Band Saw Maintenance

Production Saw Maintenance

Whether sawing for fabricating, manufacturing or custom cutting operations, the goal of saw cutting is to separate material at the lowest cost possible allow maximum profitability. There are many factors involved in accomplishing this goal. First and foremost, the band saw itself must be rigid enough to actually produce precision cuts. Preventative maintenance is critical to longevity of the machine as well as to accurate performance. A proper coolant, properly mixed, and maintenance of the coolant system is also critical to cost effective and accurate saw cutting. Blade speeds and feed rates are critical to blade life and performance. Finally, correct blade selection, including blade type and tooth pitch, will combine with the previous factors for ultimate cost effective productivity.

Bandsaw Maintenance

The manual that came with your band saw should be your first reference and guide to maintaining your saw in proper condition.

Scheduled lubrication of grease fittings is a critical factor in preventing premature wear of metal to metal moving parts and also helps prevent metal fines from contributing to the wear of those parts.

Gearbox oil should be checked on a routine basis and should be changed once a year in order to avoid premature gear tooth wear.

The hydraulic system reservoir level should be checked on a regular basis. The oil and the filter should be changed annually.

Band wheel bearings, especially the idler wheel, eventually wear allowing the wheel to tilt causing blades to jump off the wheel or allowing them to ride over the flange causing stress cracks and blade breaks.

Blade control guide rollers (bearings) are consumable parts and need to be replaced when worn in order to maintain proper blade alignment. Worn back-up rollers can damage the back of the blade or allow it to ride high enough to damage the set causing crooked cuts in the material.

Carbide side and back-up guides also wear and should be checked on a regular basis. If the side guides have not been adjusted properly they can wear at an angle which can cause crooked cuts. Worn back-up guides can let the band ride high enough to damage the set of the teeth can cause crooked cuts. If the back-up guide is damaged it can wear the blade back causing stress cracks and breakage.

The saw should be equipped with a wire chip brush in good condition. The brush should be adjusted so that it cleans metal chips from the teeth in order to avoid carrying them back through the kerf.