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
