Diamond blades are the top choice for cutting hard materials like concrete, stone, and tile. But these blades have nuances that determine their best use. Below, we explain the different diamond cutting disc shapes.
Common Characteristics
Before we go over the different diamond cutting disc shapes, it’s useful to articulate the similarities. First, these discs are all circular. The differences lie in their edges, which we’ll address below.
All diamond blades have synthetic diamonds affixed to the blade by a bonding process: they’re either sintered on, electroplated, or vacuum brazed onto the disc. Sintering combines metal powders with the diamond crystals and applies them in layers with a hot-pressing method. The layers wear away during use to expose fresh sharp crystals.
Electroplating affixes the crystals by submerging them in a tank with a solution that creates a bond between the diamonds and the disc when electricity runs through the tank. Finally, vacuum brazing coats the diamonds in molten nickel and uses a vacuum to extract oxygen and achieve a temperature high enough to attach the crystals to the blade.
Sintered blades with soft bonds that wear away are best for hard materials like stone. Hard bonds are better for softer materials.
Segmented Blades
Segmented blades have cutting sections separated by spaces called gullets. These gullets eject debris and help keep the blade cool while it is in use. They create a rougher cut but are good for concrete and stone.
Continuous Blades
These blades are shaped as their name implies: they have one continuous edge. They create a smoother, more precise cut that is better for tile.
Turbo or Universal Blades
Turbo blades are a kind of hybrid of segmented and continuous blades. They have a serrated edge, but the “gullets” between the serrations don’t go all the way through the blade. They simply create channels in the disc that help eject debris. They often have holes drilled in them to help cool the blade.
Universal diamond blades are versatile enough to switch between different types and hardnesses of materials. They may be segmented or continuous with serrations and gullets.
Wet or Dry Cutting
Continuous blades require water to keep them cool and are used in wet cutting applications. Blades with segments or other gullets can be used for dry or wet cutting. Wet cutting creates a “slurry” of material that segmented blades eject as they cut. Wet cutting reduces the hazardous dust that cutting creates.
If you’re having difficulty selecting from the different diamond cutting disc shapes, contact us at Problades Outlet, and we’ll be happy to help.
