An abrasive wire provides an efficient cutting operation with high accuracy and a longer service life. Abrasive grains are provided around a core wire. The abrasive grains are bonded to the core wire by a light curing resin or an electron beam curing resin which can be cured within a few seconds. Accordingly, the curing operation can be performed while the core wire is moved in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the core wire. Thus, a long abrasive wire can be fabricated at reduced time and cost.

An apparatus and method for wafering an ingot of semiconductor material. Wafering blades are fabricated from one or more layers of a fiber reinforced plastic tape and coated with an abrasive material which is embedded into the exposed flat surfaces of the blades. An assembly of such blades is used in a wafering device in which the blades are reciprocated while the ingot is plunged against the cutting edges of the blades. The primary cutting action occurs as exposed ends of the fiber material at the blade edges contact the ingot. The abrasive material on the blade sides provides additional side cutting action and produces a polished finish on the surfaces of the resulting wafers.

A method of making a cutting blade using a fiber composite tape formed into a continuous closed loop. The tape is selected and prepared such that at least some of the fibers form an acute angle with the cutting edge.

A method of making a cutting blade using a fiber composite tape formed into a continuous closed loop. The tape is selected and prepared such that at least some of the fibers form an acute angle with the cutting edge.

A composite abrasive filament, including at least one preformed core at least partially coated with a hardened, abrasive-filled thermoplastic elastomer, exhibits increased abrading life over previously known abrasive filaments. Also disclosed are methods of making such filaments and using such filaments in article form to abrade a variety of workpieces.