Our Range of Zirconia Products

The second most common type of grain, zirconia lasts considerably longer and cuts more quickly than aluminium oxide. This is due to its self-sharpening grain which exposes sharp, fresh grit as it breaks down, however in order for this to be effective it does need to be used at higher pressures to break the grain down or it will just “glaze” over the workpiece and not actually cut. As such zirconia is best used on high pressure grinding/machining applications.

Narrow Sanding Belts

We offer a variety of cloth-backed zirconia materials on our Narrow Belt Calculator, for substrates including mild steel, stainless steel, rubber and leather. Simply enter the belt width, length and grit size which you require, after which you will see the price and pack quantity which you can add to your basket.

For sanding mild steel we would recommend Sia 2829, which has a durable X-weight cloth backing ideal for heavy-duty grinding. The sharp zirconia grain offers aggressive stock removal throughout the life of the belt, and is suitable for applications including weld preparation, deburring and blending.

Working on stainless steel and titanium however does however generate immense heat, and as such our R203 Zirconia would offer the best performance. This is because its top-size layer has a cooling effect when grinding, reducing the surface temperature and in turn the risk of discoloration or burning to the workpiece.

The Norton R817 is best suited to sanding soft materials such as rubber and leather, which makes it a very prominent material in the shoe repair/manufacturing industry. This is due to its open coat grain distribution, where only 50% of the surface of the belt is covered in abrasive. As such the larger gaps between the grains will trap less sanding residue, which would otherwise begin to load onto or ‘clog up’ the belt and not only reduce its performance over time but also shorten its service life.

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Roloc Discs

We offer two varieties of zirconia roloc discs, these being the Blue Turbo and Green Turbo.

Our Blue Turbo Roloc Discs offer excellent performance & cutting power on mild steel, and are ideal for treating weld seams and joints. The strong 2-ply backing results in longer life and a faster cut rate than aluminium oxide discs, at an economical price. Available in grades as coarse as P24, these are ideal for aggressive stock removal.

For heat-sensitive metals such as stainless steel and titanium we would however recommend our Green Turbo Roloc Discs, which are a heavy-duty zirconia with a durable 3-ply backing. As such these are well suited to dressing welds as well as most heavy-duty grinding applications. What makes these stand out from comparable zirconia discs on the market is the cooling topsize, which helps to prevent overheating and burning of the workpiece.

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Velcro-Backed Sanding Discs

Zirconia velcro-backed sanding discs have a self-sharpening grain which continually exposes new abrasive grit during use, offering a high aggressiveness and long service life.

Our Turbo Zirconia Velcro-Backed Discs are recommended for rapid grinding, deburring, sanding, shaping and for removing excess weld on mild steel, or for aggressive shaping of hard timbers such as oak or some of the more specialist tropical hardwoods. Our Turbo Extreme discs have a heavy polyester backing and high content of zirconia grain, with an extended lifetime and even faster cut rate for more heavy-duty grinding applications such as castings.

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Fibre & Flap Discs

These were introduced as long-term replacements for grinding discs, which are extremely tough but also easy to damage, e.g. by being dropped on a hard surface. They require more training for safe operation, as they must be used at the correct angle to prevent disc failure and injury to the operator. Additionally, grinding discs can be hard to handle as they generate a lot of noise and aggressively remove large fragments, and so great care must be taken not to gouge the workpiece. The main purpose of grinding discs is stock removal, with very little result in the finish.

Fibre and flap discs also require proper care and the appropriate PPE during operation, however they are easier and safer to use. Flap discs have a similar service life to grinding discs, but require slightly more pressure than fibre discs to wear away the cloth backing and expose more sharp grain. Fibre discs do not last as long but they require less force to do the same amount of work as their counterparts, so the lower price point, reduced vibration, higher cut rate and greater versatility means that they are just as popular. Overall fibre and flap discs will not offer the same rate of stock removal as grinding discs, but the finish will be improved and will therefore need less rework.

Our Turbo Zirconia Fibre Discs offer excellent performance on mild steel, and can be used in conjunction with 3 different backing pads which we offer. These include medium-hard, for an even, consistent grinding finish with good adaptation to the workpiece; hard ribbed (best performance at P60 or coarser), which offers high rates of stock removal with the added benefit of cooler grinding on heat-sensitive metals such as stainless steel, and soft (best performance at P80 or finer), which is best suited for curved surfaces and edges.

We also offer Turbo Zirconia Flap Discs, which have a fast and consistent cut. The individual flaps have a cotton backing which require a grinder rated at 1000 watt of power or less to break down the abrasive and offer best performance. For grinders rated at more than 1000 watt we would recommend the Turbo HD Zirconia Flap Discs, with flaps that have a tougher poly-cotton backing and require greater pressure to achieve the best result. When used on a suitably powerful machine they offer longer life and a faster cut rate than standard zirconia flap discs.

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Cutting Discs

We offer our TurboCut Zirconia Cut-Off Discs in 1mm thickness and 4-1/2″ (115mm), 5″ (125mm) and 9″ (230mm) diameter, with this being a good quality product at an economical price (with further price breaks at higher quantities up to 1,000 pieces.) These are INOX rated and ideal for cutting both mild and stainless steel, with a straight and fast cut for optimal performance.

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Spirabands

Zirconia spirabands are commonly used for general deburring and dressing of mild steel tube and other hard to reach places. Easy to fit, they give good access to curves and bends and are an excellent blending and de-burring tool. With a durable X-weight cloth backing these are available in diameters from 10mm up to 75mm. We also supply the requisite holders to suit.