Understanding Blade Faults When Cutting Concrete Sydney

by Maria Williams Online Marketing Specialist

Many factors of the concrete cutting project are uncontrollable. However, a critical item that has the most significant impact on the job and the one you can control is the concrete cutting blades selected for the job.

You want to keep your blades in working condition for optimal concrete cutting efficiency and performance. One way to ensure this is to understand the blade faults and how they can occur. This way, you can prepare for potential issues beforehand. Following are the most common concrete cutting blade faults, their causes, and how you can avoid them from occurring:

Loss of Tension

This is one of the most common blade faults at concrete cutting job sites. Loss of tension leads to the blade not staying straight while running. The most common cause behind it is the blade is misaligned, which you can check and easily fix. Another reason behind it is the diameter of the blade flanges. If it's unsuitable for the job, it can create uneven pressure on the centre. To fix this, use the suitable blade collar diameter.

Overheating

This blade fault is caused when the blade's coolant is insufficient. The solution is obvious; check the water supply for sufficient quantity and ensure there are no obstructions in the water system. Generally, dry blades are only used for shallow cutting. For other projects, choose the wet-cutting method.

Blade Won't Cut

Sometimes concrete cutting blade spins in the cut and doesn't really cut the surface. It can happen if the blade is too hard for the type of concrete you are trying to cut. Choose the right blade according to your concrete type to solve the problem. Also, ensure that the belts are tight and the saw is running at the correct RPMs. Continuous use can make the blades dull. If you think that's why replace yours with a new one.

Cracked Core

This concrete cutting blade fault refers to forming hairlines and small cracks on the core. The primary reason behind it is the blade being too hard for the concrete type you are trying to cut. Switching to a softer bond will fix the issue. A cracked core issue is also sometimes caused due to excessive cutting pressure, twisting or jamming the blade in the cut. To prevent this from occurring, use the saw steadily and be careful when feeding pressure. Also, avoid jamming or twisting the blade in the cut.

Uneven Segment Wear

When this blade fault occurs, the side clearance of the blade is reduced. This typically happens because of misalignment of the saw or when adequate water is not provided on both sides of the blade. So, check the saw alignment and check whether the machine's water pump supplies enough water to the leading edge of the blade flanges. If the blade is worn out by worn arbour or bad bearings, replace them.

Many complications can occur when cutting concrete and are mainly related to the blade. Proper, routine maintenance of your blades and inspection before cutting are the keys to reducing the likelihood of any of the above-listed blade faults. Choosing the proper blade specification for your concrete cutting project is also important as it will help maximize its life.

Concrete-Cutter can handle any concrete cutting Sydney projects with minimal disruption to your job site and operations.