Belt sanders use coated abrasive belts, a commonly used consumable for grinding and polishing. With advancements in belt materials and manufacturing techniques, they are increasingly widely used across various industries.
Abrasive belts consist of abrasive particles of varying grits bonded to a cloth, paper, or other substrate using an adhesive. These are then cut into belts according to the specifications of the belt sander and bonded together to form a closed loop. Driven by the belt sander, the belt rotates to grind and polish the workpiece.
Belt sander grinding is mainly classified into two types: open grinding and closed grinding. Open grinding involves a long, open belt with both ends fixed to a belt winding mechanism. During grinding, the belt does not rotate at high speed; instead, the workpiece rotates to perform surface grinding. Due to its working principle, it is mostly used in conjunction with lathes for surface grinding and polishing of parts and is less commonly used. The most common belt grinding method is closed-loop grinding, which involves making the abrasive belt into a closed loop, which is then mounted on a drive mechanism and rotated to perform surface grinding and polishing operations on the workpiece.
Closed-loop belt grinding methods are mainly divided into three types: contact wheel type, flat grinding pad type, and free-floating type. One or more methods can be selected and used in combination depending on the shape of the actual workpiece and grinding requirements. In terms of workpiece removal rate, the contact wheel type has a higher rate, followed by the flat grinding pad type, and the free-floating type has a lower rate.