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Lehigh Valley Abrasives February 2012 Newsletter

 
 
 
Lehigh Valley Abrasives
 
February 2012 
At Lehigh Valley Abrasives we are committed to providing premium products, made in the USA and Europe, at low prices with extra-ordinary service.  This edition of our newsletter covers the items below;
  
1. Reducing welding times with Stronghand clamps, fixtures and magnets
  
2. Choosing the correct flap disc for your application.
  
3. The flap disc manufacturing process.

4. Choosing the correct speed for flap disc applications.
 

Stronghand Welding Clamps and Tables 

 

StronghandStronghand Products on Lehigh Web Site

   

 

Data suggests that only 25% of welding time is actually spent with the arc on.  The majority of time is spent prepping and fixturing the material in preparation of the actual welding.

Stronghand tool manufactures value priced innovative welding clamps, fixtures, magnets and welding tables designed to reduce set-up times and improve product quality.

The stronghand magnetic tab below is an excellent aid for holding material in place while tacking.

MagTab Demo - Price $11.95
MagTab Demo - Price $11.95

 

The two axis welder fixture below makes for fast and accurate welding of structural stands and cart

2-Axis Welders Angle Clamp
2-Axis Welders Angle $76.00 Clamp
 
The right angle on/off magnet below makes for fast
setup when welding 45 degree and 90 degree angles.

Adjust-O Magnets
Adjust-O Magnets MSA-46HD $29.00
 
How to Choose the Correct Flap Disc for Your Application

Their are several factors which effect flap disc performance for a given application. These factors include;

1. The type of coated abrasives
2. The shape of the disc
3. The thickness of the discs
4. The speed at which the flap disc is operated.

By understanding the factors above, users can choose the best flap disc for their operation and minimize both cost and grinding time.
Zirconia - Best for Steel
 
Zirconia is the most widely used coated abrasive for flap discs. Zirconia is an
extremely hard grain which excels at grinding while providing a long service life.
Lehigh Valley uses a superior Zirconia cloth which includes a lubricant and is made in Germany. The lubricant keeps the grinding tempature low and allows our zirconia discs to also be used on stainless steel and other high nickel alloys.
Zirconia Flap discs
flap-disc-Zirc
Click Photo to view web site
Ceramic - Best for Stainless Steel
 
Ceramic grain flap discs excel at grinding and finishing stainless steel and other high nickel alloys. The tough ceramic grain cuts faster and cooler than any other grain type.
Tests have shown that for stainless steel applications, ceramic grain flap discs lasts twice as longs as zirconia cloth and removes material 50% faster.
ceramic-flap-disc
Click photo to view web site
 
Turbo Disc - Best for Aluminum
 
Traditionally flap discs clog and load when grinding aluminum and other soft metals (brass, copper bronze). The Lehigh Valley Abrasives Turbo Disc contains a special calcium stearate coating on the disc which prevents clogging.

The turbo disc significantly outlasts competitive flap discs on aluminum and other soft metals due to its resistance to clogging.

 

Aluminum Turbo Disc  

fd-alum
Click photo to view web site

 

 
Additional Factors to Consider

Shape
 
Flap discs are available it type 29 conical and type 27 flat.

Type 29 conical is ideal for heavy metal removal tasks because the tapered shape allows for full contact between the flaps and work pieces.
t29
Type 27 flap is ideal for finer finishing as it is more forgiving and thus produces a more T27

Thickness
 
Flap discs are offered in both standard and jumbo thicknesses. Standard thickness offers the ability to access tighter work areas and
more control over the disc.

Jumbo flap discs are 50% thicker than standard discs and therefore last approximately 50% longer. For high volume production jumbo flap discs are ideal as they minimize the time operators spend changing discs.
The Process of Flap Disc Manufacturing

Lehigh Valley Abrasives has a unique manufacturing process which uses state of the art, custom built machines along with premium materials to supply the best flap discs to our customers at reasonable prices. 

  1. We first start by selecting the very best abrasive cloth and adhesives manufactured in Germany. 
  2. We use automated custom designed machines to precisely cut the correct size and width of the abrasive material.
  3. We apply One Part Epoxy adhesive between the abrasive material and backing. Then we cure the adhesive by applying heat to the disc in an oven. This step is crucial as it provides an extremely solid bond.
  4. Our machines then carefully place the abrasive flaps on the backing (e.g. fiberglass or plastic)
  5. At the last step, we speed test the disc for integrity to ensure the highest quality product for our customers. 

 

 

 

 

Optimizing Flap Disc Life With Variable Speed Grinder 
  
The right speed increases the service life of flap discs by up to 100%. The optimal speed for flap discs usage is between 6,000 and 8,000 rpm. The use of a powerful speed controlled angle grindler such as the Metabo WE14-125 VS optimises grinding with flap discs and greatly extends disc life.

 

A typical 4-1/2" angle grinder runs at 11,000 rpm.  If you use flap discs we recommend purchasing the Metabo WE14-125VS and adjusting the speed to 7000 rpm in order to extend flap disc life and reduce your abrasive finishing costs.

 

Click on the link below 
Metabo WE14-125 VS $179.00
WE14-125 VS $179.00
Thank your for your continued support and patronage.
 
Sincerely,
 
Chris Stone
Principal
 


Lehigh Valley Abrasives
Phone - 908-823-4188 
Fax - 908-537-2145