Understanding your diamond blades can help you make educated decisions in the field, save time, and decrease the chance of injury. In this post, we will break down the components of a diamond blade, and the functions of each part.

Segments

The segment is best described as the ‘teeth’ around the blade. There are two parts that make up a segment, the bond, and the diamond. It is important to note that the segments do not cut material like a blade used to cut wood. Instead, they grind away the material with their diamonds, which do all of the grinding work.

The amount of diamonds, quality of diamonds, and the size of the diamonds in a segment all factor into cutting speed and the life of the blade. The bond holds the diamonds in place within the segment allowing them to cut the material. A hard bond is best for cutting soft abrasive material, and a soft bond is best for cutting hard material. The bond is the portion of the segment that wears away, continuously exposing the diamonds and allowing the blade to grind away material.

Gullet

The gullet is the hollowed-out space between two segments of a blade. The gullet’s main function is to assist in expelling material when cutting. There are many different sizes and shapes of gullets, but a good rule of thumb is the bigger the gullet, the faster the cutting speed since it lessens drag while cutting.

Core

Simply put, the core of a diamond blade is the support system for the other parts of the blade. The core is attached to the segments through many different methods. However, a laser-welded attachment provides the strongest bond for both parts. The core needs to have a strong bond in order to withstand the stress and heat of high horse-powered equipment.

Arbor

The arbor is where the blade attaches to the piece of equipment and varies based on the equipment the blade is designed for. Esch cut-off saw blades are produced in both 1 inch and 20-millimeter diameters. Most arbors are circular shapes, but they also come in varying shapes depending on the requirements of the equipment. Matching your saw arbor to the proper blade arbor is important for blade life. For more information on this read our post on using blades without arbor bushings.

Directional Arrow

Esch blades have a stamped or etched directional arrow towards the center of the blade. This arrow is an indicator to guide operators for proper blade mounting on the saw. The arrow points the way the blade spins when mounted on the saw.

Check out our Diamond Blades suitable for EVERY application. For more diamond blade information and troubleshooting check out our Diamond Blade Troubleshooting and Diamond Blade Technical Facts page. Also, be sure you know How to Select the Right Diamond Blade for your cutting application.