A method of tuning the contact pressure across an abrasive disc is presented. The method includes coupling the abrasive disc to a backup pad comprising a pressure tuning feature that causes an experienced pressure by a worksurface, across a radius of the abrasive disc, to be uniform. The method also includes abrading a worksurface by contacting the abrasive disc to the worksurface. The backup pad causes the abrasive disc to have a cut rate that is substantially uniform across the surface of the abrasive disc when compared to the abrasive disc on a backup pad with no pressure tuning feature.

A nonwoven abrasive article includes a lofty open nonwoven fiber web comprising entangled fibers; and abrasive platelets secured to the entangled fibers by at least one binder material. A majority of the abrasive platelets are respectively bonded in an edge-wise manner to at least one of the entangled fibers. Methods of making the nonwoven abrasive article and converted forms, including a convolute abrasive wheel, are also disclosed.

A nonwoven abrasive article having a nonwoven web and a binder adhering formed ceramic abrasive particles to fibers of the nonwoven web. The formed ceramic abrasive particles having a formed ceramic abrasive particle size and the fibers having a fiber diameter, and wherein a ratio of the formed ceramic abrasive particle size to the nonwoven fiber diameter is from 0.4 to 3.5.

The invention refers to a backing pad (100) for use with a hand-held or hand-guided orbital sander (10) or polisher. The backing pad (100) has a planar extension and an essentially triangular form comprising a triangular region (102), with a top surface for releasable attachment of the backing pad (100) to the sander (10) or polisher and with a bottom surface for releasable attachment of a sheet-like sanding or polishing member (132) to the backing pad (100). In order to provide for a possibility to sand or polish surfaces within narrow, cramped, tight, twisty and crooked spaces with a sander (10) or polisher having an essentially triangular backing pad (100), it is suggested that the backing pad (100) comprises at least at one of the three corners (104) of the triangular region (102) a protrusion (108) extending in the plane of the planar extension of the backing pad (100) and projecting laterally beyond the triangular region (102).

A nonwoven abrasive article includes a lofty open nonwoven fiber web comprising entangled fibers; and abrasive platelets secured to the entangled fibers by at least one binder material. A majority of the abrasive platelets are respectively bonded in an edge-wise manner to at least one of the entangled fibers. Methods of making the nonwoven abrasive article and converted forms, including a convolute abrasive wheel, are also disclosed.

A disc changing system for a robotic defect repair system is presented. The system has a first abrasive disc and a second abrasive disc. The first and second abrasive discs are coupled to a liner. The system includes an abrasive disc placement device configured to automatically: remove the first abrasive disc from the liner, transport the first abrasive disc to a robotic tool of the robotic defect repair system, and place the first abrasive disc on a backup pad coupled to the robotic tool. The system also includes an abrasive disc remover configured to automatically remove the first abrasive disc after receiving a removal signal. The system also includes a controller configured to send an instruction to the disc placement device to remove, transport and place the first abrasive disc, instruct the robotic tool to conduct an abrasive operation. The controller is also configured to send the removal signal. The controller is a processor and the instructions are stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium and executed by the processor

An abrasive belt is provided which comprises a textile fabric being formed of interconnected yarns, and a coherent abrasive area formed on one side of the textile fabric, wherein the abrasive belt further comprises a plurality of regularly distributed openings in the form of through holes. The abrasive belt allows for a homogenous distribution of the abrasive material and thus an even sanding finish as well as for an appropriate dust removal and appropriate mechanical properties.

An abrasive belt is provided which comprises a textile fabric being formed of interconnected yarns, and a coherent abrasive area formed on one side of the textile fabric, wherein the abrasive belt further comprises a plurality of regularly distributed openings in the form of through holes. The abrasive belt allows for a homogenous distribution of the abrasive material and thus an even sanding finish as well as for an appropriate dust removal and appropriate mechanical properties.

To uniformly bring an abrasive into contact with a workpiece and to achieve desired surface roughness. A polishing tool sliding on a narrow part of the workpiece includes an abrasive retaining layer configured to allow an abrasive to be retained on a surface, and an elastic layer that is stacked on the abrasive retaining layer and is configured to press the abrasive retained in the abrasive retaining layer against the workpiece. The elastic layer is preferably elastically deformable over a sliding stroke of the polishing tool, and a driving unit that causes the polishing tool to slide on the workpiece is preferably connected to the polishing tool.

Articles and methods regarding the making and use of low-shedding nonwoven abrasive articles, such as abrasive wheels and hand pads, that have a low shed rate and achieve a high grind ratio. The abrasive articles comprise a blend of a plurality of primary abrasive particles and a plurality of reinforcing abrasive particles that is disposed on a nonwoven web substrate. The primary abrasive particles have an average particle size equal to or larger than the average fiber diameter of the substrate fibers, and the reinforcing abrasive particles have an average particle size smaller than the average fiber diameter.