Get smart: General Industry Coverage

Bandsawing a structural workpiece, such as a steel H-beam, is challenging for the bandsaw blade. This is because as the blade enters the cut, it starts sawing the beam’s flanges before contacting the crossbar, or web. On average, each flange measures only about ½ ” wide while the web might be 20 ” wide.

Courtesy of Peddinghaus

Smart Saw technology from Peddinghaus automatically adjusts a bandsaw’s feed rate as the workpiece cutting area changes, such as when transitioning into a structural H-beam’s web from its flanges.

When a bandsaw blade, typically made of HSS, cuts through significantly more material while processing one section of the workpiece than the rest of it, the feed rate must be decreased to extend blade life, according to Nick Hajewski, marketing manager for Peddinghaus Corp. The company supplies CNC bandsaw machines and other equipment for the structural steel industry. When the blade exits the area with more material, the feed rate should be increased for the remainder of the cut to enhance productivity.