Diamond Crystals
The diamond crystals are synthetic (man-made) rather than natural. This gives them a consistency that can be relied upon during the enormous stresses they encounter while grinding. The foremost performance factor in diamond-blade sawing is the type, concentration and size of these diamond crystals.
Bonding Matrix
Diamond crystals are held in place by a sintering process of specially blended metal powders. This bonding matrix is crucial to the overall performance of the diamond blade and serves several vital functions:
During the sawing action, the wearing away of the matrix exposes new diamond crystals providing fresh cutting points for the blade.
Metal Bonds
The diamond crystals and bonding matrix are heated and shaped into specially engineered rims / segments. These rims / segments are wider than the blade core to which they will be attached, and provide the clearance to promote material discharge and discourage blade binding. The rims / segments are specifically designed to wear at a rate appropriate to the material being cut. Large particles of soft, abrasive materials wear down the matrix faster than the small particles removed from hard dense materials. Therefore, softer, more abrasive materials require a “tough to wear” (hard) bond; less abrasive materials require an “easy wear” (soft) bond.
Premium Steel Core
The diamond saw blade cores are made from high alloy, heat-treated steel. Depending on the type of blade selected, the steel cores are specifically designed to support the appropriate rim or segment. About the periphery of the core, the various rims or segments are affixed through a brazing or laser welding process. An arbor hole is precisely bored in the center, and the entire core is “tensioned” or tuned so that the stresses of centripetal force are minimized, permitting the blade to spin true on the spindle.
