Specialist, heavy-duty vertical band saws, used by Accurate Cutting Services, produce substantial economies by profiling blanks to remove excess material in bulk, prior to machining. The removal of the excess material can substantially reduce machining time and tooling costs. Using a band-saw blade, less material is turned into swarf or chippings, 2mm or 3mm kerf loss being typical, and the offcuts are available for use or for sale as prime stock rather than scrap.