Sharpening and Service
At QIC Tools we clearly promote new tooling. However, there are plenty of use cases that we are strong advocates of re-servicing and resharpening of tools. We follow the rule of thumb that if the cost to service is under 50% of the cost of a new tool it’s worth it.
PCD(diamond) tools often make perfect examples of what makes sense to sharpen. Diamond tools and there number of potential sharpens depend on a few variables. PCD tip height, feed speed, material machining and if the tool is removed from production as soon as it begins to show signs of becoming dull.
Carbide tipped tools are very common examples of more economical production tools that still have benefits of being resharpened. Saw blades, as long as there are not too many broken teeth, can typically be serviced up to 4 or 5 times. Carbide thickness is a good indicator of quality. Chances are the saw blade is a more economical blade if your saw blade has very thin tips new. Solid carbide spirals and compressions are also commonly sharpened. Our rule of thumb is if the diameter less than 3/8” or less than $35 for a new tool then it’s more economical to repurchase instead of sharpen. Another consideration for cylindrical shank tools is the effect the sharpening has on diameter. We recommend sharpening solid carbide tools a max of 2 times for diameters 1/2” and under. Drill bits are typically not sharpened unless their cost is over $35
Our carbide sharpening services have a 1 week turnaround time of received by our weekly cutoff day. We will ship the sharpened tools back to the return address requested. If tools are too far gone or damaged beyond repair we will by default recycle the blade to avoid additional freight fees charges to the customer.
Our process starts a variety of ways but ultimately begins with us gaining an understanding of the application, production requirements and desired results. We’re able to provide a variety of options and their use cases in order for the customer to gauge the effectiveness of a solution matched with the cost.
Our options, when we provide pricing, will include a PCD(diamond) tipped, carbide insert and carbide tipped by default unless discussed prior or the current solution being used is one mentioned above.
Our timeline for most custom shank style or bore style tools has a manufacturing time of two weeks after drawing approval. Add one week for shipping because our manufacturing facilities are in Europe. Saw blade scan take anywhere from four to six weeks, or just one week for modifications to standard saw blades.
Our goal is to provide Cutting Edge solutions for your production. We do this with transparency, and competitive pricing in mind.
