How to choose the right diamond cutting blade?

In this blog we focus on a general topic, the range of diamond cutting blades, especially from RUBI, their characteristics and their application for different tile materials.

For quality and efficient cutting of tiling materials or tiles, 3 basic conditions must be met: a suitable cutting tool (e.g. RUBI, Kaufmann or Battipav manual cutter or electric cutter), the suitable scoring wheel for manual cutters or diamond blade for electric cutters, and finally the skill and experience of the tiler.

There are different types of diamond blades for cutting various tile materials. However, knowing how to cut each material is a key skill for a tiler to achieve a good quality result. Understanding how to tile, how blades are manufactured and how they work will help you better understand what type of blade you need, or which is the best for cutting each material.

Diamond cutting blades

Let’s start with some general information about diamond blades. Diamond cutting blades consist of a circular body (core), mostly made of steel. The diamonds are adhered to the core in the form of a continuous rim or in segments. This cutting material, also called a diamond band, can be bonded to the core in a variety of ways, but the most used method is laser welding. The band has a very high abrasiveness which is used in the cutting process.

The type of bonding of diamond grains can be done in three different ways: sintering, electroplating or vacuum brazing. In the case of specific cutting blades for cutting ceramics, we will mostly talk about sintering. In the sintering process, the diamond particles (grains) are mixed with a metallic binder and merged together using pressure and temperature. This creates a structure with different layers of diamonds that are revealed as the blade gradually wears. This metal and diamond amalgamation is sometimes called the bond.

The relationship between the diamond grain size, the concentration of these grains and the hardness of the bond varies according to the requirements of each blade.

• If we cut hard materials, we use the small grain type with a high concentration of diamonds and a soft bond.
• If we cut abrasive materials, we use a large grain, with low diamond concentration and a hard bond.
• If we cut all kinds of materials, we usually use a large grain, a low diamond concentration and a soft bond.

Ideally, both the bond and the diamonds wear at the same time. If we have a soft bond, the metal will wear faster and the diamonds will always be exposed and ready for efficient cutting. In this case, the life of the blade will be negatively affected, especially when cutting abrasive materials.

On the contrary, if we have too hard bond, the diamonds will wear out without gradually replenishing themselves. This is due to the bond does not wear away as the same time as the diamonds, and the tool loses its cutting effectiveness. This is when we say the blade is “dull”. Cleaning/grinding blocks which are super-abrasive can be used to solve this problem. The cleaning block will wear away the blade’s bond and diamond particles from the underlying layers appear on the surface. These blocks will also remove any debris left on the blade after making a few cuts.

Sintered diamond blades

In our store we have a wide range of sintered diamond blades available not only from RUBI, but also from SOLGA, SIMA, DISTAR, CARAT or BATTIPAV.

Using the RUBI diamond blade list below, we will outline the differences between the different types of blades and their rims. Below is a list that shows the differences between the different kinds, also with examples of the models that you can find in the Tiler-Market store:

Continuos rim – Provides the best finish. Used for cutting tiles less than 25 mm thick.
Dry – CSV, CPR / Wet – CEV, CPA, CPC

TURBO rim – Great combination of cutting properties. High performance and cutting speed with high quality finishes.
Dry – TCR, TSV, TLG / Wet – TPI, TON

VIPER rim – Evolution of the TURBO rim with even higher quality of cut and also speed. It is the ideal rim for materials with high hardness.
Dry – TVA, TVR, TGS / Wet – TVH

Segmented rim – These are the fastest blades. They provide maximum cutting speed and better blade cooling. They are suitable for cutting materials over 25 mm thick.
Dry – STT / Wet – SHR

TURBO segmented rim – They are suitable for cutting all kinds of materials at high speed.

J-slot rim – Cutting-edge rim technology delivers high cutting speeds in the toughest materials. These blades are specifically designed for direct cutting of porcelain tile. Eliminates tension arising during cutting.
Dry – CPJ / Wet – CPX, SPT

When assessing blades, it is always important to remember that the higher the cutting speed, the lower the quality and vice versa. The blades with the most balanced speed/quality ratio are the TURBO and VIPER kinds.

How to choose a diamond blade?

Now that we have described how diamond blades work, how they are made and their kinds and basic characteristics, we need to consider the following three aspects when choosing the right wheel:

1. What type of cut are we going to make?

Depending on the type of cut we are going to make, we should think about what type of machine we are going to use. An electric cutter or an angle grinder? And then, what type of cooling do we use?

Depending on your cutting machine, whether it is an electric cutter or an angle grinder, it is always necessary to choose the appropriate blade diameter, its central hole and also the maximum rotations for which it has been designed.

Surely each of you knows that diamond blades cut material based on the principle of friction. Since they are super-abrasive, this friction creates high temperatures during cutting that need to be reduced (cooled). This leads to two types of cutting: dry cutting and wet cutting.
In dry cutting, cooling is done only by the air movement generated by the blade itself as it rotates. “Dry” cutting blades can be water cooled for greater durability and better surface finish. “Wet” cutting blades must always be water cooled.

In our range you will find many different diamond blades for dry or wet cutting. Therefore, you need to know which machine you will use and also the type of cooling before making a decision.

2. Types of materials we need to cut

The second thing to consider is what types of materials you will cut.

When you want to cut ceramics or ceramic materials, both fall into the siliceous materials. These materials, composed mainly of silica, have a medium-high hardness, although some can also contain particles with very high abrasiveness.
Among the most common siliceous materials are those we are most interested in: ceramics or ceramic materials such as tiles, glazed stoneware or porcelain stoneware. Glass and granite also include into this group.
Because of the hardness of these materials, we will need a combination of small grains with a high concentration of diamonds and a soft bond that wears simultaneously with the diamonds to avoid dulling of the blade and to ensure that the blade continuously delivers the required cutting performance.

3. Cutting speed vs. Quality of finish

Thirdly, we need to consider if we need cutting speed or quality of finish.

This will depend on the types of cuts you are going to make. It is not the same to make a straight or diagonal cut, where we may need speed, as to make a mitre cut, where we need precision and quality of finish.
Not all blades are suitable for all types of cuts. For mitering or making a miter cut, we need blades with enough reinforcement and core thickness to withstand a 45° cut without vibration or breakage. The minimum core thickness for mitering varies depending on the blade’s diameter. Worth mentioning are the angled cutting blades from DISTAR’s EDGE series.

We have considered whether we will be wet or dry cutting depending on the machine used, the hardness of the material to be cut, such as ceramics, and whether we need cutting speed or quality of finish, we are ready to choose the most suitable diamond blade.

Classification of diamond blades by color

To make it easier for you to choose the right blade, several manufacturers use a color classification of blades. Each color tells us what use or application the blade is originally designed for. This is how companies such as RUBI and SOLGA do it.

RUBI

• Red – mainly for porcelain
• Purple – designed for common building materials
• Light green – for common ceramic material
• Dark green – universal blades for various building materials
• Blue – for hard materials
• Orange – for abrasive materials
• Grey – for marble
• Yellow – for other materials

SOLGA

Wet cutting

• Green – for ceramic materials
• Red – for hard ceramics and porcelain
• Blue – universal blades for different building materials
• Blue with black stripe – for abrasive materials
• Dark red – for interlocking paving

Dry cutting

• Red – for ceramics
• Dark red – for hard ceramics and gres
• Black – for abrasive materials
• Orange – universal blades
• Blue – ideal for bricks and pressed stoneware, can also be used for natural stoneware and concrete
• Gold – for different building materials

We hope that after reading this article, it will be easier for you to choose the right and best blade for cutting tile materials. If you still couldn’t choose from our selection, you can consult us either by email.

The article is based on RUBI’s documents.