Silencer III for Quartzite

Alpha Professional Tools® is pleased to introduce the Silencer for Quartzite. This high-quality blade for bridge or table saws is designed specifically for Quartzsite, a very hard stone that is often difficult to cut. Typically stone fabricators use general purpose blades for granite and quartz surface applications that may cut well for most popular softer materials; however, when the job calls for quartzite and harder granites classified as class 5 materials, general purpose blades will have difficulties cutting the materials and eventually stop cutting. There are potentially two problems associated with these difficulties. First is the choice of blade and cutting the parameters. Most of the general purpose blades are designed for a wide range of applications that usually consist of softer to medium hard materials. Since the matrix and diamond grits are selected for softer materials, they typically do not work well on materials that are very hard. The blade may cut for a short time but then start sparking at the cutting edge, although there is a plenty of water present. If you continue cutting, diamond grits get rounded and the matrix gets glazed. As a consequence, the blade stops cutting and the materials get broken. The second issue is the cutting parameters even though the blade picked is the right blade for quartzite. Since quartzite and class 5 granites have a high contents of quartz, the diamond grits must work very hard to cut them, which may require slower peripheral and traverse speeds. When the selection of the blade is right and the recommended cutting parameters are followed, the blade will perform well on the harder materials. The Alpha® Silencer III produces excellent cuts at significantly reduced noise level. This blade also achieves the highest cost-performance in its class. The uniquely designed core is made of two hardened steel sheets with a thin copper sheet laminated between them. This special construction dissipates the usually high noise levels common to this application. The blade is equipped with a 60mm arbor and comes with a 50mm adapter. Additional adapters are available as well.

Question : Can I cut softer materials with Silencer III for Quartzite?

Answer : Yes, you can cut them very well with fast speeds and clean cutting edges. However, the life of the blade may be shorter than intended, so the cost-performance may be increased.

Question : My bridge saw has a single speed of 1,750 rpm. How can I adjust the peripheral speed suitable for Silencer III for Quartzite?

Answer : You should select one size smaller blade than the original blade diameter. For example, if your saw is designed for 16”, you should choose 14” instead which makes the peripheral speed slower without changing the spindle speed (rpm).

Question : Since Silencer III for Quartzite is designed for very hard materials, can I cut sintered slabs such as Dekton, Lapitec and Neolith?

Answer : Although Silencer III for Quartzite is designed for very hard materials, Alpha® doesn’t recommend this product to cut these materials, since the minerals used to create sintered slabs are different, so it is considered a different category. Alpha® recommends the Silencer III for Dekton or Silencer III for Porcelain for such materials.

Question : Why is the segment height set for 15mm instead of the popular 20mm or taller one?

Answer : Alpha® recommends the Silencer III series blades not only for square cuts but also for miter cuts. Taller segments may have a much bigger peripheral runout, which increases the risk of segment loss, which in turn can cause safety issues and material breakage. The policy of Alpha® is to ensure safe and efficient applications when using our products.

Question : What is the recommended cutting parameter for Silencer III for Quartzite?

Answer : Alpha® recommends the peripheral speed of 25 ~ 28m per second (82 ~ 92 feet per second). Traverse speeds are up to 1m per minute (39 inches per minute) on 2cm (3/4”) thick material and 0.7m per minute (26 inches per minute) on 3cm materials. For miter cuts, please reduce traverse speed by 50%.