Norton Abrasives: Know Your Blade

Diamond saw blades are widely used tools in the Construction industry for cutting hard materials like concrete, granite, asphalt, natural stone, ceramic tile, and even steel. Like all tools, they can be dangerous if misused, therefore, important safety information is marked on every blade. Understanding and abiding by this information is fundamental to user safety. Familiarize yourself with each of the symbols on the blade and its meaning. Take as an example the following Norton 4x4 Diamond Blade.

Safety Warning

Read the safety warning on your blade and follow the instructions. Inspect your blade before each use and operate it according to ANSI and OSHA safety requirements.

Saw Machine Compatibility

Blades are designed for specific types of saws with specific horsepower ratings. Using a blade on an overpowered saw can subject it to extreme stress that may cause failure. 

Wet or Dry Application

Cooling the blade insufficiently is a common cause of blade failure. Wet cutting blades must be continuously cooled with fluid. Dry cutting blades must be periodically removed from the cut to allow for air cooling. 

Material Type

Not all blades work on all materials so be sure to select a blade that is designed to cut your specific materials. Failure to do so can cause abuse to the wheel possibly resulting in failure. 

Max Operating Speed

Proper rotational speed is vital to the blade's performance and safety. Always ensure that your blade has an RPM equal to or greater than the RPM of the machine. Over-speeding a blade is a common cause of failure. 

Direction of Rotation

Blades are designed to cut in one direction. Mounting the blade in reverse will result in poor performance and excessive heat generation, which can cause damage to the blade leading to failure.

Blade Diameter

Your machine is designed for a specific diameter blade—the safety guard and rotational speed are not suitable for wheels of other diameters. Each size of blade has a maximum cutting depth. Select the proper size blade and observe the proper cutting depth.