How to inspect mechanical blades: For QC and Users

Due to different purposes and specialties, different roles have different inspection standards for mechanical blades. This paper presents different inspection methods for the inspectors and end-users in the production process for reference.

As a QC for mechanical blades and knives, to always follow strict inspection standards and methods to ensure that each blade can meet the highest quality standards, it is recommended that the following steps be followed for inspection:

1. Document preparation:

Before the mechanical blade inspection, you need to prepare the relevant production drawings and user requirements. These documents will be the basis for your inspection, to ensure that your inspection process meets the relevant requirements.

2. Visual inspection:

Visual inspection is an important step to judge whether there are obvious defects or damages on the surface of mechanical blades. It is divided into two parts:

• You need to carefully observe the blade surface to check for scratches, cracks, or other undesirable conditions, as well as the location and correctness of the markings.

• Inspect blade dimensions and tolerances according to production drawings and user’s design requirements: length, width, thickness, aperture, spacing, angle, form error, and tolerances: flatness, parallelism, Surface roughness, etc…

3. Material inspection:

Material Inspection. The quality of the material directly affects the tool’s performance and life. You can use some common material inspection methods, such as chemical composition analysis, and metallographic microscope observation, to ensure that the material used in the blade meets the requirements.

4. Hardness testing：

Hardness testing is also a very important test. Use a hardness tester to test the hardness of the blades to ensure that the hardness values meet the production requirements. The hardness value of the qualified or not directly related to the wear resistance and life of the blade.

5. Weight inspection：

The weight of the blade is also an important test index. You can use a balance device to measure the weight of the blade. If the weight of the blade is significantly different from the specified standard or the weight of the sample, it may indicate that there is a quality problem with the blade.

6. Functional inspection

The functional performance of a mechanical blade is critical to the end user. You can according to the user’s requirements, do some functional performance testing, such as a cutting test, and wear test, to ensure that the blade can meet the needs of users.

As a user, after you receive Metal Industrial mechanical blades to carry out a simple inspection to ensure that the received blades can be normally installed and used, it is recommended that the following aspects be tested:

1. Visual inspection:

Visual inspection includes looking at the overall appearance of the blade and checking for obvious damage, scratches, or deformation. You should also pay attention to the color and surface quality of the blades to ensure that they meet the standard requirements.

2. Dimensional inspection:

This can be done by using measuring tools, such as micrometers, vernier calipers, and other measuring tools. You must measure key dimensions such as blade length, width, thickness, and diameter and compare them with standard specifications. In particular, the blade installation size determines whether the blade can use the first and most important part.

3. Hardness testing:

Hardness test to evaluate the hardness of the blade. Hardness testing can be done using a hardness meter, such as a Rockwell or Vickers hardness meter. You need to conduct a deep indentation test on the blade surface, and based on the hardness meter reading determine whether the hardness of the blade meets the requirements.

4. Functional inspection:

This includes checking the cutting performance of the blade, wear resistance, and corrosion resistance. You can evaluate the cutting performance of the blade by testing the material to be machined and observing the quality of the cutting surface and the cutting force of the blade. Abrasion and corrosion resistance can be assessed by prolonged use of the blade or exposure to harsh environments.

You also need to use some common inspection tools when performing blade inspections. In addition to the previously mentioned measuring tools and hardness tester, you can also use a microscope to observe the blade surface’s fine defects and damage. In addition, an electronic balance can be used to measure the weight of the tool to ensure that it meets the requirements.

In a word, the inspection of mechanical blades is an important step to ensure their quality and performance. The quality and performance of the blade can be evaluated by appearance inspection, size inspection, hardness testing, and functional testing.