Aluminium is valued for its high strength-to-weight ratio and corrosion resistance, but it presents unique challenges when sawing. Soft, sticky chips can weld to the blade teeth, leading to poor surface finish, erratic cutting and reduced blade life. According to industrial bandsaw manufacturer, DoAll, selecting the correct bandsaw blade is therefore essential for achieving consistent results.

Blade material is the first consideration. Bi-metal blades, with high-speed steel teeth welded to a flexible spring-steel backing, provide an excellent balance of durability, performance and cost, making them suitable for general-purpose aluminium cutting. For high-volume production or abrasive aluminium alloys, tungsten carbide-tipped blades offer greater wear resistance, maintain sharpness for longer and support higher cutting speeds.

Tooth geometry is equally important. Aluminium produces large, stringy chips that require sufficient gullet capacity to clear the cutting zone efficiently. Positive rake tooth forms encourage a shearing action that reduces cutting forces and heat, while deep gullets help prevent chip welding and improve surface finish.

Choosing the correct tooth pitch (TPI) is also critical. Thin sections require finer pitches to minimise vibration and produce clean cuts, while thicker material benefits from coarser pitches that provide greater chip clearance. Variable-pitch blades offer additional versatility by reducing vibration and improving performance when cutting extrusions or sections with varying wall thicknesses.

Correct machine settings are just as important as blade selection. Aluminium can be cut at relatively high blade speeds, but feed rates must remain sufficient to produce well-formed chips. Excessive speed with insufficient feed causes the blade to rub rather than cut, generating unnecessary heat and accelerating wear.

Finally, a quality cutting fluid designed for non-ferrous materials helps lubricate the cut, control temperature and flush chips from the blade. Combined with the correct blade specification, it delivers cleaner cuts, longer blade life and more reliable sawing performance.

More information www.doallsaws.com

Katthöfer Cutting Tools has strengthened its capability to regrind carbide-tipped circular saw blades following the installation of a fully automated Vollmer CS 860 grinding machine with ND 320 handling system at its Selm facility in north-west Germany.

The family-owned company supplies saw blade maintenance and procurement services to customers in the steel, tube, profile and aluminium industries, while also expanding into wood processing and non-ferrous metal machining. The investment enables Katthöfer to respond more effectively to growing demand for precision regrinding as manufacturers seek to extend tool life and reduce costs.

“Our long-term strategy includes working closely with manufacturers to support the development of HSS and carbide-tipped saw blades,” says managing director Daniel Katthöfer. “At the same time, rising material costs are making professional resharpening increasingly important. Our investment in the CS 860 enables us to deliver greater precision while offering customers a more economical and sustainable solution.”

Commissioned at the beginning of 2026, the fully CNC-controlled CS 860 processes circular saw blades from 80 to 860 mm in diameter. Integrated measuring systems, 3D probing and acoustic sensor technology automate machine setup and maximise process reliability, while intelligent software simplifies programming and automatically detects broken teeth and tooth pitch. Coupled with the ND 320 handling system, the machine can operate unattended around the clock, automatically changing saw blades weighing up to 11 kg.

Katthöfer says the investment is already opening new opportunities in the carbide sector by delivering greater grinding precision, longer tool life and consistently high cutting quality.

Tobias Trautmann, managing director of the Vollmer Group, adds: “Targeted investment in automated grinding technology enables specialist tool service providers to improve productivity, enhance quality and support long-term business growth.”

More information www.vollmer-group.com

ST Extruded Products Group (STEP-G), part of the global Sankyo Tateyama Group, has tripled sawing throughput and reduced material waste following the installation of a Behringer HBM720ALU-Z automated aluminium band saw at its Hettstedt, Germany, recycling foundry.

The facility produces aluminium billets for customers in sectors including automotive, rail, mechanical engineering and defence. However, its two existing circular saws had reached their limits in terms of productivity, precision and flexibility, restricting billet dimensions while generating excessive material waste through kerf widths of 8-12 mm.

“Our previous technology was having a negative impact on our competitiveness,” says plant manager Oleg Hoffmann. “The market is demanding significantly larger dimensions, both in length and diameter.”

Commissioned in autumn 2025, the new automated sawing line replaces both circular saws with a fully integrated process from casting to finished billet. Aluminium billets are transferred automatically from the casting line to the saw, where a precision measuring system, automated material handling and advanced clamping technology ensure accurate positioning and consistently high cut quality.

Capable of cutting at speeds of up to 3000 m/min, the HBM720ALU-Z combines high productivity with a narrow kerf that reduces chip generation and material loss. Fully enclosed guarding and an integrated extraction system further improve workplace safety while returning aluminium chips directly to the melting process.

The investment has delivered measurable benefits. Throughput has tripled, while chip volume has fallen by a factor of five, reducing both material loss and energy consumption. Monthly output has increased from around 3500 to more than 10,000 cuts, with billet diameters now ranging from 203 to 690 mm and maximum infeed lengths of 8.5 m.

Hoffmann concludes: “The project was completed on time, to the required quality and within budget. We were consistently supported by a highly competent and committed Behringer team.”

More information www.behringer.net

The new Shark 662 H Konnect from MEP is a dual-column automatic electromechanical bandsaw designed to deliver high-precision cutting of tubes, profiles and steel beams at mitre angles from -60° to +60°. Suitable for both steel fabrication and general machining applications, the machine combines structural rigidity, cutting accuracy and operational flexibility.

A robust cast iron structure, 9 kW motor and 41 mm saw blade provide the power and stability required to process demanding materials. A gantry-based material clamping system secures the workpiece throughout the cutting cycle, while a potentiometric vice continuously monitors its position and immediately detects any deviation from the programmed cut, helping to maintain both accuracy and safety.

The self-aligning, tilting feeder accommodates deformed bars, while a brushless motor and helical rack transmission ensure precise material positioning. A fixed cutting plane maintains stability when the cutting head is angled, allowing fast, accurate movement and reliable cutting performance, including for short sections and end cuts.

The Shark 662 H Konnect incorporates an industrial Linux-based control platform with native IIoT connectivity, providing real-time machine monitoring, simplified software updates and seamless integration with Industry 4.0 production environments.

Designed to suit a wide range of manufacturing operations, the machine is configurable with portal or pincer feeding systems, optional material handling equipment and either minimum quantity lubrication or flood coolant, depending on the application. New functionality can also be added without modifying the core software, simplifying future upgrades.

Safety is integral to the design, with the machine complying with the latest CE requirements. Customisable perimeter guarding, together with advanced cybersecurity features that protect machine data and network communications, provide secure operation in increasingly connected manufacturing environments.More information www.mepsaws.it/en

When planning a replacement warehouse for its Kansas City service centre, US steel distributor Steel and Pipe Supply (SPS) prioritised safety, high throughput, minimal error rates and a compact footprint. The company selected a UNICOMPACT 5.0 automated storage and retrieval system from Kasto, the German OEM that makes its storage systems and sawing machines available in the UK and Ireland through its Leicestershire subsidiary.

SPS co-president John Conley says: “We supply the Midwest with a wide range of materials. Our customers rely on us not only for product quality, but also for the service we provide. This warehouse upgrade has made a real difference to our efficiency and productivity, while also boosting staff morale.”

Founded in 1933, SPS has grown into one of the largest privately held steel service centres in the US, supplying structural steel, plate, sheet and coil, alongside value-added processing services. Previous installations of Kasto automated storage systems at its Tulsa, Oklahoma and Longview, Texas facilities had already demonstrated significant gains in productivity, accuracy and safety.

Like many steel stockholders, SPS needed to maximise storage capacity while reducing manual handling and improving stock control. The high-density honeycomb design of the Kasto UNICOMPACT makes optimum use of available space, automating loading and unloading to reduce labour requirements while accelerating picking and material flow. Thousands of individual storage locations accommodate long products up to 7.3 m in length, while fast cassette changes enable rapid order consolidation.

Material movement is managed in real time by the KASTOlogic warehouse management system, which automatically records inventory data, improving stock accuracy and eliminating manual data entry.

Despite strict building height restrictions at the airport-adjacent site, the new facility now stores around 16,000 tonnes of material. Conley also praised Kasto’s US service team, highlighting its fast response times and technical expertise in helping minimise downtime and maintain operational efficiency.More information www.kasto.com