In the early days, mining was carried out through blasting and manual wedging. With the emergence of electrical automation equipment, mechanical equipment was gradually introduced for mining and stone processing. The emergence of single-blade mining machines and double-blade mining machines has greatly improved the mining conditions and efficiency of stone mines.
The mining technology has been significantly improved, with advantages of high efficiency, low consumption, safety, environmental protection, and energy conservation, responding to the development trend of ESG. Correspondingly, large-diameter diamond saw blades such as Φ 2800mm, Φ 3000mm, Φ 3500mm, and Φ 4000m have also emerged for assembling mining machinery.
the Use of Large-diameter Diamond Saw Blades
The most common use of large-diameter saw blades is in mining operations.
The stone block mining machines can be installed on the tracks of the mining surface. Within a width range of 2m between tracks and a horizontal height difference of 30cm, the mining machines can run smoothly on the tracks.
The main motor drives the large-diameter saw blade (usually with diameters of Φ 2800mm, Φ 3000mm, and Φ 4000mm) to rotate at high speed for cutting. Using PLC frequency conversion speed regulation, the dual-track traction control host automatically feeds in. The cutting depth is determined by the diameter of the saw blade and the descent depth of the lifting screw. The sawing width is controlled by the hydraulic system to adjust the lateral movement of the telescopic rod, which drives the spindle box to adjust the cutting position and select the width size.
According to the different hardness of the stones, the mining machines with the large-diameter diamond saw blade can reach a cutting speed of 2-5 ㎡/h. The daily output volume of stone can reach 70-100 m³, the maximum cutting depth can reach 1.85 m, the yield of raw stone materials can reach over 90%, and the mining cost can be reduced by more than 20%.
The development of stone mining machines also promotes the development of large-diameter saw blades, combining stone mining machines with diamond wire saws for stone horizontal mining, further improving the sawing efficiency and yield of stone mining machines.
In the early days of the stone industry, gantry stone cutting machines and bridge-type single saw blade machines with a diameter of 1600mm saw blades were mainly used. Later, the saw blade diameter increased to 1800mm, 2200mm, 2500mm, 3000mm, and 3500mm.
There are also cantilever-type single saw blade machines that use saw blades with diameters of 1600mm, 1800mm, 2200mm, and 2500mm. The cantilever-type multi-blade machines can simultaneously assemble a set of diamond saw blades of the same diameter or different diameters on the sawing machine, thus doubling the efficiency of sawing stone/granite slab. It is currently a commonly used slab processing equipment in stone factories.
At present, the cutting method of single large-diameter saw blades is being phased out, and the production and processing method of two or more large-diameter saw blades is gradually replacing it. In China, Türkiye, Italy, Spain and other countries with developed stone industry, there are basically no single-blade cutting machines.
the Advantages of Large-diameter Diamond Saw Blades
With the widespread use of large-diameter diamond saw blades, the advantages of large-diameter diamond saw blades are gradually reflected, including improved efficiency, environmental protection and energy saving, high stone yield, simple use and installation, and convenient saw blade production.
From the perspective of the quality and performance of large-diameter diamond saw blades, there are the following advantages.
the Better Quality of Diamond Saw Blade Blank
- Large-sized saw blades are very suitable for directly using high-quality steel to improve the quality of the blank.
- The cutting method of multi-blade/blank combination saw blades is very popular.
- Thin and ultra-thin blanks of saw blades have entered the market, greatly saving stone blocks.
- A large-diameter perforated sound-absorbing blank of diamond saw blade has been developed, which has better-cutting stability and conforms to the development trend of ESG.
- The emergence of iron(Fe)-based matrix powder has reduced the production cost of diamond segments, combined with the economic benefits of large-diameter saw blades, greatly reducing the cost of stone processing tools.
Promoted Sandwich Diamond Segments and Multi-layer Structured Diamond Segments
The use of large-diameter diamond saw blades has promoted the entry of sandwich and multi-layer structured diamond segments into the market, as large-diameter saw blades require larger diamond segment sizes, which are suitable for the research and production of sandwich and multi-layer structured diamond segments.
For example, a diamond saw blade with a diameter of 1600mm for cutting granite requires diamond segments with a size of 24mm * 9.2/8.6mm * 12mm, totaling 108 pcs. It can be made into a seven-layer structure of diamond segments, with 4 layers containing diamond and 3 layers containing no or a small amount of diamond (each layer is 0.8mm wide). The sketch is as follows.
When the saw blade starts cutting granite, the three diamond-free interlayers wear faster, while the four diamond-containing working layers wear slower. As a result, the diamond segments forms a shape of four convex edges and three concave grooves, while the granite surface being cut forms a shape of four concave grooves and three convex edges. The sketch is as follows.
The advantages of sandwich diamond segments and multi-layer structured diamond segments:
- Increasing the free surface during stone cutting makes it easier for the stone to break, resulting in sharper saw blades and higher cutting efficiency.
- Reduce diamond usage, save costs, and appropriately lower diamond grades without compromising cutting performance.
- Due to the increase in free surface and the improvement of cutting sharpness, a trapezoidal cross-section is adopted, reducing the contact surface between diamond segments and stone, minimizing friction, reducing saw clamping, and reducing power consumption, thus lowering the overall cost of stone cutting.
More Efficient Production of Diamond Segments
The entry of large-diameter diamond saw blades into the market has upgraded the production technology of diamond segments.
The traditional production of diamond segments involves manually weighing metal powder and diamond micro powder, then filling them into a mold and sintering them together. This manual production method can lead to difficulty in controlling the weight and dimensional accuracy of diamond segments, unstable batch quality of diamond segment production, and high labor costs.
The diamond segments of large-diameter diamond saw blades are also relatively large in size. Many diamond tool manufacturers have developed diamond segment cold press machines, which can automatically weigh metal powder and fill powder into molds. First, sandwich or multi-layer structured diamond segments are layered and pressed, and then the layers are assembled together for sintering.
This method replaces traditional manual production methods and can produce diamond segments of various sizes, with the advantages of high efficiency, reliable quality, labor cost savings, statistical production output, and traceable production quality.
Diamond Segments are Easy to Weld
Large diameter diamond saw blades are very convenient for welding. Early mining workers used oxygen flame to weld diamond segments manually, but now high-power high-frequency welding machines are commonly used, using high-quality welding plates and brazing agents to weld large-diameter diamond saw blades more firmly.
Due to the improved blank quality of large-diameter diamond saw blades, the blades can be welded multiple times, reducing the procurement and transportation costs of the blades.
the Best Suppliers for Large-diameter Diamond Saw Blades
For Stone Manufacturers and Mine Owners
If stone manufacturers and mine owners need large-diameter diamond tool suppliers, Diawe Tools recommends purchasing directly from local diamond tool dealers and welding workshops, as it can save a lot of tedious trade processes, and these dealers and welding workshops are near, can provide excellent after-sales maintenance services and diamond segment welding services.
Of course, there are some stone manufacturers and miners who consume a large amount of diamond tools every year and have self-operated imports and exports. Due to cost considerations, they will purchase from diamond tool factories themselves. For such situations, we recommend purchasing from domestic diamond tool manufacturers. If it needs to be imported, we recommend purchasing from China because China has the most comprehensive diamond tool supply chain, and purchasing the blanks and diamond segments separately. It can achieve cost optimization by this way.
For Diamond Tool Dealers and Welding Workshops
Diawe Tools recommends purchasing and importing diamond tools from China, Türkiye, India, Italy, Germany and other major diamond tool-producing countries, because the manufacturers in these countries can meet the supply-demand of large-diameter diamond saw blades, and the dealers are professional enough to screen out suitable products.
If purchasing from China, we recommend Hein Saw and HXF Saw for the blanks of saw blades, and Diawe Tools for diamond segments.
