Why is it important to choose the right grit of the sanding belt

Sanding belts are used as an abrasive material when processing wooden or metal surfaces. The processing of any part has its own specifics. Therefore, for grinding use tapes of various materials. In addition to the fact that different types of tapes have different operational qualities, they are distinguished by their efficiency and refinement.

Types of sanding tape

A sanding pad is a strip of abrasive based on fabric or paper, which is used to process hard materials using a machine or manually. The abrasive is designed to smooth the surface of parts, polish them, clean the seams, remove the old finish from the following types of surfaces:

• Metal;
• Glass;
• Wooden;
• Plastic.

In addition to the surface material, for the correct choice of tape, you should know what type of processing to be carried out manually when using pneumatic machines or grinding machines.

Also, the abrasive is distinguished by the degree of surface density into 3 types:

1. Soft.
2. Solid.
3. Super-dense.

Grain size

Granularity is a key indicator when choosing an abrasive. Marking on the material is indicated by the letter "P" with a number in the range from 12 to 2500. The larger the digital value, the finer the grain, the finer the processing expected. The table will help determine the grain size:

Coarse grain
up to P36	Rough cleaning and leveling of dense surfaces
40 — 60	Initial grinding of wood
70 -120	Removal of corrosion elements on metal or old coatings
150 -220	Finishing before polishing
Fine grain
240 -280	Final stripping of hard wood parts
400 -600	Wet processing of painted products
1000	Fine polishing of metal, ceramic and varnished wood

Abrasive material

Not only grain size is of the utmost importance. It is very important from what material the spraying on the base is made:

• Crumb alumina is suitable if woodwork is anticipated;
• Silicon carbide is used in the processing of metals, glass or durable plastic; it is used to clean surfaces from old paint;
• Pomegranate sand is a high-strength abrasive for processing hard wood parts;
• Zirconate belts are used for grinding metal or plastic surfaces;
• Ceramic abrasive is suitable for woodwork;
• Compact grain suitable for grinding stainless steel parts.