Gang Saw versus Diamond Wire Saw

Category: Machinery Insights Updated: 2013/9/12

Likes: 401

The cost of 1 steel blade for granite gang-saw is about 8 $ (about 1 $ per kg). The cost of 1 kg of steel shot is about 0,5$. With 1 steel blade you cut about 15 sqm and for each sqm you need about 2,5 kg steel shot.

Therefore tool cost per sqm is the following:

( 8$ / 15sqm ) + ( 2,5kg / sqm x 0,5$ / kg ) 1,78 $/sqm

On a stationary diamond wire saw you need about 20 m of wire. At a cost of about 100$/m the complete wire will cost you about 2000$. If we presume a wire yield of 10 sqm per linear meter of wire, the production of 20 m of wire will be:

20m x 10sqm 200sqm.

Unit cost of production due to tools will therefore be

2000$ / 200 sqm 10$ / sqm

The big costs of a granite gang-saw are for the machine itself (about 200.000$) and for the foundations (about 25.000$). Anyway, both machines have their own specific field of application.

The gang-saw is more suitable for mass production of thin slabs. In fact, normally there have to be used two (or four, or eight) machines in order to guarantee a continuous material output to the polishing line. As the machine needs about 2 1/2 days for cutting one loading, it is necessary that while one machine is working, the other machine can be unloaded.

Apart from block-squaring for fitting them into the gang-saws without loosing space, the application of a diamond wire saw is more for the production of few slabs, of more expensive material and different thickness. This would absolutely not be economical to do with a gang-saw.

Also cutting speed is quite different between the two systems: a gang-saw cuts at a speed of 5 cm/h, a diamond wire saw at about 100 cm/h.

Therefore, there is a frequent need of few slabs or thick slices in short time, you use a stationary wire saw, if you need lots of thin slabs continuously, you go for a gang-saw. So the two systems are complementing each other.

Finally, there are some further advantages of a wire saw:

* can be used on granite as well as on marble, travertine, etc.

* there are no vibrations

* it does not make any noise

* it can be installed outside

* low shipping costs for the wire against higher costs for the blades

* water recycling is less complicated as there is no steel-shot and no lime

* it needs much less space.

Keywords: StoneADD Articles

Source: Georg Blank

What is your question about stone? More Comments

Machinery Insights Articles

Benefits of Using Granite A-FramesPosted Date: 2023/11/10 Visitors: 538 Likes: 88Standard benefits: * Granite A Frames are lightweight and easy to handle. They can be carried by one person, so there is no need for additional personnel during transport * The rectangular design allows granite slabs to fit snugly with minimal wasted s ......

Granite A Frames for TransportPosted Date: 2023/11/10 Visitors: 721 Likes: 128Granite A frames are a necessity for granite fabricators and granite retailers. They provide safe, durable, and cost-effective storage solutions for granite slabs. But what exactly is it? A Granite A frame rack is specifically designed to store granite slabs ......

Granite A Frames CostPosted Date: 2023/11/10 Visitors: 515 Likes: 80The cost of an A frame is dependent on the size of the granite. The larger the slab, the higher the price. Some companies offer discounts for volume orders and for Bulk Orders that contain over 500 slabs. Other factors that affect the A frame price are: mate ......