Have you ever wondered “Is a Bimetal M42 Profile or a Bimetal M42 Bandsaw Blade right for my application?” If so, let’s explore the differences between the two.
Both blades are made from the same Bi-alfa Cobalt M42 material, but their tooth geometry is different, which means they are better suited to different cutting tasks.
Bimetal M42 Profile Blades
Let's start with the Bimetal M42 Profile Blade. This type of blade is specifically designed for cuts that are prone to vibration, such as tubes, beams, and profiles. Vibration during the cutting process is one of the biggest problems bandsaw operators have to deal with. Vibration (caused by incorrect tensioning, broken teeth, excessive swarf, and incorrect cutting speed and down feed) will reduce your blade life, and often be the cause of blade breakages. This is because the vibration will cause your blade to lose tension, leading to variations in the cut, tooth chipping, and increased heat and stress on the blade’s weld.
However, the Bimetal M42 Profile Blade has a supported tooth geometry, giving it extra strength and protecting it against tooth strippage. This will help you to minimize the impact of vibration (which we don’t want) and give you a clean and accurate cut with decreased stress on the blade. This makes it perfect for cutting structural steel. It’s also ideal for making interruptive cuts (where the tooth enters and exits the material more than once during the cut).
Bimetal M42 Blades
Let’s talk about the Bimetal M42 Blade. This blade is great for all of your general-purpose cutting tasks. But it's also the only option when you are cutting solid materials larger than 40-50mm, as the larger gullet allows the increased amount of swarf to be carried out of the cut without putting pressure on the tooth. Also, if you're cutting softer materials like copper, or brass, the Bimetal M42 blade is your friend. This is because the larger gullet helps to avoid chip welding when you’re cutting faster.
In the end, it all comes down to what you need the blade for. If you're cutting materials that are prone to vibration, or are making interruptive cuts, go for the Bimetal M42 Profile blade. But if you're cutting larger solids, aluminium, copper or brass, the Bimetal M42 blade is the way to go.
