Slitting Pretty

Blade selections can increase or decrease injury prospects. Jeff Epstein, president of Houston-based Ceramic Technologies, says slitting with standard steel razor blades is very common because of easy set-up, but ceramic coated steel razor blades stay sharper longer, offering a safer alternative. He elaborates that a ceramic coated blade will last 8 to 12 times longer than standard steel blades, staving off injuries with less frequent changes or positioning. Ceramic blades can cost $2 per blade compared to 25 cents per blade typically for steel, a higher cost offset by downtime savings, he notes.