This invention relates to the electroplating of metallic substrates, and particularly to the manufacture of composite metallic articles such as coated band saw blades which encounter a high incidence of stress cracking during prolonged use.
Continuous band saw blades are commonly used for high precision cutting of tough materials such as marble, quartz, and metals. The blades generally consist of a hard basis metal, such as carbon steel or stainless steel, with an abrasive edge coating, generally a grit embedded in a metallic plating layer. In use, the blades run at a lineal velocity exceeding 3000 surface feet per minute and are maintained under high tension with loads as high as 30,000 pounds per square inch.
The life of a typical blade is generally determined by the ability of the basis metal to withstand the stress, since blade breakage due to stress cracking occurs much sooner than by any loss of abrasive quality of the cutting edge. Since one of the most effective abrasive materials is particulate diamond, an expensive material, there is much to be gained by prolongation of the life of the substrate basis material.