Hub vs Hubless Dicing Blades Which One Should You Choose

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1. What Is a Hub Type Dicing Blade?

A hub type dicing blade — sometimes called a “type H” or “hubbed” blade — consists of a thin abrasive rim bonded to a rigid aluminium or aluminium alloy hub. The hub is a precision-machined disc with a central bore that mounts directly onto the spindle flange. Because the hub provides its own structural support, hub type blades require only a single outer flange (or in some configurations, no retaining flange at all) to clamp against the hub face during operation.

The hub serves two critical functions beyond mechanical mounting: it pre-centres the abrasive rim with high concentricity relative to the bore, and it provides a rigid support structure that reduces lateral blade deflection during cutting. These properties make hub blades particularly well-suited to thin abrasive rims where the rim alone would lack sufficient stiffness to maintain cutting geometry under load.

Hub blades are the dominant configuration for fine-pitch and electroformed blade applications. Most electroformed nickel bond blades — the thinnest dicing blades available — are manufactured in hub configuration because the aluminium hub provides the structural rigidity that the ultra-thin diamond rim cannot provide alone. This is discussed further in our bond type comparison guide.

2. What Is a Hubless (Washer) Dicing Blade?

A hubless dicing blade — also called a “washer type” or “type W” blade — is an abrasive disc without any mounting hub. The blade is a flat annular ring (resembling a washer) with an abrasive cutting rim around its outer diameter and a plain central bore. It is mounted between two precision-matched flanges on the spindle, and the clamping force from the flanges provides both the mounting security and the structural support needed during cutting.

Because the blade body itself is the entire abrasive mass without a hub, hubless blades can be manufactured to a wider range of thicknesses and diameters more economically than hub blades, and they are easier to manufacture in resin bond and metal bond formulations at standard thicknesses (above ~0.05 mm). Hubless blades are the standard configuration for the majority of resin bond and metal bond dicing applications across silicon, glass, ceramic, and substrate dicing.

3. Structural and Performance Comparison

4. Flange Compatibility and Saw Platform Matching

The most critical practical consideration when selecting between hub and hubless blades is flange compatibility with your dicing saw. Hub blades and hubless blades use entirely different flange systems — they are not interchangeable on the same spindle without changing the flange set.

On DISCO dicing saws — the most widely deployed platform globally — hub type blades use the “2H” flange series (e.g., 2H50-SD, 2H53-SD), which clamps against the flat face of the aluminium hub. Hubless blades use the standard “20” flange series (e.g., 2050-SD, 2053-SD), which sandwiches the blade between inner and outer flange faces. Attempting to mount a hub blade on a 20-series flange, or vice versa, will result in incorrect blade positioning, excessive runout, and potential spindle damage.

For K&S, ACCRETECH TSK, and other saw platforms, equivalent flange systems exist with similar hub/hubless distinctions. When ordering blades for unfamiliar equipment, obtain the spindle flange part number from the saw manufacturer’s documentation and confirm blade compatibility before purchasing.

Flange condition is equally important for hubless blades. The concentricity of a hubless blade during operation depends entirely on the flatness, cleanliness, and dimensional accuracy of the flange faces. Worn, contaminated, or damaged flanges are a leading cause of increased runout, kerf width variation, and chipping — issues explored further in our article on kerf width variation root causes.

5. Installation Differences and Best Practices

Installing a Hub Type Blade

1. Confirm the spindle uses the correct hub-compatible flange series.
2. Clean the flange face thoroughly with lint-free cloth and isopropyl alcohol.
3. Slide the hub blade onto the spindle shaft, seating the hub flat against the inner flange face.
4. Thread the outer retaining nut (if applicable) and tighten to the torque specified in the saw manual — do not over-tighten.
5. Verify blade runout (TIR) using the saw’s built-in runout check or a dial indicator. Acceptable TIR is typically below 2 µm for fine-pitch applications.

Installing a Hubless Blade

1. Remove the outer flange and inspect both flange faces for contamination, nicks, or scoring — clean with IPA before every blade change.
2. Place the hubless blade on the inner flange, ensuring the blade bore seats centrally.
3. Install the outer flange and tighten the retaining nut to the specified torque — alternating tightening sequence if the saw design requires it.
4. Perform a kerf check cut on scrap material and verify kerf width and position before running production wafers.

6. Which Type Should You Choose?

In most cases, your dicing saw’s installed flange configuration will pre-determine which blade type you must use — the decision is made at the equipment procurement stage rather than at the blade ordering stage. However, when setting up a new process line or evaluating blade options for a saw that can accept either configuration, the following guidelines apply:

• Choose hub type when: working with ultra-thin blades (below ~0.04 mm), using electroformed nickel bond blades for fine-pitch or QFN applications, or when runout minimisation is the top priority.
• Choose hubless type when: running standard silicon, glass, or ceramic dicing with resin or metal bond blades at conventional thicknesses, blade cost per unit is a significant factor, or the existing saw inventory already uses 20-series flanges.

For a complete picture of how mounting configuration interacts with bond type, grit, and process parameters, the pillar guide on dicing blades brings all these variables together in one reference.

7. Frequently Asked Questions

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