Quartzite is an extremely hard, non-foliated, metamorphic rock that measures about 7.5/ 8 out of 10 on the Mohs Hardness Scale. This rating means that it’s more challenging to cut than softer stones, like soapstone, marble, and granite.
In this article, we’ll cover the requirements for cutting quartzite and the equipment we recommend to improve efficiency and precision.
Requirements for Cutting Quartzite
At a minimum, you need a diamond blade to cut quartzite. Diamond blades are made with synthetic diamonds, which rank at a 10 on the Mohs Hardness scale, and are specifically used to cut through extremely hard materials like quartzite.
Fabricators who use CNC saws and other cutting equipment with diamond blades may find additional finishing work is needed after the initial cuts. To reduce finishing operations, consider finding stone cutting equipment with waterjet technology, which uses high-pressure water to efficiently and cleanly cut through hard materials.
Recommended Products
BACA Systems is an industry-leading North American manufacturer specializing in stone cutting equipment. Our systems are unique because they feature tough diamond blades and waterjet technology to ensure smooth and precise cuts every time.
For quartzite cutting, we recommend our Miter X 2.0 and M series equipment.
Miter X 2.0
If you’re looking for a saw capable of making fast and accurate miters on extra-hard materials, the Miter X 2.0 is the best solution you’ll find. Its 25-horsepower motor makes it one of the most powerful stone miter saws on the market, and its water-enhanced cuts allow fast processing speeds. This machine has a 45º +/- 1º mitering capability and a 140-inch cut stroke.
Some of its most notable features include:
- Plug & Play: The Miter X 2.0 has intuitive, easy-to-use controls that require minimal training to understand.
- Flat Cutting Table: This machine’s perfectly flat rubber table prevents warping and bowing.
- Easy Maintenance: It features a slidable operator control panel for quick and easy access.
- Heavy-Duty Clamps: The machine’s heavy-duty pneumatic clamps help lock the material in position.
- VFD: The Miter X 2.0 has a VFD that controls the blade’s RPM and saw feed rate to minimize chipping.
M Series
If you need a more versatile stone cutting machine, then our M Series is what you need. It can handle the most intricate arcs, bore perfect holes, produce superior-quality miters, and much more, all while intelligently nesting usable scrap pieces to conserve material and drastically reduce labor costs.
The M Series is driven by a strong 26-horsepower VFD-driven motor and a 60k PSI waterjet system. It can slice through thick, ultra-compact stone slabs like butter and makes flawless cuts that other products can’t match. It almost completely negates the need for post-processing care, cutting back on operating expenses. In fact, this stone cutting machine maximizes profitability by cutting back downstream processing by as much as four hours per slab. Your shop’s need to touch up faucet holes, sink openings, radius cuts, and arc cuts will drop nearly to zero.
Some of the numerous features of the M Series include:
- Minimal Maintenance: The M Series uses a precise KUKA KR 210 robot that requires zero maintenance for the first five years or 10,000 hours of operation.
- Advanced Waterjet Cutting: The H20 Jet advanced waterjet cutting head features an integral diamond eductor that reduces misalignment and ensures maximum cutting power from the jet stream.
- Smart Calibration: The M Series has a sensor that allows the KUKA robot to set the trim and plumb of the saw blade automatically.
- Waste Reduction: It maximizes slab yield, reducing waste by as much as 15%.
- Intuitive Software: BACA’s specialized software is easy to use—our team can even develop new features based on your feedback.
Let BACA Systems Help You Find Your Solution
If you need to improve your operations, look no further than BACA Systems. We have over 600 robotic stone cutting machines in service throughout North America.
Let us show you how to make cutting quartzite and other super-hard materials easier and more precise than ever before. Contact us today, or better yet, fly to Detroit to see our equipment in action. We’re always here to answer your questions.