How to Cut Kevlar

How do you cut a material that is supposed to be knife and bullet proof?
With the right tools, it's not actually that complicated.  Cutting through kevlar with the right tool is very doable.

The Old Fashioned Way

The first way to cut Kevlar is by brute force.  The two primary ingredients in this process is going to be you, and then the other piece is the tool that you use.  You are going to need something hard enough to cut the material. 

​Here are some of the best tools available!

Manual Ways to Cut Kevlar 

​There are many ways to cut Fiber glass and Kevlar by hand. The most popular way of cutting fiberglass, crazy as it seems, is scissors. The best scissors that I have found are Kretzer Germany Steel Scissors.

​This brand last for a very long time due to its high quality steel, plus Kretzer designed serrated blades specifically for fiberglass industry. This designed blades enables the operator to cut the material more efficiently while keeping the cut quality high. 

Motorized Tools to Cut Kevlar

Depending on your application there are different motorized tools that are designed for the Fiberglass industry. Here are the different power tools that I would recommend depending on the facility’s application (boat hauls, windmills, etc.):

Trimming single or every low ply

Eastman Buzzaird (pneumatic)

 The Eastman Buzzard is a pneumatic driven rotary shear that reaches up to 20,000 RPM with high torque. This machine is designed for trimming single (or low) ply of material. You can see what I mean by trimming when you look at the video in the link above. 

Rasor Optima 702 (electric- 110V or 220V)

Rasor Optima 702/703 is an electrically driven rotary shear. It is a high torque motor, so it can power through really tough material.

Rasor Zero702 (Battery)

Rasor Zero 702 is a battery operated rotary shear. It is the most powerful and robust battery rotary shear on the market. This machine has variable speed and it cuts fiberglass and kevlar like butter.

How to Cut ALOT of Kevlar

​Multiply Cutting

If you are cutting multiple layers or cutting kevlar and fiberglass on a table, I would recommend Straight Knife to cut your kevlar.

Eastman Brute is the heavy duty version of the Eastman Straight knife. It has more robust motor to add higher torque with the same RPM (3600 RPM). Having this type of cutting machine allows you to cut more material at the same time, while keeping the fiberglass away from the moving parts on the machine besides the knife. Fiberglass is a really abrasive material, so if it gets inside the machine (especially a moving part), it will bog down your machine and eventually break it. Check on the video in the link about to see what I mean by stack cutting or multiply cutting.

Automated

The best way to cut fiber glass automatic is by two ways: Cut to length machine or fully automated cutting machine. 

Automatic Cutting Machine

The most efficient way to cut fiber glass and kevlar. This machine cuts fiberglass at amazing speeds with incredible accuracy. This system is designed to cut out any 2D shape on any material loaded into the bed of the cutter. They do have systems that also convey the material forward to make it even more efficient. Not only is the machine fast and accurate ,but it is so good for cutting fiberglass (depending on what type) because it uses a “crush style” cutting system to cut out the patterns. This helps certain fiberglass (not all) material from not fraying. These uses allow you to mark and punch the material also if needed. 

Cut to Length

If your operation just need your material to be cut into squares or rectangles, than the cut to length machine is the correct machine for your application. The machine is designed to unwind a roll of material and measure the material to length. Once it measure the material to length it performs a cross cut on the fiberglass material. Then you have a perfectly measured cut to length pc of material. This machine is fully customizable; slitters, conveyor belt, rerolling attachment and etc.

Once you are equipped with the right tools, the actual how to of cutting kevlar is pretty straight forward.  We have been helping companies find the right tools for the job for years.  If you are looking at getting into cutting fiber glass or kevlar, we would be happy to help you find the machine that suits you!

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