Reciprocating wire saw for cutting hard materials

A reciprocating wire saw for cutting a hard material comprising:

• at least one flexible wire supported in tension within a frame component;
• a plurality of superabrasive particles braze bonded to a plurality of cutting segments positioned adjacent one another end to end about said flexible wire to form a cutting wire having a pre-determined superabrasive particle concentration and configured to cut a hard material in a reciprocating manner, said cutting segments each comprising at least one flat surface;
• and
• drive means configured to oscillate said cutting wire back and forth to achieve a reciprocating cutting motion.

A method for cutting thin slabs of a hard material comprising:

• identifying a hard material to be cut;
• obtaining a reciprocating wire saw comprising a cutting wire configured for cutting in a reciprocating manner, said cutting wire having at least one flat surface, a flexible wire, a plurality of cutting segments, and a plurality of superabrasive particles braze bonded onto an outer surface of said cutting segments, wherein said cutting segments are threaded onto said flexible wire and positioned next to one another end to end to provide said cutting wire with a pre-determined concentration of superabrasive particles;
• positioning said cutting wire to follow a pre-determined cut path through at least a portion of said hard material;
• oscillating said cutting wire at a pre-determined rate;
• and
• causing said cutting wire to cut in a reciprocating manner along said cut path.