How to Choose The Best Grinding Belt for Metal Fabrication

Whether you are working on stainless steel, steel or aluminium it is really helpful to know how to get the best from your belt grinder. Equipped with the right products, 2000mm x 75mm belt grinders and 2000 x 150mm belt grinders can be highly versatile machines. Seen mostly in the metal fabrication industry, the following are the products we recommend for some of the key grinder applications.

HZ72 Zirconia Cibo Grinding Belt Sparks - Abrasive Finishing Systems

Zirconia or Cibo Ceramics?

Both our high performance zirconia and Cibo Ceramic belts will do the job so which should you choose?

Ceramic grains are tougher and more durable than zirconia so the more aggressive the application, the greater the potential benefit
Our Cibo Ceramic belts also contain the latest technology grinding aids on the belt which will further increase belt life and reduce heat during the grinding process.
But ceramic belts are more expensive.
If you have a good controlled process and can measure the abrasive belt performance we find that in 36, 60 and 80 grit applications the Cibo Ceramics are the most cost effective almost every time, on steel, aluminium & stainless steel.

Weld Prep Grinding

When weld preparation grinding, which normally involves ripping off a lot of metal use our coarse 36 grit belts. HZ72 Zirconia in 36 grit (SKU: HZ72/36/2000X75) will do a great job of grinding stainless steel, steel and aluminium for weld preparation. But… FX87 Ceramic belts in 36 grit (SKU: FX87/36/2000X75) which has grinding aids on the belt, will reduce heat during the grinding process. When grinding in preparation for welds, Ceramic belts operate with a cooler cut, keeping the workpiece temperature lower. Additionally, our FX87 Cibo Ceramic belts cut faster than Zirconia belts, due to their tougher and more durable grains. Cooler and faster cutting action combined with the more durable Ceramic grain gives a significantly longer belt life and ultimately lower cost than with Zirconia grinding belts.

Tube Notching

To get the most out of your 2000mm x 75mm belt grinder while tube notching it is key to consider what you are going to use the tubes for after notching.

You just want to grind out the metal on heavy wall steel pipes and then mig weld the joints afterwards? No question, we would then we recommend our FX87 heavy duty 36 grit Ceramic belt. The cooler and faster cutting of the FX87 material (SKU: FX87/36/2000X75) ensures a better and more consistent notch and the longest belt life.
Notching tubes with thinner walls, such as handrails, requires a less aggressive belt. Here, we would recommend the 60 grit Ceramic FX87 belt (SKU: FX87/60/2000X75). The cooler and faster cut of the Ceramic belt again offers a consistent notch. Additionally, using a 60 grit belt leaves finer sanding marks than a 36 grit belt, allowing for a neater, cleaner weld – one that uses less welding wire.
Notching aluminium tubes? Particularly on thin wall tubes the softer metal calls for a finer belt. Ceramic FX87 Belt in 80 grit (SKU: FX87/80/2000X75) will leave a consistent notch which will weld easily.

Stainless Steel Fabrication: Bollard End Cap Finishing

Fabricating stainless steel demands versatility from your 2000mm x 75mm grinder. For instance, while working on bollards after an end cap has been welded in place, the weld must be removed and finished. 80 grit Ceramic belts (SKU: FX87/80/2000X75) will easily remove the stainless steel tig welds in a controlled manner. Follow this action with a medium surface conditioning belt (SKU: VT/FE2/2000X75), to leave a soft touch 240 grit satin finish that will look great in any commercial setting.

Polishing on a Belt Grinder

Belt grinders are not the ideal tool for bright polishing, but when needs must, it is possible. If you need to apply a super fine finish or a bright polish, then with great care and a softer contact wheel, you can with Trizact belts. A 240 grit satin finish is a good start point for a polishing process.

Begin with a 280 grit Trizact belt (SKU: 237AA/65/2000×75) or if it is a particularly fine finish you can start with the 400 grit Trizact belt (SKU: 237AA/45/2000X75). Trizact belts will remove the fine sanding lines and leave a very consistent finish.
Stage 2. Move up to an 800 grit Trizact belt (SKU: 237AA/30/2000X75). To get an even higher quality finish, this will be fine enough to polish using a sisal mop and our green PV/101 soaps
Alternatively use the 1400 grit Trizact belt (SKU: 237AA/16/2000X75) to cut a cleaner semi-bright finish before moving on to the traditional polishing mops and compounds.