Industrial Sanding Belts

Industrial Sanding Belts

Industrial sanders are extremely powerful and efficient, but none of them are as powerful or efficient as the industrial belt sander. If applied correctly, the industrial sanding belt delivers linear sanding action that quickly produces a smooth finish. While choosing a belt might sound easy, there are several considerations you have to make related to grit, material and features.

Sanding belts with different grit levels should be used during different stages of the woodworking process. Lower grit levels are designed for shaving off material and will give you a rougher surface. Use grit levels 80 to 100 if you want to remove paint or wood finish. Grit levels up to 150 are also good for wood preparation. Sanding jobs start at 180 grit levels for softer wood and fine, smooth surfaces are made with grit between 300 and 400. If you are working with hardwood, 800 grit or higher is required to get the desired smooth surface.

As many other industrial hardware parts, the sanding belts have different codes which give you an insight in what they should be used for. Sanding belts with paper backing are used for wood finishes and include manufacturer grades A to F. These grades are added after the grit number and symbolise the thickness of the backing material which is in tight correlation with the grit; F is the thickest one, comes with higher grit and is well suited for a wider belt, which is largely used in industrial application. For more specific and heavier application, there are cotton and polyester belts with markings H, J, X and Y. These belts are pricier, but they have a wider range of application as their material is more flexible. The fabric can be treated to withstand different working conditions, so there are a lot of variations from the fabric models. A standard X-marked belt might be a good fit only for dry use, but there are X-marked cotton models that have been treated to withstand work with coolant liquids as well.