BRITISH INDUSTRY

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume XLIII, Issue 2568, 22 April 1922, Page 5

BRITISH INDUSTRY

CUTTTING STEEL BY FRICTION

In the cutting of steel it is usual to employ either a tool of the same type or a cutting flame supplied by oxy-aeety-lene or the electric arc. Some time ago, however, it was found that a plain disc driven at a high speed would cut through steel simply by the heat of friction. This device has been considerably developed by a number of British machine tool makers in association with each other. The saw consists'of .a plain mild-steel disc with a notched edge. In recent tests one user cut eight large joists right through in 40 minutes. In another ease the saw was successfully used in cutting manganese steel rails which previously could not be cut except by oxy-acetylene flame. A manganese tramrail can be cut through in 72 seconds. An ordinary tram rail can be severed in 37 seconds. Owing to its efficiency and simplicity there is no doubt that the friction saw, as it is called, will come into extensive use for cutting through all kinds of steel sections.