350mm Laser Welded Diamond Blade for Asphalt and New Concrete — VCT TH15ALW350

The VCT TH15ALW350 is a 350mm laser welded diamond blade built for the most demanding asphalt and new concrete cutting applications on South African road construction and civil engineering sites. Combining laser welded segment bonding with a deep draft segment geometry engineered specifically for undercut protection, this blade represents the top of the VCT construction range for abrasive material cutting — offering the bond strength advantages of laser welding alongside the segment durability needed to survive sustained cutting of hard aggregate asphalt and freshly poured green concrete.

Manufactured under the Vus Cutting Technology house brand, the TH15ALW350 is designed for contractors, road paving crews, and plant hire companies who cut asphalt and new concrete daily and need a blade that delivers consistent performance, long segment life, and reliable segment retention under high-production conditions.

At 15mm segment height, this blade provides significantly more cutting life than standard 7mm or 10mm segment blades — reducing downtime from blade changes and lowering cost-per-metre on high-volume asphalt and concrete cutting contracts.

Best For

• Hard aggregate asphalt — road construction, resurfacing, and repair
• New and green concrete — freshly poured slabs, driveways, kerbs, and civil infrastructure
• Asphalt over concrete — resurfaced roads where the saw cuts through both layers
• Medium to soft sandstones on construction and civil projects
• Breeze blocks and lightweight abrasive masonry
• Green concrete abrasive blocks
• Other abrasive refractory materials
• Road paving and civil engineering contractors cutting daily on high-production contracts
• Plant hire companies supplying road saws and floor saws to the construction industry

Deep Draft Laser Welded — Why This Blade Outperforms on Asphalt

The TH15ALW350 combines two performance-critical features that specifically address the challenges of cutting asphalt and new concrete:

Deep Draft Segment Design: Asphalt and new concrete are highly abrasive materials that wear diamond segments unevenly — rapidly removing material from the outer cutting edge while leaving the segment base relatively intact. On a standard straight-sided segment, this creates an undercut profile: the segment becomes narrower at the base than at the face, weakening the bond and causing premature segment loss. The deep draft design counters this by building additional material into the base of each segment, maintaining structural integrity and bond strength as the outer layer wears through normal cutting. The close-up segment image shows this stepped geometry clearly.

Laser Welded Bond: Unlike silver brazed blades where segments are attached using a filler metal, laser welded segments are fusion-bonded directly to the steel core. This creates a metallurgically stronger joint that is not affected by the heat generated during dry cutting and that resists the mechanical stresses of high-vibration road saw and floor saw operation more effectively than brazing. For asphalt cutting — where segment loss from undercut failure is the primary blade failure mode — the combination of deep draft geometry and laser welded bonding directly addresses the two most common causes of premature blade failure.

TH15ALW350 vs VCT B1 VCT1535080 — Laser Welded vs Silver Brazed for Asphalt

Both blades are designed for the same asphalt and new concrete application and share identical physical dimensions. The difference is in the bonding method:

• VCT B1 VCT1535080 (Silver Brazed): Excellent wet-cut performance, lower entry price, well-suited to controlled wet cutting environments. The silver brazed bond performs reliably when water cooling is consistently maintained.
• TH15ALW350 (Laser Welded): Stronger segment bond, greater operational flexibility including dry cutting capability, and superior segment retention under high vibration and high-production conditions. The preferred choice for contractors cutting daily on high-RPM road saws or in environments where water supply may be inconsistent.

For most professional road and civil contractors, the laser welded TH15ALW350 is the higher-performance, longer-life choice on asphalt. The silver brazed VCT B1 VCT1535080 remains a strong value option for controlled wet-cut operations.

Technical Specifications

Machine Compatibility

The TH15ALW350 fits floor saws, road saws, and walk-behind cutting machines with a 25.4mm (1-inch) arbour — the standard bore size on most 350mm / 14-inch road and floor saws used on South African construction sites. Always confirm your machine’s maximum disc diameter and rated operating speed before fitting. Your machine’s rated speed must not exceed 4,366 RPM.

This blade is not designed for hand-held angle grinders. For 230mm angle grinder applications on new concrete or general masonry, see the VCT 230mm Segmented Diamond Cutting Blade in our construction range.

Safety & PPE

Operating a 350mm blade on a road saw or floor saw at active cutting speed requires strict safety compliance. Always observe the following:

• Ensure adequate and consistent water flow is connected before cutting begins
• Wear a full face shield and safety glasses throughout the operation
• Use hearing protection — road saws and floor saws produce sustained high noise levels
• Wear waterproof outerwear, rubber boots, and cut-resistant gloves
• Wear an appropriate dust mask — even with wet cutting, silica-laden slurry dries on surrounding surfaces
• Inspect the blade before every use for cracks, missing or damaged segments, and steel core deformation
• Never exceed the maximum operating speed of 4,366 RPM
• Fit the blade guard correctly and confirm the blade is properly seated before starting the machine
• Ensure the cutting area is clear of bystanders and that signage and barriers are in place for road and site safety compliance