User guide

B-1 l Appendix

Cutter Blade Selection and Use

Cutter blade characteristics such as material, design, and thickness can have a large

effect on cut quality.

Blade materials

• Blue tempered spring steel is most commonly used because of its cost and

availability over a wide range of thicknesses (0.010-0.062 inch). It is a very

tough material with an HRC value of approximately 48-51 and fair wear charact-

eristics.

• Razor blade stainless steel is becoming very popular due to its HRC value of

57-58, which leads to improved wear resistance. This material retains good

toughness, but will chip or break. It is available in 0.010-0.062 inch thicknesses.

Because it is non-corrosive, stainless steel is a good choice for medical cutting

applications, and may even be coated with Teflon to enhance cut quality.

• A-2 is a good grade of tool steel with an HRC of 60. Its minimum thickness

(0.031 inch) forces the blade manufacturer to grind it down for thinner applica-

tions, which adds cost. A-2 is more wear resistant than stainless, but is also more

brittle.

• M-2 is an excellent grade of tool steel with an HRC of 63-66. It is one of the

best materials for coating with titanium nitride for improved wear resistance.

(However, coatings generally cause some slight loss of sharpness.) 0.025 inch

material is available, which covers many applications without the need for sec-

ondary grinding operations.

• D-2 is another excellent tool steel with an HRC range of 58-60. It is tougher than

M-2 but has slightly less wear resistance. Its minimum thickness (0.035 inch)

and the need for specialized grinding materials, make it a relatively expensive

material. It is the material of choice for cutting Kevlar-reinforced hose.

• CPM 10-V is a form of carbide developed especially for the high speed punch

industry. With an HRC of 60-62 and a toughness that far exceeds D-2, it is by far

the best cutting blade material. Because its minimum thickness is 0.035 inch,

and it requires the use of diamond grinding wheels, CPM 10-V is the most

expensive of the blade materials.