Midwest Manufacturing News • Nov 19 • Abrasives Offer Faster Cutting, Longer Life

Saint-Gobain Abrasives has introduced new Norton Merit Pink R928, a better tier of flap wheels and specialty abrasives that feature an enhanced ceramic grain for greater efficiency when beveling, blending, cleaning/detailing, deburring and finishing stainless steel and other hard-to-grind materials. A variety of Norton Merit Pink mounted points feature Norton 86A aluminum oxide abrasives, providing a combination of friability and form holding.

“For hard-to-reach applications, a poly cotton backing on the Norton Merit Pink R928 flap wheels and specialty abrasives adds more durability compared to traditional cotton back products,” said a company spokesperson. Due to a coating on the grain/bond that reduces friction for a greater grain holding ability, the R928 line cuts cooler and faster on hard-to-grind materials.

“A clear trend in industry today is the growing use of smaller abrasives. Our new Norton Merit Pink Flap Wheels and Specialties answer this need, as well as provide excellent finishes and increased productivity,” said Patrick Carroll, Norton | Saint-Gobain Abrasives Senior Product Manager. “When used with our new Handheld Pneumatic Die Grinder, customers have a lightweight, ergonomic grinding solution with more control.” The new line is suited for manufacturers across a broad range of industries such as metal fabrication, welding, energy, oil & gas, foundry and castings, MRO and aerospace.

Norton and Merit brands are joining forces to deliver a simpler, comprehensive one-stop shop product portfolio for all specialty abrasives for offhand and portable power tools, within a single “Norton Merit” brand. The Norton Merit Pink line is the first introduction under the new unique branding.

Mini flap wheels are a suitable choice for a wide variety of blending, deburring and finishing applications. The new flap wheels feature an improved resin bond system that extends wheel life and provides less down time for changeovers. Threaded versions are designed for polishing and finishing intricate surfaces, and are offered in 1”, 2” and 3” diameters, mounted on a 1/4”- 20 thread that enables quick wheel on and off, with no tools required. “Shankmounted flap wheels are extremely durable and long-lasting for demanding, heavy stock removal applications, and are offered in 1 inch, 2 inch and 3 inch diameters, mounted on a 1/4 inch steel shank,” said the spokesperson.

For hard-to-reach inside surfaces and inside corners, cartridge rolls and tapered spiral rolls provide flash removal, polishing or removing machine marks and edge breaking. Cartridge rolls are offered in 1/4”, 3/8” and 1/2” diameters and have a 1-1/2” length and 1/8” height. Spiral rolls are available in 3/8” and 1/2” diameters and have a 1-1/2” length and 1/8” height.

Square pads are smoother and easier to control, while grinding almost as fast as hard wheels. Their corners wear down consistently to expose fresh abrasive, and the pad becomes round for less aggressive stock removal. New Norton Merit Pink Square Pads are suited for the quick blending of channels, fillets, corner and spotting flat surfaces. Sizes include 2” x 2” x 1/2”, 3” x 3” x 1/4” and 3” x 3” x 1/2”.

Cross pads are shaped to enable seeing through to the contact area for conforming to variable internal diameters. Norton Merit Pink Cross Pads are used for close-tolerance polishing of small radii and channels, deburring and finishing bell-mouth configurations. Sizes offered include 1-1/2” x 1-1/2” x 1-1/2”, 2” x 2” x 3/4” and 3” x 3” x 1”.

Offered in many sizes in several different shapes, Norton Merit Pink 86A Vitrified Bond Mounted Points are used in a broad range of operations on a variety of machines. Mounted points are small grinding wheels permanently fastened to its own spindle. Diameters range from 1/4” to 1”, and are offered in a variety of configurations and heights.