Abrasive pads are square, rectangular or disc-shaped objects made with abrasive grains. Makers of abrasive pads usually apply a cloth, paper, film or non-woven backing. The purpose of industrial abrasive pads is to grind or remove surfaces made of ceramics, glass, metal, paint or plastics for cleaning, sanding and finishing. Abrasive polishing pads are also available to put finishing touches to specific surfaces. Stock industrial abrasive pads if you work in woodworking, metalworking and with ceramic products, or if you work in the semiconductors field.

Specifications for abrasive pads to consider, depending on your needs, include grain type, grit size and backing. Aluminum oxide is the most common type of grain used for ceramics. Other abrasive grains are made of alumina zirconia, silicon carbide, tungsten carbine or garnet. If you need to stock abrasive pads for grinders, superabrasives such as diamond pastes and cubic boron nitride are useful on iron, alloy and steel materials. Grit sizes vary, depending on whether you want to clean a surface or remove paint or rust.

1. Find suppliers or sellers of abrasive pads.

2. Pick different materials from makers of abrasive pads.

3. Choose the right industrial abrasive pad sizes.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Research suppliers or sellers of abrasive pads

Look at the variety of options for industrial abrasive pads to determine which ones to pick for your manufacturing needs.

I recommend: MSC Industrial Supply distributes abrasive pads and other types of abrasives from an extensive list of manufacturers. 3M stocks a full line of abrasive pads and superabrasives for cleaning, sanding and finishing applications. Toolsavings distributes abrasive pads that work well with fiberglass, plastic or metal.

Stock abrasive pads and backings made of different materials

Add some variety to your inventory by including abrasive pads made of non-woven fibers, silicon carbide and more.

I recommend: Airmatic stocks industrial abrasive pads with silicon carbide, nylon or aluminum oxide material for surface conditioning. Certified manufacturer Weiler produces abrasive pads that blend scratches on surfaces, remove rust or leave satin finishes on stainless steel products. Fandeli International offers coated abrasive pads for use on glass, leather, wood and automotive materials.

Find the right abrasive pad sizes

Search for suppliers of abrasive pads that offer different size ranges that match your applications. Sizes typically range from 1 by 1/4 inches to 6 by 9 inches.

I recommend: Greenhill Supply sells pre-cut abrasive, non-woven pads that can be used to prepare for coating applications. Global Material Technologies manufactures abrasive pads and other industry abrasives for buffing applications. Material grades range from 0 to 3. Abrasive Brokers & Tool Supply manufactures abrasive pads as large as 5 by 1/4 inches.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Grit sizes on industrial abrasive pads are based on U.S. ANSI, Micron, European FEPA or Japanese JIS graded standards. In addition to abrasive pads, other options include rolls and sheets.