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You need to make fast and precise mitre cuts but feel lost trying to figure out the differences between double mitre saws. Don’t worry; this is a familiar feeling since there is no other machine in the aluminum profile industry that has more variety. There are many options, so you need to determine what you need.
INT Machinery is here to assist you and provide the options and expertise you need to make informed decisions.
Continue reading to understand…
…so then you can make an informed decision.
Continue reading to learn about:
These are the most common double mitre saws on the market.
These machines:
The blades come from below the table upwards. Unlike the back-cut double mitre saws, these saws tilt only inwards because the blade housing also serves as a table for the profile to rest on; therefore, it cannot be moved. Vertical clamping is mandatory and horizontal clamps are optional. Similarly, the left head is fixed while the right head is movable. Blade tilting can be motorized or pneumatic. Different controllers, machine lengths, and blade sizes are available.
These are entry-level economic machines for those who want to cut precise mitre parts but have a limited budget. Their cutting capacity is lower; they consist of chop saws mounted on a machine base where the left unit is fixed and the right one is movable.
Hydro-pneumatic actuators provide its saw blade feed with a standard length of 3m/4m, depending on the manufacturer, and a blade diameter of 400mm.
Unlike the above-mentioned double mitre saws, V-cut saws (aka V-notch Saws) are designed to cut exclusively 45° mitre. Straight 90° cuts are not possible.
As the name states, the two saw blades are mounted on a carriage in a 90° V-shape with enough clearance to avoid contacting each other.
Although horizontal and vertical clamps may be available depending on the manufacturer, it might be tricky to adjust/use them due to space restrictions in this principle. Some of these saws can offer additional functions to the mitre cutting function, like V-notching by adjusting the fence depth or square end notching using an optional conveyor, fence, and clamp kit.
There may be an overlap in describing this as a separate category since they can also be up-cut, down-cut, and back-cut; however, we believe this to be more correct. These saws are designed to make compound mitre cuts.
They can also cut straight or regular mitre cuts. For those who don’t know what a compound mitre cut is, we will mention briefly: when the saw blade is angled around two different axes, this is called a compound angle. We call one of these movements “tilting” and the other “rotation” to distinguish.
The most common double-head compound mitre saws are in an up-cut fashion. Imagine the regular up-cut double mitre saw tilting and rotating the whole head.
These saws are typically high-end, relatively more expensive saws with advanced controllers since making calculations for compound cuts isn’t an easy job with basic controllers.
First, you must determine the width and height of the biggest profile you want to cut, mitre angles, and directions. If you need to cut large bundles or wide and short profiles like multi-track sliding door frames, you may be better off with an up-cut saw than a back-cut. Up-cut saws cut wider and shorter, while back-cut saws cut taller and narrower.
Another main point is whether you have compound mitre cuts or not. If so, a double-head compound mitre saw is a clear choice. Double-head compound saws are significantly more expensive than regular ones.
Bar feeding is another function that computerized double mitre saws can offer. Suppose you need to cut short pats like corner keys, mounting brackets, etc., and you don’t have a dedicated automatic saw machine. In that case, we recommend double mitre saws with capable controllers. Computerized machines are also necessary for cut list management, data transfer, label printing, and remote servicing.
Overall the most flexible double mitre saws are the back-cut style ones because their blade can tilt both inwards and outwards, and you can tilt steeper angles compared to the up-cut style saws. Being able to tilt both ways, you can freely decide the orientation of the profile on the saw table and avoid some fixturing.
Most computerized double mitre saws can perform over-size cuts. Remember, these machines can feed the bar and then make a cut. But if you have a lot of pieces longer than 4m, it makes sense to get a bigger machine for efficiency.
You are cutting only small profiles; you don’t need label printing or cut list management, your budget is limited, production volume is low, and you don’t need bells and whistles, so you can go with a down-cut or V-notch style double mitre saw. We suggest the down-cut over V-notch because it can cut straight and other angles, whereas V-notch can only cut 45°.
If you are still not sure which one is the best fit for your production, our experts are here to help.
INT Machinery is Canada’s Aluminum and PVC MAchinery Distributor.
See our range of double mitre saws here.
In the long run, you will save money by getting the right saw at the start. Int Machinery will assist you in finding the perfect double mitre saws for your business.
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