Silencer III for Granite

Alpha Professional Tools® recognizes the need for a high quality granite blade for bridge or table saws and brings this to the marketplace in the form of the Alpha® Silencer III for Granite. The Alpha® Silencer III is a technologically advanced blade that produces excellent cuts while achieving superior cost performance with reduced noise levels. 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. Ideal for use in a variety of different sized shops, granite fabricators will love the cutting ability of this blade and the amount of time they’ll save. The Alpha® Silencer III is equipped with a 60mm arbor which is a common size. Adapters are available to reduce the arbor size. Specially formulated, the Alpha® Silencer III comes in three different bond types. The first bond type is designed for general use on most common granites. The second bond type is very effective for large fabrication jobs that call for extended cutting on very hard granites and, the third bond type is for general use on softer granites. If you fabricate granite, the Alpha® Silencer III is perfect for you.

Question : What is the arbor size of these blades?

Answer : This blade is equipped with a 60mm arbor size which is a common size in the industry. Each blade comes with a 60mm / 50mm reducer ring. See specifications chart for other arbor sizes.

Question : What size flange should I use for my blade? Please refer to the following chart and diagram

Answer : See Appendix A chart for flange sizes.

Question : Which size blade works best?

Answer : The Alpha® Silencer III blades are available in 14, 16 and 18 inch. These sizes will fit most common cutting applications. Select the size based upon the requirements for your saw. If your saw can accept all available sizes, select the size blade that will give you the best cost per cut.

Question : Does the direction of the blade make a difference?

Answer : Yes. The blade should be installed on the saw so that the indicator arrows (engraved or screened) point toward the direction the spindle turns. If a blade is installed in the wrong direction, the cutting ability of the blade will be poor.

Question : What materials is the Alpha® Silencer III for Granite blade designed to cut?

Answer : This blade series is designed to cut all types of granites from soft to hard. To achieve optimum life and performance, choose the Silencer III blade for Granite best suited for the granite hardness classification.

Question : How do I decide which Silencer III for Granite to choose?

Answer : Alpha® develop a series of granite blades best suited for providing fast, chip free cutting of soft to hard granite classifications: Choose the blade which best fits your shops cutting requirements for optimum life and quality of cut. - General Purpose Granite (Medium to Soft Granites) - Hard Granite - General Purpose Soft Granite

Question : Can the Alpha® Silencer III for Granite Blade cut “Iron Red” Granite?

Answer : Yes. We recommend using the Silencer III for Granite “Hard Granite” blade. It is our understanding that this Iron Red granite is a material which is very difficult to maintain your cutting performance. Re-dressing of the blade may be required and you will need to reduce your traverse cut speed. Step cutting is highly recommended when cutting this Iron Red granite also. If your blades cutting edge glazes over, the easiest way to solve this problem, from our experience is as follows: - Once the blade gets glazed, try cutting concrete (sand mixture only) - Make a couple of cuts / passes with the water reduced to 1/4 volume cutting this concrete. - If concrete is unavailable, try cutting some abrasive sandstone or travertine. - Step cut into the material for dressing the blade, make at least 2 passes into the material for each cut.

Question : Will the Silencer III for Granite blade cut engineered stone or marble?

Answer : We do not recommend using the Silencer III for Granite blade for cutting engineered stone. This blade series is designed for use on granite only. If you attempt to cut other materials such as engineered stone or marble using the Silencer III for Granite blade, the cutting speed maybe be slower and the life of the blade may become short.

Question : Can the Silencer III for Granite blade be used dry?

Answer : No. Wet cutting diamond blades must be used with water to prevent excessive heat buildup during cutting. A continuous water flow is critical. Using “wet” blades without water even for a few seconds will cause excessive heat and blade damage.

Question : How fast should the blade traverse be set at?

Answer : See Appendix A chart for RPM indicators and traverse speeds.

Question : What is the RPM requirement for the Silencer III? Please see the following charts for RPM indicators and traverse speeds:

Answer : See Appendix A chart for RPM indicators and traverse speeds.

Question : What is the cutting width of this blade?

Answer : This blade will leave a 1/8 inch kerf. This is suitable for cutting grooves to install re-enforcement rods that are 1/8” thick.

Question : What sizes are these blades available?

Answer : These blades are available in 14”, 16” and 18” diameters.

Question : What is the difference between a regular blade and a silent core blade?

Answer : Regular blades are typically constructed with a solid steel core. The hard steel of the core actually reflects and amplifies the sound waves being generated by the blade during the cutting action. This means that the noise levels are far above acceptable ranges without adequate hearing protection. The Silencer III uses thin copper sheet to absorb the sound waves rather than reflect them. The copper, which is much softer than solid steel, is a better conductor of sound waves much like it is also for electricity. The copper absorbs the noise of the cut and conducts the sound waves out through the spindle. By the time the sound waves reach the spindle, the strength of the sound waves has been significantly reduced so the cutting process is much quieter.

Question : I have heard that Alpha Professional Tools® offers free blade re-tipping service for the Alpha® Silencer III Series. Is this true?

Answer : Yes. If one of your Alpha® Silencer III blades experiences segment(s) loss, Alpha Professional Tools® offers a free re-tipping service which is performed at our NJ facility. We can re-tip these segments back onto your blade as long as the blade core has not been damaged making it unsafe to use. If possible, please send the segment(s) which came off the blade back together with the blade itself.