SAWING BEAD

A sawing bead for use in a sawing cord is described and claimed. Sawing cords are used for cutting of natural stone and rock or manmade concrete and brickwork. The sawing bead comprises a tubular metallic sleeve on which an abrasive layer is deposited. The abrasive layer comprises a metal matrix material in which abrasive particles are held. Special about the bead is that the metal matrix material shows a dentritic structure in a metallographic cross section which is a result of the way it has been produced namely by laser cladding. The abrasive layer adheres very well to the sleeve as a metallurgical bonding layer is present between the abrasive layer and the sleeve. Abrasive particles are present down to this bonding layer thereby improving the useful life of the bead as no brazing layer is present between abrasive layer and sleeve as in prior-art beads. In the metal matrix material active metals are present that enhance the wetting and adhesion of the abrasive particles. Single bead cutting tests show at least as good a performance with the inventive beads compared to existing beads.