While many companies separate 3D-printed parts from their base plates using wire EDM, or even with a hammer and chisel, Edelstahl-Mechanik GmbH, a specialist in additive manufacturing, has found another solution: the Meba 3D 335 bandsaw.

Managing director and owner of Edelstahl-Mechanik, Josef Eisele, says: “Additively manufactured components can be cleanly separated from the base plate with the Meba bandsaw, without any damage to the components or base plate. We are very satisfied with the results.”

The Meba 3D 335 is based on the straight-cut MEBAeco 335 model, which is equipped with feed monitoring and a frequency-controlled ball-screw drive, while a special clamping device holds the 3D metal printing base plate. It is possible to move and align this base plate as desired via linear guides. The Meba 3D solution works with a two-column guided saw frame that is infinitely driven, with the potential to adjust cutting and feed speed very finely.

In combination with the right selection of bandsaw blades for the respective workpiece material, users can even separate filigree parts very precisely.

“The practical clamping system and the precise work of the bandsaw are convincing throughout,” states Eisele. “Compared with alternative solutions for separating the components, the Meba saw is not only time- and resource-efficient, but also cost-effective. In addition, the finished components are of very high quality.”

He adds: “As a further positive side effect, the saw can also be used for standard sawing tasks and is therefore the perfect complement to our 3D printer in the overall package.”

For further information
www.meba-saw.com

When it comes to bandsawing, it is not just the design of the blade or the workpiece material that is important; it is also necessary to have the correct blade in the first place. With this thought in mind, Saws UK has published a guide to blade terminology and material blade types.

To get the most economic cut possible when bandsawing it is necessary to choose a blade with the correct number of teeth per inch (TPI). This number will vary depending on the workpiece material. TPI also depends on whether the shop is cutting individual pieces of material or bundled amounts. As a point of note: the positioning of material in a vice can also alter the blade’s TPI, as can material size and shape.

There have been a number of new techniques introduced to the bandsawing sector within recent years. So, to ensure sufficient knowledge to take advantage, the following is Saw UK’s list of blade technology: tooth face – the surface of the tooth; tooth pitch – distance between the tip of one tooth and that of the next one; gullet – curved area at the bottom of the tooth; TPI – teeth per inch (measurement between the gullets); tooth rake angle – angle of the tooth face perpendicular to the direction in which the saw is cutting.

Further terminology includes: blade width – measurement between the end of a tooth and the back of the band; blade thickness – how much the saw measures between either side of the blade; and blade set – clearance from the back of the blade through the cut.

For further information
www.sawsuk.com