Abrasives have many applications within the auto industry, from the manufacturing phase to body and paint repairs. Here are seven of the most common.
1. Collision Repairs
Abrasive disks and sandpaper can help with repairs after a car accident. They’re great for grinding and removing welds, deburring, cutting components, and edge chamfering.
Collision repairs often require cutting damaged panels or components out to replace. Cutting wheels are the perfect tool for this purpose.
2. Rack Processing
Disks and cut-off and grinding wheels are very useful in automotive rack processing. They can help shape, cut, grind, plate, passivate, anodize, and deburr.
3. Body Paint & Finishes
When you choose the right abrasives, you can easily remove corrosion and resurface body parts to extend their life.
You can also use stripping discs to remove body paint and fine abrasives to polish metal components to smooth out the body before painting. Even when you only need to repaint or repair a small patch on the body, it is important to use automotive abrasives to prepare the area for a new coat of paint.
4. Manufacturing Engine Components
Cartridge rolls, discs, and square pads are fantastic tools to aid in the manufacture of flywheels, engine ports, crankshafts, and piston rods. You can also use them to finish, polish, deburr, port, and oil.
Abrasives can also help create chamfered edges, which are common in auto parts manufacturing.
When you weld two pieces of metal together, you need to grind and deburred the seams so that they don’t wear down other components. This also helps the welding joint look better.
5. Manufacturing Wheels
Belts and discs are typically used to finish or grind surfaces, deburr, or polish in wheel manufacturing.
6. Repairing Rotors, Brake Assemblies, & Wheel Hubs
Discs are especially useful for removing rust or corrosion and helping these parts last much longer. Brushes are great for debris removal and cleaning bolts and other non-polished parts.
7. Frame & Chassis Repairs
You can use abrasives like flap discs or wheels, belts, or discs when repairing frames or chassis. They can perform weld takedown, deburring, cut, edge, and shape parts.
Rust is a common problem on frame and chassis components, especially in areas where cars are exposed to salt, humidity, or water for extended periods. You have to remove rust promptly so it doesn’t affect the structural integrity of the auto parts. There are brushes and discs available for this type of job.
Using Abrasives
It’s most common to use disks or abrasive pads with a machine. This could be a pneumatic or electric sander. Electric sanders are quicker than working by hand and are extremely versatile. Pneumatic sanders are perfect for polishing or removing paint. They’re quieter and very light.
The right machine and abrasive for your project depend on the type of work you’re doing, the materials that you’re working with, how long the project will take, and what your work area looks like. For quality abrasives, Rogo Fastener has an extensive collection.
https://rogofastener.com/product-category/abrasives-3424.html
https://www.nainc.org/blog/sanders-abrasives-for-automotives/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welding_joint#V-joints
https://mattersoftesting.blog.gov.uk/why-its-important-to-check-for-corrosion/
