Metal Cutting Saw Blade Speed & Feed Rate Guide: Opt

The speed and feed rate of a metal cutting saw blade are the core factors affecting cutting efficiency, cut quality, and blade life. Using incorrect parameters—such as high speed for thick stainless steel or fast feed rate for thin aluminum—will lead to blade overheating, tooth chipping, or uneven cuts, and even shorten the blade’s service life by 40% or more. This guide takes "metal type + thickness" as the core, clarifies the matching logic of speed and feed rate, provides specific parameter ranges for common scenarios, and summarizes adjustment principles to help you optimize parameters quickly.

Part 1: Core Logic of Speed & Feed Rate Matching – It’s All About "Reducing Blade Load"

Before determining specific parameters, you need to understand the core principle: the harder the metal and the thicker the material, the lower the speed and the slower the feed rate. This is because hard metals (like stainless steel) have high cutting resistance—high speed will cause the blade to rub violently with the material, generating excessive heat; thick materials require the blade to cut a larger volume of metal at one time—fast feed rate will increase the load on each tooth, leading to tooth breakage.

In contrast, soft metals (like aluminum) have low cutting resistance and can withstand higher speeds to improve efficiency; thin materials have small cutting volume and can use slightly faster feed rates, but they need to avoid "vibration caused by too fast feed rate" (which will make the cut edge rough).

Another key indicator to pay attention to is chip load per tooth (the amount of metal each tooth cuts per revolution), which is the essence of feed rate adjustment. For metal cutting saw blades, the chip load per tooth is usually between 0.05-0.3mm/tooth—too small will cause "empty cutting" (the blade rubs the material surface without effective cutting), and too large will cause tooth overload.

Part 2: Parameter Matching for Common Metals – From Thin (1-5mm) to Thick (50mm+)

Different metals have significant differences in hardness and thermal conductivity, so their speed and feed rate ranges vary greatly. Below are parameter details for three common metals (carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminum) and different thicknesses.

1. Carbon Steel (Q235, 45# Steel) – Medium Hardness, Good Thermal Conductivity

Carbon steel is the most commonly used metal, with moderate hardness (HB150-200) and good thermal conductivity, so it has a relatively wide parameter range.

Thin carbon steel (1-5mm): The material is thin, and the cutting load is small. The saw blade speed can be set to 5000-7000r/min (for circular saw blades with diameter 200-300mm). The feed rate is 200-300mm/min—this speed and feed rate can ensure fast cutting without vibration. For example, when cutting 3mm-thick Q235 steel plates with a 250mm-diameter circular saw blade, set the speed to 6000r/min and the feed rate to 250mm/min; the cut edge will be smooth, and the blade will not overheat.

Medium-thick carbon steel (6-20mm): The cutting volume increases, so the speed needs to be reduced to avoid heat accumulation. Set the speed to 4000-5500r/min, and the feed rate to 150-250mm/min. Taking 12mm-thick 45# steel as an example, use a 300mm-diameter circular saw blade with a speed of 4800r/min and a feed rate of 200mm/min—this parameter can balance efficiency and blade protection; if the speed is too high (e.g., 6000r/min), the blade will heat up obviously, and the cut edge may appear "burrs".

Thick carbon steel (21-50mm+): The material has high cutting resistance, so the speed must be lowered to reduce friction heat. Set the speed to 3000-4500r/min, and the feed rate to 80-150mm/min. For 30mm-thick Q235 steel bars, use a 350mm-diameter circular saw blade with a speed of 3800r/min and a feed rate of 120mm/min; if the feed rate is too fast (e.g., 200mm/min), the blade teeth will bear excessive force, and you may hear a "squeaking" sound (a sign of tooth overload), and the blade will wear quickly.

2. Stainless Steel (304, 316) – High Hardness, Poor Thermal Conductivity

Stainless steel has high hardness (HB180-220) and poor thermal conductivity (only 1/3 of carbon steel), so heat is easy to accumulate at the blade teeth during cutting. If the parameters are improper, the blade will "burn" (the tooth surface turns blue) or the cut edge will be oxidized.

Thin stainless steel (1-3mm): The material is thin but hard, so the speed should not be too high to avoid overheating. Set the speed to 3500-5000r/min, and the feed rate to 150-250mm/min. When cutting 2mm-thick 304 stainless steel sheets with a 200mm-diameter circular saw blade, set the speed to 4200r/min and the feed rate to 200mm/min; at the same time, ensure the coolant is sufficient (use emulsion with 8%-10% concentration) to take away heat in time.

Medium-thick stainless steel (4-15mm): Thermal conductivity becomes a key issue, so the speed must be reduced significantly. Set the speed to 3000-4000r/min, and the feed rate to 100-200mm/min. For 8mm-thick 316 stainless steel, use a 250mm-diameter circular saw blade with a speed of 3500r/min and a feed rate of 150mm/min—if the speed is 4500r/min like carbon steel, the blade teeth will heat up to over 600℃ in 5 minutes, and the metal ceramic teeth will oxidize and lose sharpness.

Thick stainless steel (16-50mm+): The cutting time is long, and heat accumulation is serious. Set the speed to 2500-3500r/min, and the feed rate to 60-120mm/min. When cutting 25mm-thick 304 stainless steel bars with a 300mm-diameter circular saw blade, set the speed to 3000r/min and the feed rate to 80mm/min; it is also necessary to increase the coolant flow rate (from 10L/min to 15L/min) to ensure continuous cooling of the blade.