Views: 0 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2026-07-30 Origin: Site
For razor blades, surgical blades, slicing machine blades, industrial blades, and other precision cutting tools, material grade, hardness, wear resistance, and corrosion resistance are all important. However, in addition to the properties of the material itself, the edge quality of the stainless steel strip also directly affects downstream processing efficiency and finished product quality.
During blade production, wide stainless steel strip is usually slit into narrower widths according to customer requirements. If noticeable burrs remain along the slit edges, they may interfere with material feeding, stamping, and grinding while increasing equipment wear and secondary processing costs. Therefore, stainless steel strip used for blades generally requires precision slitting with minimal or controlled burrs.
The effects of burrs can extend throughout the entire blade manufacturing and service process.
First, consider the cutting edge. A blade edge is often produced from the edge of the steel strip. If the strip already has burrs, it becomes difficult to maintain a consistent reference during grinding and sharpening. Although the finished edge may appear smooth and bright, serration-like defects may remain at the microscopic level.
A blade with these defects may initially cut normally, but its edge strength and stability can be reduced. After repeated use, microscopic chipping may develop, causing cutting performance to deteriorate.
Welding is another important consideration. Many industrial blades use a composite construction in which a cutting insert or blade tip is welded to a steel strip substrate. During welding, burrs may melt first and contribute to oxide inclusions, porosity, incomplete fusion, or insufficient penetration. In some cases, cutting inserts may detach not only because of the welding parameters but also because of poor edge quality caused by slitting burrs.
Burrs can also create stress concentration points. During repeated loading, stress may concentrate around the root of a burr and gradually develop into a larger crack. This can eventually result in blade breakage, sometimes with little visible warning beforehand.
Stainless steel strip slitting is a process in which upper and lower rotary knives continuously cut a wide strip into several narrower strips.
During slitting, the material undergoes compression, plastic deformation, shearing, and fracture. Factors such as knife clearance, tool wear, material hardness, strip thickness, and equipment accuracy can cause small, sharp, or uneven metal projections to form along the slit edge. These projections are known as slitting burrs.
It should be noted that “burr-free” does not normally mean that burr height is physically zero. In industrial production, it generally means that precision slitting and edge treatment are used to control burr height within the customer’s specified limit while maintaining consistent edge quality throughout the coil.
The edge quality of slit stainless steel strip is influenced by several factors, including:
Stainless steel grade, hardness, and tensile strength
Strip thickness and thickness tolerance
Side clearance between the upper and lower slitting knives
Knife overlap and installation accuracy
Tool material, sharpness, and wear condition
Slitting speed and strip tension
Equipment concentricity and overall operating accuracy
Strip flatness, straightness, and surface condition
Different stainless steel grades, thicknesses, and hardness levels require different slitting parameters. The same knife clearance and processing speed cannot simply be applied to every material.
For example, thin or high-hardness stainless steel strip used for blades generally requires greater control over tool accuracy, equipment stability, and processing parameters.
Stable low-burr or burr-free slitting requires coordinated control of the equipment, tools, processing parameters, and inspection procedures.
First, knife clearance and overlap should be set according to the material grade, thickness, hardness, and mechanical properties. Excessive or insufficient clearance can affect the sheared edge profile and increase burr height.
Second, the sharpness, wear condition, and installation accuracy of the knives should be inspected regularly. For precision blade steel with demanding edge requirements, suitable high-precision slitting tools should be selected according to the material and final application.
Strip tension, slitting speed, and recoiling conditions must also be carefully controlled to prevent strip deviation, edge waves, camber, uneven winding, and other processing problems.
After slitting, the strip should be inspected according to the customer’s requirements. Inspection items may include strip width, edge condition, burr level, flatness, and surface quality. This helps maintain stable quality at different positions within the same coil and between different production batches.
DSM supplies precision cold-rolled stainless steel strip for razor blades, surgical blades, slicing machine blades, precision medical devices, premium cutting tools, and industrial cutting applications. According to the customer’s product and manufacturing requirements, we can provide customized material grades, thicknesses, widths, hardness levels, and surface conditions. We also control important quality indicators such as thickness tolerance, strip shape, width accuracy, and edge quality. For blade and precision component applications, we can provide precision slitting, edge deburring, customized dimensions, heat treatment, and other supporting services. These capabilities help customers reduce downstream processing steps, improve production efficiency, and maintain consistent product quality. |  |
