A diamond wafering blade is often used for sectioning delicate materials that require a precise cut. When sectioning with a wafering blade, it is important to consider the load, speed, and diamond size and concentration. The applied load and cutting speed are functions of the material to be cut.

Commonly, diamond wafering is performed at a speed of anywhere between 50 and 5000 rpm with varying loads from 10 to 1000 grams. In general, a harder specimen is cut at a higher speed and load (for instance, minerals and ceramics) as well as more brittle samples are cut at lower speeds and loads (such as electronic silicon substrates).

A number of factors must be considered when choosing the right watering blade, including the diamond concentration (high and low), diamond size (medium or fine), diamond bond (metal plate), blade thickness, and diameter.

Diamond concentration is crucial since it affects the applied load directly during cutting. For instance, brittle materials like ceramics need a higher effective load to section, unlike ductile materials like metals that need more cutting points. Thus, low concentration blades are better when sectioning hard brittle materials like ceramics. On the other hand, high concentration blades are preferred for ductile materials that contain a large portion of plastic or metal.

The diamond bonding material likewise considerably affects the cutting performance of the blade. A metal plated wafering blade requires periodic dressing to keep it in top performance. Contrary to what many people think, the cutting performance doesn’t diminish when the diamond is taken out of the blade. The metal bond, in reality, mainly smears over the diamond, and blinds the diamond abrasive.

The smeared material is taken away and the cutting rate is restored with periodic dressing.