Transcript
THE NEW NORTON CLIPPER GC55
ToolTalk APRIL 2009
1 ST Q UA RTE R
NORTON CLIPPER GC55 EARLY ENTRY SAW The Took Talk newsletter was well received by you last year so I wanted to continue its circulation. It has been moved to a quarterly release and hope that you find it useful in your daily selling.
Mark Pendergrass, Market Manager for Construction Products
While green concrete cutting may not have changed too much since the days of the Slab Crab the pressure to get on and off a slab has. With that comes the stress of reducing the amount of people and equipment used on a job. We have a solution to the equipment side of things with the new Norton Clipper GC55. Versatile in function, compact in size and several great features all priced to meet any contractor’s budget.
The release of the GC55 Early Entry Saw at World of Concrete and ARA was overwhelming. Then you were able to get close up and personal with our recent WebEx but thought we would follow up with a recap. Don’t forget you can locate all the technical data on pages 28 and 29 of the new catalog. The more you know the easier to sell, so read on for more information!
MUCH MORE THAN A GREEN CONCRETE SAW The new Norton Clipper GC55 is much more than a green concrete saw or as it is sometimes called an early entry saw. The GC55 was designed from the ground up to be a high performance multiple application saw. By multiple applications we mean that the machine is capable of cutting green concrete (Early Entry), cured concrete, asphalt, and decorative concrete. Being able to cut more than just green gives the GC55 many advantages over the competitor’s machines such as a lower investment for our customer. With the GC55 the customer needs just our saw. For example, with the Husqvarna (SoffCut) 150 series, Diamond Products CC150-EE, Diteq GEQPaul Edwards, 450, and the Cardinal GM 450 the customer will need to have a Design Product Engineer for Construction Products second saw in their fleet in order to cut materials other than freshly poured concrete. With the GC55 the customer will get more utilization with a smaller investment which means more money in the customer’s pocket. continued on next page
GC55 Early Entry Saw
THE NEW NORTON CLIPPER GC55
ToolTalk APRIL 2009
PAGE 2
MUCH MORE THAN A GREEN CONCRETE SAW continued from previous page
One of the primary jobs the GC55 series saws will be used on is green concrete cutting, but keep in mind the GC55 is designed for more than just green concrete, the GC55 is a Multiple Applications saw. Which brings up a good question, what is green or early on concrete cutting? Green concrete is concrete that is still in a plastic state, meaning the concrete still has a lot of moisture in it. In other words, it is not fully cured or dry. As the concrete starts to hydrate (dry or cure), the concrete will change slightly in volume. Concrete normally shrinks about 1/16" for each 10 feet during the hydration process. This change in size creates internal stress in the concrete which will develop into cracks. Joints also known as crack control joints and/or expansion joints are normally cut into the concrete in order to relieve the internal stress and to create an area where a controlled crack will occur. With the joint in place the concrete will crack in a neat straight line underneath the joint. The idea behind cutting the green concrete is that the sooner the stress relieving joints are made the better control over random cracking we will have. Most green cutting is made at 25% of the overall thickness of the concrete, for example if the concrete is 6" thick we would set our cutting depth to 1-1/2" deep. One important fact to remember is that green concrete is any concrete that has set up but not hardened. For concrete to become fully hardened it may take 5 to 7 days.
So when is a good time to start cutting green concrete? Timing is a very important aspect of cutting green concrete. The time that the operator can start cutting will vary depending on the key factors listed above. For example if the concrete has a high water to cement ratio or the day is cooler then more time is required for the concrete to properly set up and hold the aggregate in place. Typically we are finding that starting around 6 hours after finishing good results can be obtain. We find in our testing that at 16 hours it gives the best results. These times to start are assuming that the concrete has set up long enough to hold the aggregate in place.
There are a few factors that affect green concrete cutting quality, and time that the cutting can begin. The concrete must set up long enough to hold the aggregate in place. If not the aggregate will tumble and move when the diamond blade contacts it, causing internal damage to the concrete and possible tearing or spalling of the concrete surface. The aggregate along with the concrete must be cut for proper crack control.
FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE CONCRETE SET UP ARE: • Concrete Mixture - PSI, concrete type, sand type and amount, and other materials. • Water to Cement Ratio - more water the longer the set up • Aggregate Size and Type • Concrete Additives - some speed up while others slow down the set up time. • Environmental Factors - Sun, Wind, Rain, Temperature • Concrete Temperature - cooler the concrete the longer the set up time. • Flat surfaces - help to insure that the blade is perpendicular to the concrete which reduces the chances of damaging the concrete surface. The GMAX blade has some unique features that make it an outstanding blade for green concrete cutting such as: • Anchor Slot Core Technology that reduces vibrations in the blade • Thicker core that resist flexing and bending • Optimized bond and diamond for fast green concrete cutting
GMAX 10" Blade: Designed for Green Concrete Cutting
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ToolTalk APRIL 2009
THE NEW NORTON CLIPPER GC55
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GC55 VS. THE COMPETITION
HUSQVARNA
HUSQVARNA
DP
DP
CARDINAL
MODEL
GC55
NORTON
GEQ-450
DITEQ
150
150-D
CC1055
CC150-EE
GM 450
MAX BLADE
10"
6-1/2"
6"
6"
8"
6"
6-1/2"
DEPTH OF CUT
3-1/2"
1-1/2"
1-3/16"
1-3/16"
2-1/4"
1-1/4"
1-1/4"
ARBOR SIZE
5/8"
Special
Special
Special
1"
1"
Special
DIRECTION OF CUT
Down
Up
Up
Up
Up
Up
Up
SKID PLATE
No
Rollers
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Rollers
BLADE DRIVE
Micro-V
AX(2)
3VX(1)
3VX(1)
3VX(2)
3VX(2)
3VX(1)
VIBRATION REDUCING WHEELS
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
LIFTING POINT
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
No
ENGINE
Honda
Subaru
Subaru
Subaru
Honda
Honda
Subaru
HP
5.5 HP
4.5 HP
4.5 HP
4.5 HP
5.5 HP
5.5 HP
4.5 HP
WEIGHT UNCRATED
115 lbs
100 lbs
100 lbs
102 lbs
100 lbs
115 lbs
100 lbs
FREE BLADE
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
LIST
$1850
$2425
$2152
$2729
$2273
???
$2500
Compact Frame Design
Improved Wheel Design
Front Blade Mount
Fold-Down Design
• Easy transport • Even weight distribution
• Stable cutting over debris • Helps keep saw in line of cut
• Additional weight helps keep blade in cut
• Easy storage and transport
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ToolTalk APRIL 2009
THE NEW NORTON CLIPPER GC55
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MULTIPURPOSE GC55 SAW So what features does the GC55 have to make it a great Multipurpose Saw? • Blade in center line of saw helps to reduce tearing of concrete when cutting green concrete. The center line blade also helps the GC55 to roll straight while cutting due to the blade being parallel to the saw. • Reinforced all steel frame reduces bending, flexing, and vibrations which can damage the concrete. The reinforced all steel frame is also stronger than the competitive models. • Soft platinum cured silicone rubber wheels that are based off of a Norton patent to absorb vibrations that can create spalling and machine movement. "Feel The Wheel!" The wheels also feature a concave profile that helps the machine to roll over small objects without upsetting the blade. • 10" maximum blade capacity with standard 5/8" arbor. The GC55 can be used with 7" to 10" diameter Norton blades. • Hand wheel with depth adjustment screw & depth allows precise depth adjustments up to 3-1/2" deep. • Fully adjustable non-scratching dust removal system helps stabilize the GC55 by pushing debris away from wheels and undercarriage of the machine. • Front and rear pointers for precise alignment. • Choice of power plants: 5.5 HP Honda Gasoline Engine or 3 HP Electric. • Handle bar and pointer folds up for compact easy transport. • Light weight, weighs only 115 lbs. • Includes a free 10" GMAX blade. None of the competitors are including a blade with their green concrete saws. • The GC55 is a very simple machine to operate. Almost too simple. • All this for only $1,850 list. The GC55’s features, design, ease of use, and price should make for some easy sales.
Soft wheels with concave profile
Reinforced frame with dust removal system
COMMENTS? For more information on Norton Clipper equipment, visit our website at www.nortonconstructionproducts.com.
If you have comments or ideas for a new article, please contact Mark: Mark.
[email protected]
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THE MUSCLE BEHIND THE MACHINE
TOOL TALK is published quarterly by Saint-Gobain Abrasives, Inc. © Saint-Gobain Abrasives, Inc. 2009
