Aluminum is relatively soft and ductile, which can cause chips to stick to the teeth during cutting. Choosing the right carbide saw blade helps improve cutting quality, manage heat, and reduce burrs and cleanup work.
1. Match the Blade to Your Application
For smaller projects and mixed materials, a versatile blade may be suitable. Nakamura's Multi Blade Circular Saw 147mm features 40 ATB teeth and a Teflon coating. It is designed for cutting wood, metal, aluminum, and plastic, subject to the specific material and machine requirements.
For aluminum profiles, window frames, and tubes, a dedicated aluminum blade is usually a better choice. The 10 Inch Aluminum Cutting Saw Blade features TCG tooth geometry and is designed for aluminum processing applications.
For renovation and installation work involving different materials, the 7-1/4 Multi-Material Cutting Blades are designed for wood, wood with nails, plastic, aluminum, and selected light metals.
2. Consider Diameter and Tooth Count
Always match the blade diameter, arbor size, and maximum RPM to your saw. Using an incompatible blade can create serious safety risks.
Tooth count also matters. Fewer teeth generally provide more space for chip removal, while more teeth can help produce smoother edges. The best choice depends on the aluminum profile's thickness, the required finish, and the cutting equipment.
3. Look for Suitable Tooth Geometry and Coating
TCG tooth geometry is commonly used for aluminum cutting because it supports controlled cutting of non-ferrous materials. A suitable non-stick coating can also help reduce material buildup on the blade.
However, blade design alone cannot guarantee clean cuts. Machine condition, workpiece clamping, feed rate, and cutting speed all affect the result.
Conclusion
Choosing the right carbide saw blade for aluminum means balancing material thickness, tooth geometry, tooth count, and machine compatibility. For reliable results, select a blade designed for your specific application rather than relying on a general-purpose blade for every job.
Nakamura offers aluminum-cutting and multipurpose circular saw blades, with OEM customization available for different market and machine requirements. Contact our team to discuss your specifications.