For Immediate Release: Austin Texas September 1, 2008— Spectrum Acquisitions Holding, Inc. (SPAH) announces assignment of patent on LASER GUIDANCE SYSTEM FOR DIAMOND WIRE STONE CUTTING APPARATUS.

The laser guidance system is for controlling diamond wire cutting machinery used for stone slab and block fabrication in the stone quarrying industry. The patent applies to a wire cutting system that can continuously detect the precision of cuts being made and modulate the cutting wire’s feed rate so as to maximize the cutting performance and to extend the working life of the cutting wire.

Precision cutting of large stones is efficiently achieved using a continuous cable imbedded with diamond-impregnated beads.  The cutting cable, generally referred to as a “diamond wire,” is drawn between two wire guide wheels, which are positioned to accommodate the wire’s travel across a particular span of space.  In this way, the stone to be cut is introduced into the span and into contact with the wire as it quickly travels between the wire guide wheels.  As the wire travels, it comes into contact with the stone, and cuts into the slab.  

The systems involve a tensioned wire spanning between two wire guide wheels are quite common in the quarrying and saw shop stone cutting industries.  Such guided, cutting wire systems are preferred to bar-guided belts and wires or cutting wheel systems because the unguided, cutting wire systems offer lower costs, but generally suffer from a lower level of cutting precision as compared to the other cutting systems.

The Spectrum laser guidance system for diamond wire stone cutting apparatus operatively connects cutting wire speed control to a sensor that detects the straightness of the cutting wire as it cuts into a stone.  When the system detects deviation of the kerf or notch being cut from the intended, straight cut path, the system communicates with the wire speed controller, i.e., the subsystem that controls the rate at which the wire cutting system moves between the wire guide wheels, so that the proper adjustment of the travel speed may be made so that the distortion is corrected.  Accordingly, the forces on the cutting wire are kept within the wire’s maximum acceptable tensile limits and non-straight cuts are quickly righted.