Alumina ceramics defy all sorts of abrasive attacks. For one thing, tiles made from this type of ceramic are not affected by chemical attacks. Physical assaults also leave the material untouched, which is why the harder than steel substance is used to coat mining equipment. Elsewhere, pulley lagging makes use of that wear-resistance feature, with a rubberized material component providing the necessary amount of flexibility. Basically, alumina tiles are tough. Problematically, logic says it takes an equally tough tile blade to cut through alumina tiles.
An Abrasively Resilient Tile Blade
Because the ceramic (a 90% alumina-dense material) is diamond-hard, lesser tile blades won’t make any headway. They dull rapidly after attacking that obdurate tile surface. No, alumina ceramic substances require something that’s just as tough and just as obdurate. Counterintuitively, the cutting operation must be conducted with a high degree of precision. Like a surgeon addressing a difficult procedure, a blade is positioned close to the tile. That’s because, although durable, ceramic tiling can also be brittle. To do this job properly, the tile cutting professional is going to need to use minimal abrasive pressure, plus an approach that yields a clean and surgically precise cut.
The First Cut Is the Hardest
The cut-hampering factors mentioned in the last paragraph are going to cause problems. This is one of the densest engineering ceramics known to man, after all. First in the tile blade options list, a professional tiler shortlists a fine grit diamond blade. Coarser diamond layers may cut slightly faster, but there’s a much higher possibility of a screw-up when coarser tile blades are employed. Stick with a fine-grained blade. From here, a large diameter tile cutter with a wet cut rim profile reaps rewards. Actually, bundling all of these features under one umbrella, source a refractory tile blade for a longer lasting, precision tile cutting experience that will deliver professional-grade results.
Refractive blades, including those that cut through alumina tiles, use softer bonding matrices. That’s to ensure dulled cutting diamonds break away to reveal fresh cutting edges. Professional tilers select soft-bonded blades, of course, when cutting alumina tiles. Finally, let’s choose a rim profile. Opting for a segmented blade, plus plenty of cooling fluid, the segment number and depth is selected. Now, with all of the blade options managed, the cut speed is reduced and the cooling lubricant flow adjusted. Incidentally, lots of cooling liquid is applied when doing this job, but a professional tiler knows there’s a catch to working this way. Diamonds glaze over when cooled. A pro alumina tile cutter stops to “dress” the rim so that this glaze doesn’t impact cutting action.
