Block Sawing and Cutting Protocols in Processing Plants
How Raw Quarry Blocks are Sawن and Processed in Stone Mills
Dimension stones are extracted from quarries in the form of raw quarry blocks. These blocks feature six faces, which may occasionally exhibit irregularities, corner fractures, or structural cleavage that deviate from a true rectangular prism shape. Raw blocks must be systematically stacked according to size and stability criteria to prevent accidental tipping or displacement. Once prepped, they are transported via motorized trolleys beneath primary block-sawing machinery for primary reduction.
Primary Block Dressing with Single-Blade Frame Saws
To square off irregular block faces and remove structural deformities (as noted above), a single-blade frame saw (monoblade saw) is frequently utilized. Additionally, this equipment is well-suited for primary slabbing or cutting thick dimensional strips (monoliths). A single-blade frame saw consists of a heavy-duty diamond blade tensioned between two reciprocating mechanical drive arms.
Large-Scale Multi-Blade Gang Saws for Slab Production
Beyond single-blade setups, advanced processing facilities incorporate large multi-blade frame saws (such as the 64-blade gang saws deployed at Sakhara & Ajianeh Group), representing the most precise equipment for volume slabbing of uniform stone panels. Blade spacing is fully adjustable; however, given the high market demand for standard 2 cm thick slabs, the center-to-center pitch between adjacent diamond blades is typically calibrated to 2.2 cm.
As previously noted, as the quarry block passes beneath the reciprocating blade assembly, the impregnated diamond segments grind away material, resulting in a 2 mm blade kerf (saw kerf loss). This volume is converted into slurry/stone powder, representing standard processing yield loss.
Primary Slicing via Circular Block Cutters (Multi-Disc Machinery)
A block cutter (circular multi-disc saw) is utilized to cut smaller dimensional strips and tiles at higher feed speeds compared to single-blade frame saws. A standard block cutter integrates twin circular diamond blades—one positioned vertically and the other horizontally—to simultaneously cut the depth and underside of the tile strips.
In addition to the three primary machines detailed above, processing plants utilize secondary cutting equipment including manual bridge saws, longitudinal trimmers, and cross-cut saws (end trimmers) to size finished stone panels down from slabbing strips (rather than raw quarry blocks).
Advantages and Limitations of Frame Saws (Gang Saws)
1. Advantages: High volume throughput capacity and the ability to process large-format slabs.
2. Limitations: Fixed inter-blade spacing restricts custom thickness variations during a single sawing run.
Advantages and Limitations of Block Cutters
1. Advantages: Versatility in producing dimensional strips in various widths (e.g., 4, 6, 8, 10 cm, etc.).
2. Limitations: Maximum cutting depth is constrained to a 62 cm width. If a specification requires custom profiles, such as a 75 cm width by 8 cm thickness, it cannot be processed using standard circular block cutters.
