| Benefits
of High Grade Diamond
Advanced Cost Evaluation Program for Stone Processing from Diamond
Innovations
Only a limited number of stone processors
utilize advanced cost accounting methods to accurately determine the total economic
gain of using high-grade diamond. The majority continues to evaluate the performance
of diamond tools using the simplistic formula
As a result, the numerous hidden economic advantages of high quality diamond
tools that pay off in substantial savings are consistently overlooked.
| Hidden
Costs |
- Breakage of raw material / scrap = lower material output, increased raw material
cost
- Set up time = manpower, lost production
- Repositioning, replacement of blades = manpower, lost production
- Parts out of tolerance = lower output from the block
- Higher costs for strip calibration = increased production cost
- Lost production through lower cutting parameters = increased production cost
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Field
performance proves advantage of high-grade diamond
 Two sets of
multiblades, one containing high-grade diamond and the other containing standard
diamond, were mounted on two identical 56-blade block cutters at a granite tile
manufacturing plant in Italy. Class III granites (approx. 75%), were mainly processed
with the balance equally distributed among all other classes of granites. The
production was monitored for eight weeks to collect data on each set of blades
to compare the relative performance. Cutting parameters of the block cutter with
high performance diamond blades were enhanced by 13%.
The contribution of each of the different operations to the total production
cost must be considered for a complete and accurate cost evaluation.
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Better
use of raw material
The costs of raw materials can, in some cases, exceed 50% of total production
costs. Minimizing the amount of scrap through improved cutting accuracy, considerable
savings can be obtained. Improved geometry of strips from vertical cuts resulted
in a 9% reduction in cost per square meter of raw material.
- 18% Cost reduction in vertical cuts
High grade diamond blades reduced the cost of vertical cuts by providing substantially
longer tool life. These saw blades also improved the productivity of the machine,
by increasing the total output of finished product for a given cycle time. At
this factory, high performance tools reduced the cost of vertical cuts by 18%.
- 17% Reduction of fixed costs
- 20% Reduction of direct labor costs
Competition from emerging industrial economies with much lower labor rates
constitutes a significant challenge for stone processing facilities. High-grade
diamond is the answer for all stone producers that want to maintain or improve
their competitive edge in today’s market.
A way to meet these issues head on is to increase operator efficiency and reduce
fixed costs by increasing the amount of square meters produced within a given
time. Productivity gains obtained by high-performance diamond tooling have a direct
effect on the reduction of these two substantial cost factors.
The high-performance tools in this operation were credited with an immediate 17%
reduction of fixed costs and a 20% reduction in direct labor costs.
- 11% Reduction in electricity costs
Power requirement is the prime indicator for the cutting ability of the diamond
in a saw blade. High-grade diamond is more free cutting, so blade speeds and cutting
rates can be increased with less power requirements. At the same time, the cutting
edge quality and the geometric accuracy of the workpiece are improved.
The power consumed by three identically specified blades with medium, medium-high
and high grade diamond, tested under identical conditions shows the remarkable
decline in power consumption following the diamond grade increase.
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