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48 www.CNC-West.com CNC WEST December 2017 /January 2018 In the abrasives market, right angle grinders have tra- ditionally been used in conjunction with grinding wheels, fiber discs, wire brushes, and flap discs. When non-woven abrasive products entered the field, the technology replaced traditional coated abrasives as a faster and more cost ef- fective method of stripping, deburring, blending, prepping, and finishing. Non-woven abrasives have three basic components: synthetic fiber web, abrasives, and resin. The density of the web and the size and type of the abrasive used, provides an array of combinations that give non-woven right angle grinding products not only a great deal of versatility but also unique attributes not available in other abrasive prod- ucts. Stripping wheels are recognizable by their very coarse, open web construction. They are ideal for stripping paint and coatings, without affecting the base metal. The open structure resists loading, enabling it to strip even the gum- miest of substances like seam sealer and adhesives. Prepping wheels have a more open fiber weave. This may be familiar to most users as it was the original struc- ture of most non-woven products. It is an excellent product for surface preparation, cleaning, and finishing. The prep- ping wheel is available in a depressed center wheel con- figuration with a fiberglass back- up pad or, when more conformability is needed, as a disc that attaches to a rubber back up pad. The Advantages of Non-Woven Abrasives for Right Angle Grinding Mario Davila Product Manager, Coated Abrasives Norton | Saint-Gobain Abrasives Finishing wheels have a much tighter fiber web and matrix setup, creating a firm product ideally suited for removing light welds, deburring rough metal edges, and blending and cleaning all metal surfaces. The abrasive grain of choice for most metalworking op- erations is aluminum oxide, which is generally offered in medium and fine grit for metal removal and deburring. For light pressure finishing operations, a very fine silicon carbide grain is generally recommended. Latest Non-Woven Technology To solve users’ most aggressive stock removal and blend¬ing challenges, new extra heavy- duty non-woven discs have recently come on the scene that can do stripping, prepping and finishing. The latest technol- ogy can remove scratches, splatter, discoloration, and blend surfaces in a single step. Users will significantly save labor and consumable costs by reducing application steps as com- pared to conventional grinding and blending methods. For example, Saint-Gobain Abrasives has recently intro- duced Norton Rapid Prep™ XHD Coarse and Medium discs. The Coarse range is ideal for surface blending on steels, while the Medium range works well on softer metals and alloys. The new Norton Rapid Prep™ XHD discs offer a unique combination of a conformable fiber matrix and pre- mium ceramic grain, resulting in improved cut control and surface blending over traditional coated flap and fiber discs. Product life is increased, and shape integrity is maximized due to the Norton blended fiber web which dissipates work- piece debris. In addition, the Norton Clean Bond® resin sys- tem prevents smearing and produces a controlled wear rate. Excellent Test Results Norton Rapid Prep XHD test results have been excep- tional. In comparison tests, fabricators and welders will see a 26% higher cut rate, with less shedding, and twice the life over competitive products using the new Norton non-woven discs. Norton Rapid Prep XHD discs are ideal for working with stainless steel and aluminum. Saint-Gobain Abrasives now offers new Norton Rapid Prep™ XHD non-woven discs.