A diamond blade’s long life and toughness make them the ideal material to cut concrete. They “cut” by grinding away at the surface of the concrete, using diamonds as an  abrasive. The metal core, which is a steel disc that attaches to the saw, holds diamond crystals in place at the outer edge. These diamond crystals, which are synthetically grown to specific sizes, shapes, and toughness, are what actually grind through the concrete. The exposed synthetic diamond crystals on the blade surface do the cutting. As the diamonds become dull, they fall away, and new ones are exposed. The blade’s edge can be continuous, serrated, or segmented.

Proper mounting the blade may seem simple but is critical to safe operation. Before  installing a new blade, double check the arbor shaft for wear, radial, and axial play. If you move the shaft back and forth and there is movement, it means the arbor shaft needs new bearings, adjustment, or even to be replaced.

Let the saw do the work. All you need to do is guide it in the direction of the cut. Forcing the blade could cause it to overheat. Segmented blades have slots cut into the core that allow water and air to flow, providing faster cooling.

1. Blades are designed to go in a straight line; crooked or off-line cuts can cause blades to pinch or bite into the material and jam. Although a blade may be jammed, the running motor builds up power and can cause a worker to lose control of the saw and become exposed to the cutting blade.
2. Make sure the flanges are smooth and flat without wear, and that they are of equal and correct diameter. Ensure that the blade is mounted on a correct diameter blade shaft between proper blade flanges and is securely tightened with an adjustable wrench.
3. Pay attention to the RPM and directional arrows labeled on the blade to ensure the blade is installed properly and spins in the intended direction.
4. Make sure there is a regular flow of water on each side of the blade, and make sure there is enough coolant on hand. Check that each of the two coolant tubes located on either side of the blade are not damaged or pinched shut. If blades are used without enough water, the actual diamond segments may break off.  Regularly inspect the diamond blade for undercutting, fatigue cracks, core flatness, segment damage, and arbor hole wear while you use it.
   

Keeping the blade shaft bearings lubricated is one of the most important daily maintenance procedures. These bearings should be greased at the end of every work day. Many manufacturers recommend giving each bearing two pumps of grease while the machine is still warm from operation, if possible, and while the shaft is turning over at idle speed.

All blades come with a lettered Blade Application Code developed by the Concrete Sawing and Drilling Association and are in the following format: Blade code (X – X – X)

• 1st X Wet only (W) or Wet or dry (D)
• 2nd X Cured concrete (C), Green concrete (G) or Block/brick (B)
• 3rd X Handheld (H), Wall saw (W) or Stationary saw (S)
  

IAMU will be hosting the 2018 Water Distribution Training and Water Leak Detection/Line Locating Workshops, September 5th & 6th.

0.6 CEUs will be available each day for Water Distribution.

For more information, and to register, click here.

Hope to see you there!

The IAMU Fall Broadband Meeting is Wednesday, September 26th at the IAMU Office and Training Complex in Ankeny. This annual gathering gives IAMU utility members with broadband networks an opportunity to network, share ideas, and hear from speakers on several topics.

Cost is just $35.00 per person for IAMU members or $50 for non-members. 

Register online here.

Questions?  Contact Curtis Dean at (515) 650-0251 or curtis@smartsourceconsulting.com.

IAMU will be offering a Gas “Boot Camp” Operator Qualification Training Workshop at the end of October. The workshop will take place October 1st-5th, 2018 at the IAMU Training & Office Complex.

This workshop is geared towards:  New operators, dispatchers, on-call personnel, and operators who would like to qualify or re-qualify on the covered tasks being presented.  Hands-on and written evaluations will be offered.  Participants may attend only Monday or all week.  This training is also very valuable for dispatch personnel answering phone calls.

Qualifications will be offered for all topics covered.

Click here to register.

Mark your calendars for the IAMU Electric Utility Billing Workshop.  The Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities, in cooperation with Denison Municipal Utilities, is offering a one-day training workshop to aid municipal personnel in the unique challenges faced in performing electric utility billing.  This course is targeted to all new office staff, billing clerks, customer service representatives, those needing continued training, and a light refresher for experienced staff.  A networking breakfast and a catered lunch will be provided.

The training will take place on Thursday, October 4th at Denison Municipal Utilities in Denison, Iowa.

The following topics will be covered during the workshop:

• Electrical Terminology
• Electric Equipment
• Electric Procedures
• Multipliers
• Meter Reading
• Meter Data
• Processing Data
• Billing Accounts
• Customer Issues
• Data Processing
• Software
• LIHEAP
• Winter Moratorium
• Rates (Setting & Applying)

Cost:
IAMU Members: $109
Non-Members: $159      

Workshop Location:
The workshop will take place at:

Denison Municipal Utilities
721 Broadway
Denison, IA  51442
Utility Phone Number – (712) 263-4154

Registration is open!
Registration is available online by visiting our website at www.iamu.org and clicking on the workshop under the “Events” link.  You may also mail, or fax the registration form in.  For additional information including brochure and registration link, please click HERE.

Questions?  Contact Dan Llewellyn at (800) 810-4268 or email at dllewellyn@iamu.org.

the second annual Emergency All-sector Response Transnational Hazard Exercise – is one of the largest cross-sector critical lifeline sector exercises in history. The event takes place today, Aug. 22. You do not have to participate today. The event will be open for 30 days, and you can log on at any time to go through the exercises.
 
The industry exercise takes about four hours, and the individual/family exercise takes about 40 minutes.
 
Industry Exercise
EARTH EX 2018 will provide you the opportunity to exercise your plans and policies in response to true Black Sky hazards that threaten our modern society in a direct and complex manner. Take the opportunity to learn, share information and improve your plans to become more resilient.
 
Individual/Family Exercise
EARTH EX 2018 will provide individuals and families with the opportunity to participate in a 30-0minute personal planning exercise designed to teach those in the community how to better prepare for extreme hazards.
 
To register, go to: https://www.eiscouncil.org/EarthEx.aspx

Since 1980, the Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities (IAMU), Jester Insurance Services, Inc., and EMC Insurance Companies have joined together to bring Iowa municipalities and utilities a comprehensive and competitive dividend insurance program. Expansions and improvements to the program are continuously made to meet the changing needs of Iowa's municipalities and utilities.

Click here to register for the 2018 IAMU Safety Group Risk Management Workshops taking place in October. We will be covering several very important topics at these seminars. We will also have guest speakers presenting on Cyber Security and Employment Practices Liability that you won’t want to miss! Please send questions or completed forms to lpirkl@jesterinsurance.com. You can also return the form via mail or fax to: Jester Insurance, PO Box 4779, Des Moines IA 50305; Fax: 515-243-6862. We hope to see a representative from every Safety Group member at one of the three seminars this October!

Please welcome new Associate member Community State Bank!