Choose a Better Band Saw Blade for Interrupted and Bundled Cutting

Cutting structural shapes and steel materials like I-beams is a significant challenge for metal fabricators, service centers, and construction crews. Everything from major construction projects to industrial manufacturing processes relies on accurate structural cuts. Making accurate cuts with minimal downtime requires choosing the right blade for your band saw. The smoother and more precise the cutting process, the less time your team will spend finishing the structural beams before manufacturing or installation. Challenger band saw blades from The M. K. Morse Company can solve many problems that occur when cutting bundled and individual structural shapes. Don't let interrupted cuts or binding issues slow your construction preparation processes.

The Challenges of Cutting I-Beams and Structural Steel

Structural steel shapes like I-beams challenge even the best industrial-grade band saws. It's not just the toughness of hardened or treated steel that makes it tricky to cut. The irregular shape and internal voids of pipes and open stock also create extra stresses on cutting blades. Pinching is a major issue with larger I-beams in particular. The weight of the metal, the way it's clamped into the saw's vices, and internal stresses can all lead to blade binding. Using a wide-set Challenger blade with extra kerf ensures a channel that prevents pinching in almost all cutting circumstances.

Common Problems

Tooth size must be matched to the thickness of structural shapes, which becomes tricky with steel pieces of multiple widths or thicknesses. The many options for teeth per inch (TPI), gullet depth, and tooth set allow you to match the right blade to your cutting needs. Morse has also designed these band saw blades for optimal saw tooth contact. Smooth and efficient cutting occurs when not too many and not too few teeth make contact with the metal. When too much or too little contact is made, the blade receives excess stress and tends to fracture or lose teeth. For most types of steel, you want between 3 and 24 teeth in contact at any time. For optimal contact and sizing, there's a Challenger band saw blade to fit every cutting situation.

These Challenger band saw blades aren't just designed to give you smooth cuts through steel. They're made for the toughest types of structural metal out there, including carbon steel and low alloy steel. Heat-treated metals and high alloy mixtures are also difficult to cut and deserve a reinforced design. By choosing an upgraded band saw blade designed to withstand the vibration and heat generated by cutting these materials, you'll boost productivity and reduce consumable costs.

Unique Issues for Bundled Materials

Bundled materials increase cutting efficiency by producing more finished pieces with only a small increase in cutting time. However, gaps between pieces and voids in open shapes put extra stress on the band saw blade. Interrupted cutting is common with bundled materials, especially if there are any shifting issues or the need to reassemble the bundle. Irregular shapes and varying wall thicknesses lead to interruptions or changes in pressure during cutting. Make sure you're choosing blades built to withstand these specific types of stresses.

Why Morse Blades Make a Difference

The Challenger band saw blades are built with bundled and structural cutting situations in mind. First, there are plenty of tooth spacing options to ensure you're matching the right blade to the material you're cutting. Morse has convenient charts to match the TPI and tooth size to your projects. Order the right size to avoid reducing both productivity and longevity.

For interrupted cutting situations, most of the Challenger band saw sizes are available as heavy-set blades. These band saw blades are designed with extra reinforcement to deal with the stress of interruptions during the cutting process with less chance of tooth stripping. It also leads to straighter cuts due to greater resistance against deflection, which can speed up finishing times significantly.

The unique tooth profile designed specifically for the Challenger line ensures reduced vibration during cutting. This improves the noise levels of band saw operation for worker safety and comfort. It also leads to cleaner and straighter cuts, reducing the chance of additional finishing work.

Dealing with I-beams and other larger pieces of structural steel with residual embedded forces isn't a problem with Challenger blades either. There are wide kerf options to prevent pinching and keep the blade moving. Variations in the gullet depth also ensure that chip build-up doesn't slow the cutting process or lead to tooth stripping.

Bending can become a major issue when cutting heat-treated or otherwise hardened steel. Challenger blades feature an increased beam strength to reduce the chance of tooth stripping. You'll also enjoy a longer blade life and more hours of productive cutting before it's time to replace blades.

Rely on the Power of the Challenger Band Saw Blades

Many industries rely on making daily or occasional cuts to large pieces of structural steel. In addition to shops that supply steel framed construction crews, other general steel service centers rely on these band saw blades to make hundreds of cuts per day. Almost every fabricator that works with I-beams, pipes, or square stock will need to make straight and accurate cuts at some point. Factories that produce metal building kits can go through multiple metal band saw blades in a month, so an investment in Challenger products makes a big difference in productivity. Even equipment manufacturers and RV producers often need this metal-cutting capacity. No matter the industry, Challenger band saw blades can tackle the challenges of cutting all types of structural steel.

Spend more time focused on cutting and less time dealing with stripped or damaged band saw blades by switching to Challenger by Morse. With over 60 years of experience in crafting strong and durable cutting solutions, there's a blade to fit every structural metal application. Let our team of experts help you find the right fit for your saw today by matching details like TPI and blade length to your current model.