Buying a Band Saw? We Show You the Right Choice

Many customers ask themselves before buying a band saw: "In what situation will it be justified to buy a manual/gravity machine, a semi-automatic or an automatic?" In answer to this question, you should determine the expected operating time of the machine and the type of material to be cut.

Manual band saw with forced feed, e.g. IMET GBS 130 - occasional workshop cutting, trimming: work up to 1-2 hours a day


Manual band saw with gravity feed and hydraulic feed speed adjustment, e.g. IMET BS 300/60 GH - work: 2-4 hours a day or (without a working time limit) cutting small diameter material arranged in bundles to fill the vice to the maximum, e.g. 270x230mm and bars with a diameter of 200-230mm and above. The cutting time will be approx. 10-12 min. During this time, the operator can perform other work.

The time required (approximately) to cut a given material can be obtained from the supplier of the machine or cutting tapes.

Semi-automatic band saw, e.g. IMET BS 300/60 SHI - most cutting machines available on the market offer work in the manual/gravity system and the automatic system (however, this is not the same type of work as in an automatic cutting machine - a description of the differences in the next post). The semi-automatic significantly increases the operator's comfort, when working using the AUTO function, the efficiency will be 20-30% higher than a machine with gravity feed. Work 3-5 hours a day, a larger number of cuts is expected.

Automatic band saw, e.g. IMET CUBO 300 E FLAT - cutting in the production process from 4 hours a day, a large and very large number of cuts.

Most available models also offer work in the semi-automatic system. To work in the automatic system, a table (roller conveyor) on the material feed side is necessary.

Date of publication: 12.01.2023