Abrasive products coated in roll, disc and abrasive belt format are used in the main industrial sectors such as the automobile industry, the nautical ndustry, wood and varnishing, construction, and painting and decoration,among others.
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These abrasive materials are widely used and high consumption. In fact, we can affirm that in the majority of cases in which there has been a process of painting a surface, it has previously been subjected to a preparation process in which a coated abrasive product has been used.
Coated abrasive products are used in most surface preparation
processes for painting
Because the market offers a multitude of options for abrasives transformed into rolls, abrasive discs and sanding bands, when choosing the most appropriate one, we must take into account some considerations:
Accessibility to the work area, comfort and convenience for the user during the sanding operation, the type of material to be sanded, the sanding operation to be performed and the price variable are the main factors that condition the use of a type of sandpaper or other roll.
According to the type of support or backing material of the abrasive rolls wecan classify them into:
Sandpaper rolls with flexible or rigid paper support. Optimal for any universal sanding and all kinds of metal, wood, varnish, resins and solid surface parts among others
Sandpaper rolls with sponge paper support. Excellent for sanding profiles, moldings
and curved surfaces
Sandpaper rolls with velcro paper holders. Necessary for manual sanding with the help of coves and claws.
Sandpaper roll with flexible, semi-flexible or rigid fabric support. Use for universal sanding of all types of materials, in which the performance of the abrasive takes priority over the final finish.
Sandpaper rolls of non-woven fiber (scotch). Employees for surface shading.Abrasive products coated in roll, disc and abrasive belt format are used in the main industrial sectors such as the automobile industry, the nautical industry, wood and varnishing, construction, and painting and decoration, among others.
Rolls of steel wool sandpaper. Used to achieve an excellent finish on varnished and difficult to access surfaces, which in turn will be finished in high gloss.
Aspects to consider when choosing discs and sheets
1 Format of the abrasive disc:
When choosing the abrasive disc we must take into account:
The type of fastening of the disc to the plate, among which are:the velcro system, the self-adhesive system or the system without fixing by the support part.
The outer diameter and the number of holes. Variables that must match the diameter of the plate and the number of holes in it.
2. Types of operation to perform.
Coarse sanding of surfaces (grains 40, 60 and 80) corresponds to discs with a support of rigid paper or polyester film.
Intermediate sanding of the surface (grains 100, 120, 150, and 180): it corresponds to discs with support on semi-rigid or flexible paper depending on the needs of adaptation to the surface that we are going to sand.
Fine sanding (grains 220 to 600) we will opt for discs with a flexible paper backing or polyester film.
Finishing sanding (grains from 600 to ). In this case, we will need sponge-backed discs or polyester film.
3. Embossing level: type of material to be sanded
In this case we can speak of two clearly differentiated types of materials:
Embossing materials: for which we have abrasive discs that have a spaced or semi-spaced distribution of the mineral, in addition to a layer of anti-embossing stearate.
Slightly clogging materials: this time we will use abrasive discs with a semi-spaced or closed mineral distribution depending on the type of material to be sanded.
4. Hardness of the material to be sanded
Hard and tough materials, such as steels or alloys. We must use abrasive discs with ceramic ore, compact ore or zirconium ore. On occasions in which the development of the work will be carried out in areas with high temperatures on the surface, we must opt &#;&#;for abrasive discs that contain a layer of active lubricant.
Highly hard materials such as stone, glass or ceramic. In this case, we will use abrasive discs with silicon carbide ore.
Materials with a medium or low hardness. Use abrasive discs with aluminum oxide mineral. Maybe you're interested: Wind turbine repair: how to rebuild damage to materials
In this case, we will focus on wide bands, those whose measurements are greater than 600 mm and up to 1,600 mm.
These types of bands are used in the wood and varnished sector for sanding flat pieces.
When choosing an abrasive belt there are different variables to consider:
1. The appropriate mineral for the type of material we want to sand:
Zirconium ore should be used to sand hardwoods in rough calibration or surface sanding operations.
Aluminum oxide is the most common mineral used for sanding wood, veneer and melamine, in any sanding operation.
Silicon carbide ore is used to sand fiber boards, particle boards and solid surface
plates.
As for the sanding of primers, sealants and bottoms, it is possible to choose between the use of the aluminum oxide ore or silicon carbide, depending on the type of
bottom and the sanding operation, although in general the silicon carbide is The most
employed.
2. The distribution of the mineral is linked to the level of embouchure and hardness that the sanded surface presents.
Therefore, it is necessary to take this particularity into account when opting for one type of band or another.
Distribution of spaced ore: use for sanding soft and/or resinous materials prone to rapid swelling of the abrasive belt.
Distribution of semi-spaced ore, for sanding wood, veneers, melamines, as well as primers and sealants in varnishing.
Closed ore distribution. Use on fiber boards and chipboard boards.
3. Existence of stearates to reduce embossing and improve the level of finish.
In this way, it is possible to choose between different types of bands:
Bands without stearate, used for general sanding of wood, veneer, melamines and
boards.
Bands with stearate, used for sanding putties, bottoms and solid surface in general.
4. Take into account whether the abrasive belt is antistatic or not.
Since it is a feature especially relevant in the case of continuous sanding and varnishing lines, in which the pieces are sanded and immediately after they are anchored and finished.
Although, the antistatic bands prevent the dust released from sanding from electrostatic energy and easily adhere to the piece before varnishing.
5. Support used for abrasive tape.
Keep in mind that the choice of the type of support is determined by the type of operation to
be performed.
Calibration and sanding operations use bands with rigid cotton fabric support, or cotton with polyester or polyester only if the aggressiveness of the calibration operation requires it.
Coarse or intermediate sanding operations, which involve the use of bands with rigid
paper support weight F which allows proper planning of the sanded surface.
Fine sanding or finishing operations, use bands with semi-rigid paper support weight E
that allows transmitting the flexibility and sanding pressure of the sanding units with
sectioned skid group.
Superfinishing sanding operations, use narrow belts with polyester film supports to
achieve uniform sanding and free of emboss marks.
To choose the appropriate abrasive bands we must consider the appropriate mineral, the level of embossment and surface hardness, the existence of stearates, if the band is antistatic and the support used for it
At Abracom we are highly specialized in the customized transformation of coated abrasive products for the industry: rolls, discs and abrasive bands. We have the specific abrasive for each material and sanding operation. We advise our clients to recommend the abrasive products that best suit their needs. Contact us and we will advise you.
Topics Covered:
We often use common everyday products like abrasives without putting much thought into them. While abrasives are fairly simple in concept and ubiquitous in use, the multitude of different products and the definitions of various product attributes can make understanding and selecting the proper abrasives complex. The goal of this guide is to introduce you to the world of abrasives and help you select the best abrasive for your needs. When the proper abrasive product is used, you&#;ll be left with a finished piece that meets or exceeds expectations.
Abrasive Basics
What Are Abrasives?
An abrasive is a material used to finish (the act of polishing or making a surface smooth) or shape a workpiece through friction. The materials used on abrasives to create friction are often minerals.
Abrasives are used for many different industrial, consumer, and technological applications. Abrasives can be used for cutting, grinding, polishing, drilling, sharpening, lapping, buffing, honing, and sanding among many other things. The wide range of uses has given birth to many different types of abrasive products.
Abrasives VS. SandpaperAbrasives VS. Sandpaper
Abrasives are commonly mislabeled as sandpaper by the general public, but that is a misnomer because neither sand nor glass is used to manufacture abrasive products anymore.
How Do Abrasives Work?
As previously mentioned, abrasives, or sandpaper, relies on friction to remove material and smoothen out workpieces. While any two solid materials will wear each other away when repeatedly rubbed together over time, abrasive materials work well and last longer because they tend to be harder than the material that is being worked on.
Abrasive grains, or sandpaper grains, (also called grit) have rough edges and when the grains come into contact with a material while in motion, the grains break away fragments of the workpiece. There are many different factors that determine how effective an abrasive will be. Factors include:
The relative hardness of an abrasive compared to the material being worked on (harder abrasives will cut deeper faster)
Adhesion between grains (determines how quickly grains are lost)
Loading (worn abrasives can reduce cutting efficiency)
Contact force (greater force will result in faster abrasion)
Use of lubricant, coolant, or metalworking fluid (can help to carry away sanding debri to prevent friction and reduce heat)
How Is Sandpaper Produced?
There are many different types of abrasives and each type of abrasive has its own manufacturing process. Abrasive grains are produced by heating or chemically treating minerals to produce hard materials good for abrading. After being treated, the minerals are crushed and sifted by size. The smaller a grain is, the finer the finish is. Once crushed, the grains may be washed in classifiers to remove slimes and passed through magnetic separators to remove iron-bearing material.
For abrasive wheels, the grains are then bonded to a wheel using one of six types of bonds:
Vitrified or ceramic
Resinoid
Rubber
Shellac
Silicate of soda
Oxychloride of magnesium
For coated abrasive products, the grains are bonded to a backing using resins, glues, and/or varnish. Coated abrasive products are first produced as large rolls of abrasive-coated fabric or paper. The rolls are then manufactured into a finished product.
What Are The Different Types of Abrasives?
Different jobs call for different types of abrasives. The most common abrasive products are sanding belts, sanding discs, sanding sheets, and sanding rolls.
Sanding belts are great for jobs that require a lot of material to be removed quickly. Sanding belts are often used for stock removal in knife making, sanding hardwood floors, removing paint from flat surfaces, and sharpening tools.
Sanding discs are great for sanding large surfaces if you don&#;t have a wide belt sander. They are good for preparing surfaces, finishing wood, or derusting metal.
Sanding sheets require more manual labor and are usually only used when absolutely needed. Sanding sheets allow for a lighter touch for woodworking and finishing. Sheets are also able to reach small surfaces and crevices that electric equipment can&#;t. Bladesmiths will often switch to hand sanding after 220 grit (using a waterproof aluminum oxide sanding sheet) to have more precision during the finishing process.
Sanding rolls can be cut into sanding sheets or wound around drum sanders. Drum sanders are good for efficiently putting a fine finish on materials. They are often used on wood products, but can be used to finish plastic and metal workpieces as well. If you&#;re interested in cutting your own drum sanding strips from a sanding roll, we&#;ve covered how to do that in our blog post on cutting your own drum sanding strips.
Different sanding applications call for the use of different tools. The tools you use will ultimately guide what type of abrasive you need to buy. We've included descriptions of common sanders and the types of abrasives they use below.
Orbital sanders:orbital sanders use sanding discs and spin the discs in a circle. The rotating abrasive grains cut the surface the disc sander is applied to. Orbital sanders don't remove as much material as some of the other sanding tools and are better for finishing work.
Handheld belt sanders: Handheld belt sanders are smaller belt sanders that use sanding belts. Handheld belt sanders usually require the use of two hands with more effort needed than an orbital sander. They can work well for leveling and smoothing rough wood boards.
Benchtop belt sanders: Benchtop belt sanders are often larger and more powerful than handheld belt sanders. Benchtop belt sanders are better at removing stock material from larger workpieces. They typically utilize longer sanding belts.
Drum sanders: Drum sanders use an abrasive strip that is wrapped around a drum. The drum spins with a conveyor belt below it. The conveyor belt moves a workpiece, so that it passes under the drum and is sanded. We recommend that customers buy sanding rolls and cut their own drum sanding strips to save money. Drum sanders are commonly used for wood finishing.
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Choosing The Right Abrasive For Your Needs
There are many different variations of abrasive products outside of just the type of abrasive. Abrasives are manufactured with varying grain materials, backings, coating types, weights, and grits.
Abrasive Materials
Characteristics
Silicon Carbide
Aluminum Oxide
Zirconia
Ceramic
Friability
Highly friable
Highly friable
Moderately friable
The least friable material
Strength
Moderately strong
The weakest material
Moderately strong
The strongest material
Price
Moderately expensive
Cheapest material option
Moderately expensive
Premium price point
Lifespan
Moderate longevity
The least longevity
Moderate longevity
The most longevity
Aluminum Oxide (A/O)
One of the most popular abrasive materials, aluminum oxide is the industry standard for common applications and is the least expensive option on the market. The low price point comes at a cost as aluminum oxide often has the least longevity. Open coat aluminum oxide is excellent for planing, stripping, roughing, and finishing on all wood types. Closed coat aluminum oxide is great for snagging, weld removal, and grinding of metals. High quality aluminum oxide is highly friable, meaning the tips of the abrasive grains fragment as it wears, continually providing sharp cutting surfaces, and increasing working life. Aluminum oxide abrasives are highly customizable to specific applications.
Silicon Carbide (S/C)
Silicon carbide is a specialty abrasive and works well for specific applications. It&#;s commonly used for finish work because it delivers extremely consistent, even cutting. It is harder and sharper than aluminum oxide, so the cut rate remains the same through the entire life of the belt. Silicon carbide is more expensive than aluminum oxide, but silicon carbide abrasives deliver a level of consistency that aluminum oxide abrasives cannot, which offsets the higher cost.
It's ability to remove material without excessive heat buildup makes it perfect for finishing stabilized wood, resins, epoxy, and other heat sensitive applications. Silicon carbide is also excellent for automotive paint preparation. Other applications include marble, garnet, glass and other solid surfaces. It is typically black in color and acceptable for applications requiring waterproof materials.
Ceramic
Ceramic is considered a premium abrasive grain, as it is extremely hard and sharp. Ceramic abrasives come with a premium price, but also have the longest lifespan over any other type of abrasive material. The higher cost can be justified as it could save you money over the long-term.
Ceramic abrasives are ideal for aggressive cutting of metals and hard woods. The material works best when high speed and high pressure is applied. It is so aggressive, caution must be used to prevent scorching of the working material if you&#;re working with wood. Ceramic is friable, continuously delivering a sharp cutting surface, increasing the already impressive longevity of the product.
Ceramic is typically available in 24 through 120 grit, with most manufacturers offering a max of 220 grit. Red Label is one of the only manufacturers to offer ceramic up to 400 grit, however, our ceramic abrasives in 180, 240, 320, and 400 grit are only available in a J weight backing. While we always recommend using ceramic for steel, bladesmiths desiring stiff backed belts over 120 grit should use closed coat aluminum oxide.
For the best results, only use J weight belts with a rotary platen or when slack grinding. The backing on a J weight belt is thinner than the tape joint, so if it&#;s used against a flat platen, the seam may bump with each rotation. The seam bump can create unintended marks on the blade, which are undesirable. You can use a rotary platen to avoid this issue, but in the absence of one, use closed coat aluminum oxide with an X weight backing. Some knife makers have had success layering a surface conditioning belt under a J weight belt to absorb the bump against a flat platen. This technique works best on sanders larger than 1 x 30 due to guard constraints.
Zirconia or Alumina Zirconia (A/Z)
Zirconia was the most aggressive and durable abrasive grain until ceramic came along. It is still an excellent choice for heavy metal grinding / polishing of metals and material removal in hardwoods. Zirconia sanding belts are less costly than ceramic and do not typically exceed 220 grit. Zirconia is the middle ground abrasive between aluminum oxide and ceramic in terms of price and longevity.
Abrasive Backings
Paper
Paper backed abrasives typically include aluminum oxide and silicon carbide belts, discs, and shop rolls. Paper backing has some advantages, such as its light weight and lower cost compared to cloth backing. It also delivers even cutting for delicate processes and finer grits. However, paper alone does not provide the rugged durability of cloth or synthetic backings. Paper backing can be infused with material such as latex, to create an extra flexible, durable product that delivers consistent scratch patterns. Some industrial and professional users require paper wide belts for specific woodworking, stone, granite, plastics and metal finishing applications.
Cloth (Cotton, Polyester, Poly/Cotton Blend)
Cloth is a popular backing due to its cost effectiveness and strength. Premium abrasive products typically feature cloth or other synthetic backings. Polyester is a waterproof, synthetic backing that offers superior strength and longevity. Most standard sized belts are cloth backed.
Plastic/Film
Plastic film backing is excellent when users require an extremely uniform finish. It is popular in wet sanding due to its waterproof properties, strength, and flexibility.
Foam and Sponge
Foam and sponge backings are best for hand sanding moldings and veneers. These materials form fit contours and are an excellent choice when flexibility is required.
In the United States, sandpaper grit size is determined by the Coated Abrasive Manufacturers Institute (CAMI). Abrasives bought at local hardware stores and lumber yards are usually measured using the CAMI scale. However, Red Label Abrasives is a global abrasive manufacturer and relies on the scale provided by the Federation of European Producers of Abrasives (FEPA). The FEPA scale is superior to CAMI due to the strict tolerance system manufacturers must adhere to in order to earn grit ratings. The FEPA scale ensures abrasives are consistent, which enhances the quality of the finished products.
Using the FEPA scale, the grit number is preceded by the letter &#;P&#;. Grits range from P8 to P and higher. The lower the number is the more coarse the grit is. You can view a breakdown of grit ranges in the table below.
Category
Grit Range
Uses
Coarse Sandpaper
P8 - P80
Stock removal
Stripping of paints, varnishes, etc.
Medium Sandpaper
P100 - P220
Prepping materials for paints, stains, etc.
Final shaping
Removal of planning marks
Honing
Sharpening
Fine Sandpaper
P240 +
Sharpening
Polishing
Extra coarse sandpaper in the P8 to P36 range are very tough. Extra coarse sandpaper should only be used on the toughest jobs to avoid removing too much material or damaging a workpiece.
Coating refers to the amount of abrasive grain applied to the backing material. In general, closed coats provide an even finish on solid materials and open coats provide better finishes on woods. You can find a detailed breakdown on the difference between coatings in our blog post on closed and open coat abrasives.
Grain is applied evenly together without any voids in the coat. It delivers a longer life and finer finish. Typically used in non-woodworking applications
Only a portion of the backing is covered with an abrasive grain. This type of coating reduces loading in coarser grits. The backing is covered 50%-70%, allowing more room for material buildup to expel from the grain.
Semi-open or semi-closed coat falls between closed and open coat. These abrasives have about a 30% grit reduction on average.
Coated abrasive products are categorized by the &#;weight&#; (wgt) of the backing material used. This alphabetical system indicates the stiffness and thickness of the backing. Below is a list of commonly used sandpaper backing weights.
A & B wgt are common in low-end materials and/or finer grits. They are typically used for hand sanding applications. C & D wgt are the most popular for general use sandpaper products. E & F wgt are most commonly used for belts and discs.
For most applications, a good ratio of weight, flexibility and flatness are crucial for sandpaper product performance. J wgt material is the lightest and most flexible. This is popular in light metal finishing applications and knife handle work. X wgt has the widest range of applications. Y wgt is typically used for heavy duty applications. Cloth materials are stiffer and used in most belt sanding applications due to their increased strength. Paper backing is used when uniform consistency is needed. Paper backed materials are used in hand sanding applications such as polishing and fine wood finishing.
Other weights (S,T,M) are seldom used, only for specific applications and products.
How To Select The Best Abrasive For Your Needs
Ultimately, there&#;s no one-size-fits-all solution for abrasives. The best abrasive for you will depend on the materials you&#;re working with and the outcome you&#;re trying to achieve with your materials. We&#;ve broken down abrasive needs for a few popular applications below.
We know we haven&#;t covered every possible abrasive application in existence. If you&#;re having trouble finding a solution for your application, you can speak with one of our abrasive technicians to arrive at the best product for your needs. You can call us at (844) 824- or fill out a contact form to speak with a technician.
For most woodworking applications, open coat aluminum oxide will usually get the job done. Aluminum oxide is affordable and effective when working with wood. Open coat abrasives work best with softer woods like cedar and pine. If you&#;re working with harder woods like African Blackwood, cocobolo, oak, or hickory, then closed coat aluminum oxide would be the better choice. You can view or woodworking products below:
Creating a knife requires working with a combination of materials as the handle or scales are often different materials from the blade. While we tend to recommend open coat aluminum oxide abrasives for wood, the wood used for handles or scales is usually either exotic wood that is naturally hard or wood that is stabilized to become harder. Therefore, closed coat aluminum oxide, zirconia, or ceramic abrasives should be used for knife making.
Aluminum oxide abrasives are cheaper, but they won&#;t last as long or perform as well as ceramic or zirconia abrasives. We would highly recommend using ceramic abrasives to get the best value for your money spent. We also sell knife making kits, so that you can buy an assortment of different types of belts to fit your needs.
Coarser grits (P36 - P150) are good for grinding away stock material with ease. You can use coarse grit abrasives to shape your blade and scales. Fine grits (P180 - P800) can be used for honing or blade sharpening. Ultra fine grits (P - P) can provide a final round of sharpening and finishing for an ultra smooth finish.
You can view our knife making products below:
There are two types of abrasives we generally recommend for metalworking. Those two types would be closed coat aluminum oxide and ceramic. You could also use zirconia abrasives as a middle of the line alternative. Zirconia abrasives are stronger than aluminum oxide and less expensive than ceramic, but you really do get the best bang for your buck with ceramic abrasives. You can view our metalworking products below:
If you&#;re working on auto body repair, we actually have an in-depth guide on abrasives for auto body repair that you can use for reference. The guide includes how to select grits, what abrasive material is recommended and more.
Best Practices For Abrasive Storage And Use
We cover the best practices for storage and use in our blog post on how to store abrasives for the best performance. However, recommended storage and use guidelines can be quickly summarized.
To give your abrasives a longer lifespan and ensure the best possible performance, the abrasives should be stored away from the ground and in an area with moderate temperatures (60°F-80°F) and low humidity. Controlling humidity is crucial to ensure good abrasive health as high humidity can damage the joint adhesive on sanding belts causing them to snap. Sanding belts should be stored on racks and sanding discs or wheels should be stored on/in boxes, racks, bins, and drawers.
Education is important to us here at Red Label Abrasives. We believe knowing more about the products you use can help you to utilize them better. If you'd like to learn more about sandpaper we maintain a sanding blog with over two dozen articles. You can learn more sandpaper and sanding applications with a wide variety of sanding topics.
You can also directly ask our abrasive technicians sandpaper questions directly. Our technicians are here to serve you. You can speak with a technician by calling 844-824-, or filling out a contact form.
Are you interested in learning more about performance abrasives? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!