Precision grain technology cuts sharper, stays cooler and lasts longer

Aftermarket auto body repair technicians rely on abrasives to get tough jobs done, and now 3M innovation gives them a new option that can help add more speed and quality to their work.

With the introduction of 3M™ Cubitron™ 3 Performance Abrasives, products including 3M™ File Belts, Abrasive Fibre Discs, Roloc™ Abrasive Fibre Discs and Cut-Off Wheels benefit from proprietary molecular bonding technology and angular structures that continuously fracture to form sharp points. The 3M™ Re-engineered Precision-Shaped Grain in each Cubitron™ 3 cutting or grinding product allows it to last 1.4 to 1.8 times longer than our previous technology while removing 1.2 to 1.5 times more material.

As a result, technicians can spend more time on the work and less time changing out materials, while shops can bring that increase in productivity to their bottom lines. In addition, 3M™ Cubitron™ 3 Roloc™ Discs generate less heat and less vibration exposure than our previous technology, which helps technicians obtain better results without compromising their comfort.

The science behind the performance

Conventional abrasives “plow” through metal, which slows the cut, generates heat, and reduces useful life. In contrast, the Re-engineered Precision-Shaped Grain in 3M™ Cubitron™ 3 File Belts, Cut-Off Wheels, Abrasives Fibre Discs, and Roloc™ Abrasive Fibre Discs stay sharp to slice through metal, so they cut cooler and faster while lasting longer. The grain used in the File Belts, Abrasive Fibre Discs, and Roloc™ Abrasive Fibre Discs also adds a breakthrough grain shape with curved sides that amplify those advantages.

Resin-bonded to either a vulcanized fiber backing or polyester cloth, these abrasives wear evenly, run cool, and optimize mineral breakdown during operations such as opening welding points, removing spot welds, flattening weld seams, deburring, paint and rust removal, and cutting panels, pipes and bolts.

3M™ Cubitron™ 3 Performance Abrasives are available in the following products and sizes:

• 3M™ Cubitron™ 3 File Belts: 1/2 by 18 inches, 3/4 by 20.5 inches, and 3/8 by 13 inches, each available in 40+, 60+ or 80+ grade

• 3M™ Cubitron™ 3 Cut-Off-Wheels: 3 by 1/16 inches, 3 by 1/25 inches, and 4 by 1/25 inches with a 3/8-inch shank, and 4.5 by 1/25 inches with a 7/8-inch shank

• 3M™ Cubitron™ 3 Roloc™ Abrasive Fibre Discs: 2-inch and 3-inch diameters, each available in 36+, 60+ and 80+ grade

• 3M™ Cubitron™ 3 Abrasive Fibre Discs: 5 by 7/8 inches and 7 by 7/8 inches, each in 36+, 60+ and 80+ grade, and 3/8 by 13 inches in 80+ grade