Sawing machine

GENERAL
• PURPOSE
• The sawing machine is a machine tool designed to cut material to a
desired length or contour .
• It functions by drawing a blade containing cutting teeth through the
workpiece.
• The sawing machine is faster and easier than hand sawing and is used
principally to produce an accurate square or mitered cut on the
workpiece.
 TYPES
• The power hacksaw and the band saw are two common types of
sawing machines used to cut metal in the machine shop.
• The power hacksaw uses a reciprocating (back and forth) cutting
action similar to the one used in a hand hacksaw.
• The power hacksaw is used for square or angle cutting of stock.
• The band saw uses a continuous band blade. A drive wheel and an
idler wheel support and drive the blade.
 POWER HACKSAW MACHINES
• DESCRIPTION
• All power hacksaw machines are basically similar in design. Figure 1
shows a typical power hacksaw and identifies its main parts, which
are discussed below.

Figure 1.Power hacksaw

• The base of the saw usually contains a coolant reservoir and a pump
for conveying the coolant to the work. The reservoir contains baffles
which cause the chips to settle to the bottom of the tank. A table
which supports the vise and the metal being sawed is located on top
of the base and is usually referred to as part of the base.
 Vise
• The vise is adjustable so that various sizes and shapes of metal may
be held. On some machines the vise may be swiveled so that stock
may be sawed at an angle. The size of a power hacksaw is determined
by the largest piece of metal that can be held in the vise and sawed.
• Frame
• The frame of the saw supports and carries the hacksaw blade. The
machine is designed so that the saw blade contacts the work only on
the cutting stroke. This. action prevents unnecessary wear on the saw
blade. The cutting stroke is on the draw or back stroke
• Some machines feed by gravity, the saw frame having weights that
can be shifted to give greater or less pressure on the blade. Other
machines are power fed with the feed being adjustable. On these
machines, the feed is usually stopped or reduced automatically when
a hard spot is encountered in the material, thus allowing the blade to
cut through the hard spot without breaking.
SPEED-CHANGE MECHANISM
• The shift lever allows the number of strokes per minute to be changed so
that a variety of metals may be sawed at the proper speeds. Some saws
have a diagram showing the number of strokes per minute when the shift
lever is in different positions; others are merely marked “F,” M,” and “S”
(fast, medium, and slow).
• ADJUSTABLE FEED CLUTCH
• The adjustable feed clutch is a ratchet-and-pawl mechanism that is
coupled to the feed screw. The feed clutch may be set to a desired amount
of feed in thousandths of an inch. Because of the ratchet-and-pawl action,
the feed takes place at the beginning of the cutting stroke. The clutch acts
as a safety device and permits slippage if too much feed pressure is put on
the saw blade. It may also slip because of a dull blade or if too large a cut
is attempted. This slippage helps prevent excessive blade breakage.
BANDSAW MACHINES
• Metal-cutting band saw machines fall into two basic categories:
vertical machines and horizontal machines.
• Band saws use a continuous saw blade.
• Chip removal is rapid, because each tooth is a precision cutting tool
and accuracy can be held to close tolerances eliminating or
minimizing many secondary machining operations.
VERTICAL BANDSAWING MACHINE
• The metal-cutting vertical band sawing machine, also called a contour
machine, is made in a variety of sizes and models by several
manufacturers. The size of a contour machine is determined by the
throat depth, which is the distance from the saw band to the column.
• The head is the large unit at the top of the contour machine that
contains the saw band idler wheel, the drive motor switch, the
tension adjustment hand wheel and mechanism, a flexible air line
(directs a jet of air at the work to keep layout lines free from chips),
and the adjustable post which supports the upper saw guide. The job
selector dial is also located on the head.
• The column contains the speed indicator dial, which is driven by a cable from
the transmission and indicates the speed in feet per minute (FPM). The butt
welder is also mounted on the column.
• The base contains the saw band drive wheel, the motor, and the transmission.
The transmission has two speed ranges. The low range gives speeds from 50
FPM to 375 FPM. The high range gives speeds from 260 FPM to 1,500 FPM. A
shift lever on the back of the base can be placed in the high, low, or neutral
position. Low is recommended for all speeds under 275 FPM. The base also
supports the table and contains the lower saw band guide, which is mounted
immediately under the table slot. The power feed mechanism is located
within the base, and the feed adjustment handle and foot pedal are located
on the front of the base.
 VARIABLE SPEED UNIT
• The variable speed unit is located within the base of the machine.
This unit consists of two V-type pulleys which are mounted on a
common bearing tube. A belt on one pulley is driven by the
transmission, while the belt on the other pulley drives the saw band
drive wheel.
• The two outside cones of the pulleys are fixed, but the middle cone is
shifted when the speed change wheel is turned. A shift in the middle
cone causes the diameter of one pulley to increase and the diameter
of the other pulley to decrease. This slowly changes the ratio between
the two pulleys and permits a gradual increase or decrease in the
speed of the machine.
HORIZONTAL BANDSAW MACHINE
• The horizontal band sawing machine does the same job as the power hacksaw
but does it more efficiently. The blade of the band saw is actually a continuous
band which revolves around a drive wheel and idler wheel in the band support
frame.

• Two band guides use rollers to twist the band so that the teeth are in the
proper cutting position. The guides are adjustable and should be adjusted so
that they are just slightly further apart than the width of the material to be cut.
This will give maximum support to the saw band and help assure a straight cut.
HORIZONTAL BANDSAW MACHINE
• The vise on the horizontal band saw is much like the one on the power
hacksaw. However, the horizontal band saw has a much greater capacity
for large stock than does the power hacksaw. The stationary jaw can be
set at several angles. The movable jaw adjusts automatically to whatever
position the stationary jaw is in when the vise hand wheel is tightened.
• The horizontal band saw is operated hydraulically by controls on a control
box, which is located on the front side of the machine. A motor and pump
assembly supplies hydraulic fluid from a reservoir in the base to a
cylinder, which raises and lowers the support arm and also controls the
feed pressure and band tension.
• A speed and feed chart is sometimes provided on the machine, but when
it is not, consult the operator’s manual for the proper settings for sawing.
Horizontal band machine continue …
• A coolant pump is located in one of the legs of the base, which serves
as a coolant reservoir. The coolant cools the saw band and also
washes away chips from the cut before they can clog the band.
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
• Sawing machines have some special safety precautions that must be
observed.
Keep hands away from the saw blade of the hacksawing machine or
band sawing machine when in operation.
Ensure the power supply is disconnected prior to removal or
installation of saw blades.
Use a miter guide attachment, work-holding jaw device or a wooden
block for pushing metal workpiece into the blade of the band saw
wherever possible. Keep fingers well clear of the blade at all times.
When removing and installing band saw blades, handle the blades
carefully. A large springy blade can be dangerous if the operator does
not exercise caution.
 TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT
• POWER HACKSAW BLADES
Power hacksaw blades differ from hand hacksaw blades in that they are
generally heavier, made in longer sizes, and have fewer teeth per inch.
Hacksaw blades are discarded when they become dull; sharpening is not
practical.
Materials commonly used in manufacturing power hacksaw blades are
high-speed tungsten steel and high-speed molybdenum steel. On some
blades only the teeth are hardened, leaving the body of the blade
flexible. Other blades are hardened throughout.
The set is the amount of bend given the teeth. The set makes it possible
for a saw to cut a kerf or slot wider than the thickness of the band back
(gage), thus providing side clearance.
• This is the pattern in which the teeth are set. There are three set
patterns: Raker, wave, and straight
End of the course