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Market Report: Sawing & Cutting All-round revolution Phil Mist finds that Marcrist’s latest general-purpose diamond blade is impressive in terms of performance and versatility. Diamond blades were first introduced into the UK 25 years ago, and since then they have taken a sizeable proportion of what was a huge market for bonded abrasive wheels. The market has accelerated in the last six years, as the technology involved in manufacturing the diamond segments for the blades has improved dramatically. Not only are better quality diamonds now used, but also the base materials are totally different. In addition, laser welding, once considered to be expensive and difficult, is now much simpler and automated to such an extent that neither the segments nor the steel body of a blade are touched by human hand during manufacture. Choosing a blade for a particular application has traditionally been tricky. With bonded abrasive wheels, the choice was straightforward: you used one for either stone or metal. Factors influencing diamond blade selection would typically include the hardness and consistency of the material to be cut, its abrasiveness, whether to use a wet or dry cutting blade and whether the cutting tool is hand-held or hand-guided. Also, in recent years, cost has mattered, especially as most small builders should carry at least three diamond blades for various applications. Larger contractors should have many more. The situation has been transformed, however, thanks to the revolution in blade technology and the availability of genuine general-purpose products. These can cut literally anything, including concrete, brick, asphalt, abrasive materials, block paviors, wood, steel, aluminium, and even cast iron. The fact that this can be achieved without water is all the more remarkable. Amongst this new breed of blades is the Mi850 from Marcrist International. At first sight it looks strange, having a multitude of holes in the main body of the blade and ‘M’ shaped segments. But in use, compared with a standard blade, for cutting concrete it can only be described as a revelation. It not only out-performs most normal blades by a factor of at least 50%, but it is also robust when used in extremely arduous conditions. The
laser-welded,
10mm-high
segments
are
made
from
a
special
composition
including
real
diamonds.
The
result
is
a
free
cutting
action,
while
the
many
small
holes
cool
the
body
of
the
blade.
It
can
be
used
virtually
continuously
without
overheating.
The
holes
also
allow
the
operator
to
see
through
the
Mi850
while
it
is
rotating.
The
wear
rate
of
the
segments
is
negligible
and,
because
of
the
blade’s
wide
range
of
applications,
the
operator
does
not
have
to
change
blades
to
suit I have used the Mi850 on many materials. If anyone a few years ago had suggested using a diamond blade to cut cast iron guttering and pipe, I would have just laughed, but this blade can. In addition, I have used it to cut a wooden pallet, various plastic pipes, steel, angle iron and bricks, all with the same speed and cleanness of cut, and with no more effort than normal. Not surprisingly, the Mi850 carries a higher price tag than standard blades. But its genuine all-round ability saves time and effort and reduces the need to stock many different blades. There is another advantage: after being well used, diamond blades typically lose any labelling or printing they carry, which can make them difficult to identify. Using a blade that can cut virtually anything removes the risk of the wrong blade being used. This is of great value to many small builders and to contractors on larger sites, where the labour force may have little or no training. • T
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890888 Executive Hire News › Archives › June 2006 › Market Report › All-round revolution
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