8

Maximum Safe Rotational Speed

Blade Diameter ø

Max

imum

RP

M

12000

10000

8000

6000

4000

2000

6"(150mm)

7"(175mm)

8"(200mm)

9"(225mm)

10"(250mm)

12"(300mm)

14"(350mm)

15"(375mm)

16"(400mm)

18"(450mm)

20"(500mm)

Equivalency TableEquivalency TableFor Industrial Saw Blade Sizes

mm Inches mm Inches

150

160

170

184

200

210

6

6-1/2

7

7-1/2

8

8-1/2

220 9

235

250

300

350

400

450

9-1/2

10

12

14

16

18

500 20

Saw Blades: Technical Information

Anti-Kickback Limiter – (L)The projection at the back of the tooth shoulder that limits themaximum tooth bite to the safe amount for the blade design.

ATB – Alternate Top BevelTooth configuration where the top bevel alternates from rightto left. Top bevel can range from 10 degrees to 40 degrees.Used for crosscutting hardwoods and softwoods andgeneral-purpose cutting.

BoreArbor hole diameter

BrazingThe method used to attach the carbide tips to the bladebody. Both the blade and the body are heated above themelting point of the brazing compound, which then flows, bycapillary action into the joint, forming a bond between theparts.

COMB – Combination GrindA mixture of ATB and Flat Top tooth design where eachgroup of 5 teeth are led by a flat-topped raker tooth andfollowed by top bevel teeth alternating from left to right.Multi-purpose use.

Expansion Slots – (E)Slots that are cut into the radius of the blade body controllingthe expansion of the blade that may occur due to heat andcentrifugal force.

FLAT – Flat Top GrindTeeth are ground flat on top with 0 degrees of top bevelangle. Durable and long lasting, this blade is used for rippingor general purpose.

Gullet – (G)The area cut out in the blade body in front of each tooth. Thegullet is designed for chip removal. The higher the ratio ofteeth to blade size the smaller the chip size, and therefore thesmaller the gullet.

Hook Angle – (H)The angle that the face of the tooth makes with a lineprojecting radially from the center of the bore coming intocontact with the tooth. Hook Angle ranges from 25 degreesto –7 degrees.

Kerf – (K)The width of cut a saw blade makes under ideal conditions.

Plate – (P)The thickness of the saw blade body.

Radial Side Clearance – (C)The clearance angle on the side of the tooth.

Relief Angle – (R)The angle made by the top of the tooth away from the cuttingedge to a line tangent to the blade circumference.

Shoulder – (S)The part of the blade body directly behind each tooth, whichprovides support for the tooth.

TCG – Triple Chip GrindTooth grind where one flat-topped tooth is followed by atrapezoidal tooth that is slightly higher. The higher tooth pre-cuts the material narrower than the final kerf, helping toeliminate chipping in brittle materials, such as chipboard andlaminates.

Tensioning RingThe area in the blade that is pre-tensioned for maximumflatness over a broad temperature range, and operationalspeed. The tensioning ring can be seen on most blades as afaint ring approximately 3/4 the diameter of the blade.

Top Bevel Angle – (T)Angle that the top of the tooth makes from side to side.

K

R

G

E

SG

E

S

L

H

R

L

H

TT

C

P

K

C

P

Glossary Of Terms

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9

Crosscutting

RippingBurning may beexperiencedwithin this region

Recommended Teeth Per Material Thickness

Material Thickness

Nu

mb

er o

f Te

eth

120

100

80

60

40

20

1"(25.4mm)

0 2"(50.8mm)

3"(76.2mm)

4"(101.6mm)

5"(127mm)

Rough cuts may be experienced within this region

Saw Blades: Technical Information

How To Use This Chart

1. Find the material thickness you will be cutting on the bottom scale.

2. Extend a vertical line up into the shaded area that matches the cut that you will be making (ripping orcrosscutting).

3. Extend horizontal lines from the points that the vertical lines enter and exit the shaded area. These twolines represent the maximum and minimum number of teeth that should be used to make the cut.

4. Extend a horizontal line centered between the first two horizontal lines.THIS LINE REPRESENTS THE IDEAL NUMBER OF TEETH THAT SHOULD BE USED TO MAKE THE CUT.

EXAMPLE 1:How many teeth should be used to crosscut a 3/4" thick board? The heavy solid line is extended vertically into the light yellow crosscut region. The two light solid lines areextended horizontally from where the vertical line crosses the boundaries of the crosscut region. The heavysolid line is drawn horizontally, from the middle of the crosscut region. The chart shows that the blade to useto crosscut a 3/4" thick board should have between 56 and 104 teeth. Ideally, an 80-tooth blade should beused. You then select the blade closest to the ideal number of teeth.

EXAMPLE 2:How many teeth should be used to rip a 1-1/2" thick board?The heavy dashed line is extended vertically into the orange ripping region. The two light dashed lines areextended horizontally from where the vertical line crosses the boundaries of the ripping region. The heavydashed line is drawn horizontally from the middle of the ripping region. The chart shows that the blade to useto rip a 1-1/2" thick board should have between 20 and 32 teeth. Ideally, a 26-tooth blade should be used.You then select a blade closest to the ideal number of teeth, which in this case would be a 24-tooth blade.

Valuable Information: The correct number of teeth is more important than the highest number of teeth. See chart below.

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10

About Freud’s TiCo™ Hi-Density Carbide

TiCo™ Hi-Density Carbide is a new specially formulated, highly compact TitaniumCobalt Carbide engineered and manufactured by Freud to maximize performance on allFreud cutting tools.

Designed in Freud research and development laboratories, Freud’s TiCo™ Hi-DensityCarbide is scientifically developed using the following elements (as well as proprietaryelements), to produce a supreme product:

• TiC=Titanium Carbide is known for its high strength, excellent wear resistance, resistance to corrosion, and high melting/boiling points (heat resistance).

• Co=Cobalt also known for its density, hardness, and corrosion resistance; but it’s also a very impact resistant element.

• W=Tungsten is an extremely dense and durable hard metal.

This new carbide is much smaller and more densely packed than other carbides on themarket today, enabling the carbide teeth on Freud's blades, bits and cutters to last upto four times longer than standard products. Carbide size is extremely important when itcomes to sharpness as well as the rate at which an edge wears. The larger the carbidegrain, the faster an edge will wear. While standard carbides measure as large as 5microns, and an advanced micrograin carbide can measure at 1 micron, Freud’s TiCo™Hi-Density Carbide is miniscule in comparison at .8 microns, with a laminate blend assmall as .4 microns.

Using precise mixtures of cobalt (for impact resistance), titanium (for its anti-corrosiveproperties), tungsten (for its hardness), and a number of proprietary elements, Freudcreates over 20 different blends of TiCo™ Hi-Density Carbide designed specifically foreach cutting application to maximize blade life and material finish. Other carbide that ispurchased "off-the-shelf" is usually non-specific and therefore will not maintain theproper tooth geometry or sharp edge. Freud-made carbides are designed to producethe best finish and life for their particular purpose.

Freud’s industrial carbide blends range from highly impact-resistant for durability inripping to extremely hard for maintaining a sharp edge in laminate cutting. For examplea TiCo™ Hi-Density Ripping Carbide contains a moderate amount of cobalt allowing thecarbide to withstand the impact demands when ripping, while a TiCo™ Hi-DensityLaminate Carbide is a sub micrograin, dense carbide formulation that is half the size ofFreud’s other TiCo™ blends. At 0.4 microns, this carbide which contains a maximumamount of tungsten is the hardest of all which allows the edge to stay sharpest inlaminate, melamine and solid surface cutting applications

Freud—Leaders In Carbide Technology

Freud Hi-DensityCarbide Blends:

• Non-Ferrous Blend• Ripping Blend• General Purpose Blend• Combination Blend• Crosscutting Blend• Panel Sizing Blend• Laminated Panel Blend

TiCo™ Hi-Density CarbideFreud’s premium quality TiCo™

Hi-Density Carbide allows for a sharperedge that gives a better finish with a

dramatically longer cutting life. And sincethe grains are much smaller and more

dense there is not as dramatic a loss tothe cutting edge, so wear occurs much

more slowly.

Before Use After Use

Standard Grade CarbideLarge grain carbide cannot besharpened to such tight tolerances andas a result leave a rougher finish. Plus,the cutting edge wears much morequickly due to larger pieces of materialeroding away with use. In fact, after justa few cuts with standard carbides, lifeand finish begin to suffer.

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11

Freud—Leaders In Carbide Technology

• Sharper Edge—Flawless Finish• Controlled Wear—Stays Sharper 4X Longer• Precise Formulation—Maximum Performance• More sharpenings—More cut for the money• Extra Long Life—More cut for the money

All of these technological advancements add up to:

Tungsten Carbide (WC)Tungsten Carbide is a combination of Tungsten and Carbon in powder form. Thispowder is created by a process of carburization in a Hydrogen furnace to create veryfine particle sizes in the 2 to 0.2 µm range.

Cobalt (Co)Cobalt is used as the binder that holds the different carbide powders together. It alsoprovides the bonding surface for the brazing process. Freud uses only Cobalt from aspecial process which yields a certain grain structure required for a strong bond.

Atomized Carbide PowderAtomized Carbide powder is a mixture of Tungsten Carbide, Cobalt and othercarbides, which was mixed with wax and alcohol to form a homogeneous mixture thenatomized in Nitrogen atmosphere. The spherical shape makes the mixture flow evenlyinto the presses yielding a higher quality carbide. The average size of the spheres areapproximately 150 µm.

Crystalline StructureThis is an image of the crystalline structure of the carbide after sintering in a vacuumfurnace. The light colored crystals are the Tungsten Carbide, notice how fine and eventhe grain sizes are one to another. The dark zones are the Cobalt binder.

Magnified Cutting EdgeThe Tungsten Carbide crystals can be seen after grinding. Freud’s finer grain mixtureallows for a sharper edge which will resist wear better and last longer because asparticles break off there is less rounding of the cutting edge.

Increasing Impact StrengthIncreasing Impact Strength Increasing HardnessIncreasing Hardness

TiCo™ Hi-Density Industrial Carbide Blend Chart

High cobaltcontent–allowing thecarbide to withstandimpact when cuttingnon-ferrous metals

Non-Ferrous TiCo™Hi-Density Carbide Blend

Medium Cobaltcontent–allowing the

carbide to withstand theimpact demands when

ripping.

Ripping TiCo™Hi-Density Carbide Blend

A perfect blend of Cobalt,Titanium and Tungsten –both impact resistant andhard carbide for generalpurpose applications.

General Purpose TiCo™Hi-Density Carbide Blend

A little less Cobaltcontent and more

Hi-Density TungstenCarbide – allowing the

carbide to keep an edgelonger in combination

applications.

Combination TiCo™Hi-Density Carbide Blend

More Hi-DensityTungsten Carbide

content making thecarbide very hard –

allowing the carbide tomaintain a sharp cutting

edge in crosscutapplications.

Crosscutting TiCo™Hi-Density Carbide Blend

Super Hi-DensityTungsten Carbide – half

the size of standardmicro-grain carbide (.4microns vs. .8) makingthis carbide the hardest

of all to withstandlaminate, melamine &solid surface cutting –while still giving a chip

and swirl-free cut.

Laminate/Plastic/Solid Surface TiCo™

Super Hi-DensityCarbide Blend

1-19 pages-8-29-06 9/28/06 10:30 AM Page 11

12

Freud—Leaders In Coating Technology

Silver I.C.E.™ Coating - a revolutionary new coating that resists corrosion and resin or "pitch"build-up and resists heat up to 2 times longer than standard polished blades.

Blades featuring Silver I.C.E.™ Coating resist corrosion and build-up, and have 2 times moreheat resistance and life than polished blades.

Silver I.C.E™ Coating protects the blade from heat stress that can cause rapid loss of tension,which in turn causes blade warp, over heating and poor cut quality. Additionally, this coatingreduces the possibility for pitch build-up, which further reduces the heat element responsiblefor drag on the motor. Less drag means longer tool life and longer blade life. Less pitch alsomeans less down time for blade cleaning.

About Freud’s Silver I.C.E.™ (Industrial Cooling Element) Coating

All Freud blades feature industry-first protective coatings to shield the blades from extreme heat, build-up and corrosion.

Life in 3/4" material,measured in Edge Life

Heat Testing Results

1X 2X 3X

StandardUncoated

Blade

Silver I.C.E.ôCoated Blade

Tem

per

atur

e (F

)

450°

50°100°150°200°250°300°350°400°

Time (seconds)0 105 15 20 25 30

Standard Blade

Silver I.C.E.

Heat Testing Results

Tem

per

atur

e (F

)

450°

50°100°

150°200°250°

300°350°

400°

Time (seconds)0 105 15 20 25 30

Standard Blade

Silver I.C.E.

Perma-SHIELD

1X 2X 3X 4X

Std.Blade

SilverI.C.E.™

Perma-SHIELD®

Life in 3/4" material,measured in Edge Life

Silver ICE Coating Testing Versus Standard Uncoated Blades

Perma-SHIELD® & Silver ICE Coating Testing Versus Standard Uncoated Blades

Perma-SHIELD® - a state of the art formulation produces a coating that is superior to anytoday, and will withstand the toughest woodworking applications. Combine Perma-SHIELD®

Industrial Coating System with the other features Freud has pioneered, on a full range ofproducts, and you have a superior wood cutting tool that will answer the needs of allwoodworkers.

Perma-SHIELD® - coating virtually eliminates heat generated from friction. The non-stickcoating envelops the blade plate and cutting edge in a protective layer resulting in completethermal insulation in even the harshest conditions. Blades coated with Perma-SHIELD® resistbinding in large volume cutting, which reduces blade warp. This lubricating feature allows the

blades to spin freely and reduce stress on the motor and saw carriage, in turn prolonging thelife of the machine. Like Silver I.C.E., Perma-SHIELD® eliminates pitch and debris build-

up reducing down time for cleaning.

About Freud’s Perma-SHIELD® Coating

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13

Coated Blades Reduce Blade DragFreud’s coatings significantly reduce bladedrag keeping the blade cool, improving thequality of cut, and extending the life of theblade.

Standard Uncoated Saw BladesA non-coated saw blade produces moredrag and develops more heat. This heatdistorts most saw blades, compromising itscut quality and reducing its cutting life.

Sta

ndar

d

Co

ated

Bla

des

Co

ated

Bla

des

Co

ated

Bla

des

Unc

oat

ed B

lad

e

Prevents CorrosionFreud coatings protect the blade from humidityand corrosion, therefore improving feed rateand extending the life of the blade.

Open to CorrosionA non-coated saw blade is moresusceptible to corrosion, thereforeincreasing blade drag, reducing blade life,and causing more strain on the saw’s motor.

Sta

ndar

dU

nco

ated

Bla

de

Reduces Pitch Build-upFreud’s coatings reduces pitch build up;maintaining the quality of cut and reducingblade clean up time.

Pitch Build-upA non-coated saw blade is receptive topitch build up; altering the blade’s cuttingperformance with life and finish.

Sta

ndar

dU

nco

ated

Bla

de

Freud—Leaders In Coating Technology

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14

Premium Anti-Fatigue SteelPre-Hardened and pre-flattened steel (46to 48 Rc) – recognized as the world’shighest quality steel – ensures precisionmanufacturing and performance longevity,even under heavy load.

Average Soft Rolled SteelRolled, soft steel (30 Rc) cannot maintainprecision manufacturing tolerances andis therefore unable to remain stable andprecise under load.

Safety Feature: Kickback Reducing DesignNew shoulder design for added safety,reduces the effects of dangerouskickbacks and make the saw blades goodat cutting wood with loose knots & nails,and are superb at cutting even the poorestquality chipboard.

No Safety FeatureSaw blades without anti-kickbacksystem gives no safety benefit at all tothe user and may also damage the bladeand the workpiece itself.

Freud—Leader In Manufacturing & Engineering

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High Performance Laser CutRevolutionary high-tech lasers cut eachFreud saw blade, ensuring a precise bladebody time after time. These lasers are sopowerful, Freud is able to utilize a highstrength steel (46 to 48 Rc) for the bladebodies, so they will remain flat and true,even after years of use.

Stamped Die Cut BladesMost other manufacturers are forced touse a softer metal (30 Rc) because the‘stamp’ or die is also made of steel. Thispunching process cuts 2/3 of the waythrough the material; the remaining 1/3 isstretched until it tears. This processcreates stresses in the blade that oftenlead to blade flexing and ‘wandering’within the cut.

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15Balancing

All Freud blades are precision balanced toensure vibration-free cuts. Blades arebalanced on computer-controlled equip-ment that determines exactly wherematerial needs to be removed. Oncematerial is removed, the blade is recheckedto ensure that it is perfectly balanced.

Imperfectly Balanced Saw BladesA non-balanced blade has differentweights in various parts of its bodywhich evokes vibration during rotationand an unbalanced blade can also chat-ter and create unnecessary rework cost-ing quality, time, and money.

Tensioning Ring

The blade is stable This blade vibrates

Freud—Leader In Manufacturing & Engineering

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Tensioning RingPretensioning balances the centrifugal andthermal forces the blade endures whilecutting and ensures that the blade staystruer under load. Freud's exclusivecomputer-controlled equipment pre-tensions the blades, leaving a faint ringnear the outside diameter of the blades.

Non-Tensioned BladeSome manufactures do not tension theirblades. Saw blades that are notproperly tensioned cannot handlechanges in temperature and stressesendured in standard cutting app-lications. A non-tensioned blade canlead to an unstable cut causingpremature wear of carbide teeth, poorcutting finish and a reduction in thecutting life of a saw blade.

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Anti-Vibration TechnologyFreud’s anti-vibration design stabilizes theblade to reduce chatter for a flawless finishand long life. This feature also produces a lownoise saw blade.

No Anti-VibrationSaw blades without anti-vibration venttechnology can move sidways in the cutproducing chattering and noise,resulting in poor cut quality.

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16

Expansion Slots Reduce NoiseThe Freud designed laser cut expansionslots are unique in design to dissipateblade stress over a greater area andproduce a quieter operation.

High Noise with Die Cut Expansion SlotsOther designs are not as effective atreducing stress. Punched holes can leadto cracking and high noise.

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Freud—Leader In Manufacturing & Engineering

Tri-Metal BrazingFreud’s innovative Tri-Metal Brazingprocess bonds the carbide tips to the steelblade body. This method consists ofcopper alloy sandwiched between layersof silver alloy. The copper allows forflexibility and impact resistance to protectthe carbide tips and steel shoulders whencutting knots, laminates, hardwoods, etc.

Standard BrazingOther manufacturers only use silver alloy,which does not allow for expansionduring operation. This causes the bondto develop stresses, leading to cracks inthe carbide and failed joints.

Silver

Silver

Copper Silver

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Super squaretooth design Normal tooth

Super Square Tooth DesignThe super square tooth cuts moreprecisely than a normal tooth and with ahigher number of sharpenings, lastinglonger than standard teeth.

Normal ToothThe larger cutting surface of a traditionaltooth compromises the cutting qualitybecause the tool tends to follow thework pieces grain.

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