Abrasives, Belts, Brushes, Grinding Wheels

This category includes systems and materials used to shape or finish a workpiece by using friction to wear away small particles of the piece. The abrasive process can be used to either smooth and polish the workpiece’s surface or to roughen it. Many abrasives incorporate a bonding system, where grains are held together with a fixative (grinding wheels), and coated systems, where abrasive grains are imbedded into a paper backing or a cloth. The groups of abrasive components include ceramic grain abrasives, silicon abrasives, aluminum oxides, and superabrasives (diamond and cubic boron nitride).