Aluminium Saws are suitable for cutting non-ferrous materials. Ferrous or non-ferrous refers to the iron content in the material.

Commonly-used ferrous materials include metals like mild steel, stainless steel, cast or wrought iron. Typical non-ferrous metals include aluminium, lead, zinc, tin, gold, silver, and copper.

Although it is possible to cut non-ferrous material with a slow RPM cold saw, the results tend to be sub-standard. The softer non-ferrous material has a habit of gumming up the blade, which leads to inadequate chip removal and a poor quality cut.

Utilising a higher RPM saw together with a carbide-tipped blade is a far more effective solution.

The MEP Cobra range of aluminium saws function at 1400 or 2800 RPM, utilising a 2.2kW motor and a quality carbide tipped blade, this provides high-speed cutting, with very little transfer of heat into the cut material, providing an excellent finish to the cut surface. Adequate power is an essential component of efficient cutting of non-ferrous material as the RPM of the blade needs to be consistent throughout the cut. If the blade slows down, chips bond to the teeth of the blade and effective chip removal is lost.

Note high RPM saws using carbide-tipped blades are not recommended for cutting ferrous material. There are exceptions to this rule, such as the MEP Velocex range of high-speed saws, but they are a different type of machine altogether.