diameter of the machine’s flywheels. This produces the continuous sliding cut on the piece to be cut.
• Automated band saws: They are the ones that handle preset feeding speeds, reverse and part clamping. They are generally used in work environments where it is not convenient to have a machine operator for each device. Some of these saws work by computer numerical control to make more precise cuts.

Parts of a band saw

The band saw It comprises seven fundamental parts and these are:

• Headband: She is the one that makes the cut. It is a blade with teeth locked to the sides and welded in special machines to the specific length of each machine.
• Motor: It is the one that moves the steering wheels of the machine, determining their power.
• Frills: They are balanced in the same plane, which can be horizontal or vertical and on which the saw or endless saw blade is placed. The main flywheel is powered by the engine and the secondary flywheel is driven by the endless saw blade.
• Guides: These devices, as their name implies, guide and align the belt when it is in operation so that it does not twist or suffer cracks that could cause its fracture.
• Hydraulic bombs: They are those that supply the necessary force to the semi-automatic and automatic machines for the conditioning of the presses and the cutting head.
• Cooling pumps: Pump the coolant so that it in turn cools and lubricates the belt during cutting.
• Presses: They exert pressure on the material to be cut so that cuts are accurate.

recommendations

Remember that the entire path of the tape must be protected, exposing only the part of the tape that is going to cut. The condition of the belt must be good and must not be worn. You must use the correct tape for the material to be cut.

Ribbon tension: The tension in the ribbon is very important. When the tape is poorly tensioned in a band saw, we will have some problems. In the event that the tape tension is insufficient, we will get bad finishes, deviated cuts and premature wear of the tape. In the case of over-tensioning the tape, we can make the tape break. There are tension gauges or tape sheet tensiometers, to achieve the proper tension.

The use of gloves and safety glasses is essential. Check that the electrical installation is in optimal condition. The tape must be in excellent condition, for safety reasons, beyond achieving a good result.

Band saw usage video