Pneumatic Saw Cuts Steel Plate, Pipe and More Without Heat Affect Zone

A pneumatic saw and clamp system that eliminates torch cutting and lets users produce clean accurate cuts on thick steel plate fast with no heat affect zone (HAZ) is available from ESCO Tool (Holliston, MA): the APS-438 Air-Powered Saw and Quick-Clamp sets up fast using a 2 in W steel track and two wedge-style clamps that attach to steel plate up to 15 ft W by 3.5 in thick and accept the saw. Eliminating torch cutting and the resulting HAZ, this saw mounts rigidly onto a bracket that glides along the track on four V-grooved steel wheels to make straight, clean accurate cuts. Ideally suited for the on-site fabrication of structures, tanks, ships and related equipment, the APS-438 Air-Powered Saw and Quick-Clamp can cut steel plate and highly alloyed materials. The 3 hp air-powered saw provides a 4-3/8 in cutting depth, has a cut line indicator and gauge to simplify alignment, and the steel track comes in 5 ft to 15 ft sections.

The APS-438 Air Powered Saw can be combined with a WrapTrack® trolley system for accurately cutting pressure vessels up to 60 in diameter in preparation for hydrostatic testing and complete fabrication. This system lets operators rapidly cold cut vessels from 6 in to 60 in diameter with ±1/16 in accuracy to permit better bevels for subsequent welding. The saw has a 12 in blade that is capable of cutting a 24 in x 0.5 in wall vessel in 40 minutes. The saw is ideal for cutting a vessel cap after hydro-static testing to allow beveling and welding the cap into another vessel. Fully supported to glide smoothly and reduce operator strain, the APS-438 Air Powered Saw mounts rigidly in the WrapTrack trolley using four “V” grooved stainless steel roll guides. It has a 3 hp pneumatic motor, uses fiberglass reinforced abrasive blades capable of 4-3/4 in cuts on all pipe schedules of P-91, Super Duplex stainless, and other hard materials.

The WrapTrack trolley also stabilizes the saw for a perfectly square cut on any schedule pipe up to 60 in diameter. It cuts highly alloyed pipe perfectly square by using the trolley to guide the saw around the circumference without wobbling. Maintaining the saw blade’s leading edge on the pipe to prevent binding, this saw kit eliminates torched ends and HAZ (heat affect zone) and is offered in 28 sizes to fit 6 in to 60 in pipe, including super duplex stainless steel, concrete lined, and ash pipe.

The APS-438 Air-Powered Saw can also be used in any position to produce perfectly square cuts on water wall boiler tube panels made from highly alloyed tube up to 4-1/2 in OD. Its proprietary abrasive blade can rapidly cut all types of boiler tube alloys, including stainless steels and Inconel® with ±1/16 in accuracy and no HAZ (heat affected zone). Capable of cutting in any position, the saw glides effortlessly along the 5 ft steel EscoTrack® system which attaches simply to boiler tube panels using two weld tabs. The saw mounts on the EscoTrack by a bracket with four grooved steel wheels that takes the weight off of the operator. It uses only 80 CFM 90 psi shop air and has a safety relief valve to prevent running at excessive speeds. Blades come in 10 in and 12 in diameter sizes.

ESCO Tool, a unit of ESCO Technologies, Inc., 75 October Hill Road, Holliston, MA 01746, 800-343-6926, Fax: 508-429-2811, matt@escotool.com, www.escotool.com.