What Are Industrial Abrasives and Their Common Types?

Abrasives are a type of substance or material that is capable of shaping or finishing a workpiece by creating wear through friction. Within industrial applications, abrasive kits are quite common, allowing for woodworking, metalworking, and other processes to be carried out with ease. By relying on different abrasive types and a machine or manual labor, wood or minerals can be removed from a workpiece to create a sleek, finished appearance that matches the requirements of a given application. In this blog, we will discuss the various abrasive types that are available for industrial use, allowing you to find the perfect fit for your individual needs. 

When discussing different abrasive types, such materials may be considered to be natural or synthetic. While natural abrasives come in the form of materials that were excavated, synthetic abrasives are simply man-made materials that simulate the organic materials of a natural abrasive. Nevertheless, both types perform similar objectives, and users may choose between types based on their individual needs. 

Bonded abrasives are a common type, and they are often used for cut-off wheels, grinding wheels, cones, segments, and other such equipment. With a bonded abrasive, woodworking and metal finishing procedures may benefit. Regardless of the use, the bonding of the abrasive allows for grain bits to be held together for ample cutting and grinding power. Generally, bonded abrasives can be natural or synthetic. 

Coated adhesives are generally metals, and they can be used in a similar fashion to bonded abrasives. Coated abrasives come in two types, open coat variations being those where 50-75% of the coating consists of abrasive grains. Generally, the grains will come in the form of corundum, silicon carbide, aluminum oxide, garnet, zirconia alumina, or ceramic alumina.

Backing abrasives are also common industrial abrasives, and they are regularly paper or cloth-based. With a paper backing adhesive, A, B, C, D, E, and F sizes may be chosen to achieve a specific weight or width. Generally, A and B paper backings are useful for light to medium grains, and they are often used for manual sanding and electric sander equipment. With C and D weight paper backings, an increased thickness allows for sheets, discs, and light-duty applications to benefit. E and F backings are the thickest types, and they are for large production operations. 

Cloth backings, meanwhile, may be cotton, rayon, or polyester. Similar to paper backings, cloth backings come in different weights that are alphabetically marked. While J weights are the thinnest and often come in the form of cotton, cloth backings such as the M weight support heavy-duty applications with their advanced properties. For more complex drill equipment that serves intensive applications, the Y weight cloth backing is a good choice. As each class may vary in its particular characteristics, capabilities, and equipment compatibility, it is important that one conducts the necessary research before making a purchasing decision. 

While there are various types of abrasives that one may choose from, there are typically only three models that the industry follows for implementing such materials. When bonded to a metal, industrial abrasives support grinding wheels, sticks, bands, cups, segments, and other such equipment. Additionally, abrasives may also be paired with paper, plastic, cloth, or other materials as well. As the last configuration, some industrial products and supplies benefit from loose form abrasives, those of which are used by sandblasting equipment and similar technologies. Whatever your particular needs are for industrial abrasives and abrasive kits, there is no better alternative to ASAP Industrials for your sourcing needs. 

At ASAP Industrials, we provide competitive pricing and rapid lead-times on industrial abrasives, abrasive dispensers, abrasive equipment, and other various industrial products and supplies that you need to effectively carry out your operations with ease. With our purchasing power and market expertise, we leverage time and cost savings that we pass along to our customers for their benefit every time. Explore our ever-expanding database as you see fit, and take advantage of our RFQ service when you are ready to request quotes for your comparisons. With industry experts available around the clock, we are always prepared to assist you through the purchasing process with person-to-person communication. Give our team a call or email at your earliest convenience and see how we can serve your part needs!


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