Need Help! Issues Cutting Copper

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    Default Issues Cutting Copper

    Hi. I need assistance with cutting copper alloy C110 that is Full Hard temper.

    I have a custom CNC machine with a circular saw blade. I am cutting multiple pieces of copper in a run. The blade is only cutting in a straight line. I am using a carbide blade. Problem I am having is part way through a run, the blade just suddenly breaks (being a carbide blade, it breaks into many pieces). I am not sure what is causing the blade to break. The copper item being cut produces many small pieces. After the blade breaks, I do notice some of these pieces are deformed, not sure if this happened as the blade broke or if a piece got pulled into the blade jamming it.

    A few things I have noticed, the blade is not hot at all, and none of the cut copper is hot so I am assuming the cutting oil is doing its job well.. The blade teeth are still very sharp, and there is no copper material caught in the teeth. I have tried lowering the forward motion of the blade a bit from 5 inches per minute down to 3.75 inches per minute with no change. There is no noise or vibration before the blade breaks.

    I am not sure what to do in this situation. When something like this occurs, is it best to lower the forward motion or increase it? Is the copper being clamped too tightly or not tight enough? The copper pieces are about 15 inches in length and this seems to be occurring in the middle area, between 5 to 10 inches in. Each run will have quite a few of these, and the first many are cut perfectly without issue. I am able to cut other metals without a problem including harder metals.

    Any thoughts or suggestions on what to try in this situation to stop the blade from breaking would be greatly appreciated.

    Thank you.

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    Default Re: Issues Cutting Copper

    HELLO
    HAS THE COPPER SHEET BEEN ANNEALED ? TRY USING A SACRIFICAL THIN PIECE OF ALUMINUM ON TOP OF THE COPPER. REGARDS PALEO 1



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    Default Re: Issues Cutting Copper

    Hi.

    Thank you for your response. The copper is full hard temper, has not gone through any annealing process based on the information from the mill that created the copper. Even though it is full hard temper, the material is still softer than the aluminum, bronze and stainless steel that is cutting without issue. The copper piece is being clamped on top by a metal bar with a small slit for the saw blade to fit through. The copper piece is a pipe shape with the blade only going through the top of it. As it cuts the 15 inch length, it forms many small pieces.

    I am not sure if the piece is clamped too tightly to where once a piece is cut, the above pressure of the clamp is causing it to move once cut free and then jamming the blade. I can clearly see the cut being formed in the next part of the copper, so it is as if the cut pieces that the back side of the blade is still clearing is where the problem might be. The clamp is screwed down, so there is room to loosen the clamp a bit instead of making it tight. I am not sure if that is what I should try next or if I should keep adjusting the forward speed down?

    Thank you.



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    Default Re: Issues Cutting Copper

    Is there any posibility the blade is coming to a stop, the arbor spinning in the blade?

    Andrew

    Andrew


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    Default Re: Issues Cutting Copper

    Is there a stop to keep the copper pipe from being pulled into the blade? Copper is pretty grabby stuff. Putting too much pressure on it would tend to close the pipe on the saw blade.



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    Default Re: Issues Cutting Copper

    Hi.

    Thank you for the replies.

    From what I can see, I don't think the blade is coming to a stop. I have it pretty tight in there, plus I would assume if the arbor was spinning in the blade, this would occur pretty quickly in a run. The blade breaks farther into a run after it has successfully cut a few pieces.

    The other suggestion about copper being grabby, I will have to test that. It might be that since the copper even though it is full hard temper, is still much softer than the aluminum I cut, maybe I am tightening the clamp too much squeezing the copper a bit which releases the pressure when being cut and moving or the cut ends pushes towards them which grabs the blade. I will have to try just tightening the clamp to where it is snug and see if it cuts fine.

    Thank you for all of the suggestions. Hopefully I can get this working and stop breaking blades.



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    Default Re: Issues Cutting Copper

    I think a photo of the setup and saw could help determine potential problems.

    Andrew

    Andrew


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    Default Re: Issues Cutting Copper

    Are you cutting sheet copper or pipe? How thick is it? How many teeth on the blade? Are you using a cold-saw or a table saw designed for cutting wood? Are you using a blade designed for copper alloys, or one intended for steel, aluminum or wood?

    [FONT=Verdana]Andrew Werby[/FONT]
    [URL="http://www.computersculpture.com/"]Website[/URL]


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    Default Re: Issues Cutting Copper

    I had a similar problem when using a slitting saw, it turned out to be caused by a tiny amount of backlash in my screw. Switching from climb to conventional cutting cured it.



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    Default Re: Issues Cutting Copper

    Hi.

    Thank you everyone for the replies. I believe I have found the issue. A part of the clamping system over time shifted and the carbide blade was nicking it. I am guessing it was chipping or cracking the blade, and then after cutting for a few inches, the chip or crack caught a cut piece jamming it. I have adjusted where the pieces are clamped and moved where the blade starts to avoid this piece. It seems to be cutting copper without any issues now.



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