The service life of polishing rings and abrasive belts has a significant influence on the cost of sanding and polishing processes. For a given application, the service life of consumables can vary widely between different brands. These differences are reflected in costs and – because of setup times – also in productivity. However, such differences in performance are not always reflected by the purchase prices of these materials.

The benefits of determining the service life
Determining the service life of polishing rings and abrasive belts enables a transparent performance comparison between tools. Furthermore, productivity is increased due to the longer setup intervals associated with an extended service life. Purchasing departments and persons responsible for processes are supported in the selection of suppliers. Hidden savings potential is revealed. Industrial enterprises are supported on the way to effective statistical process control.

Can I too reduce my process costs by determining the service life of my polishing tools?
Do you have access to the actual consumption data for your polishing tools? Are you able to determine the additional costs incurred if you decide to increase the contact pressure on the polishing tool, for example to reduce the cycle time? Performance differences between polishing tools are often difficult to determine in actual operations. Even after making a decision, for example to switch to new wheels and belts, the correctness of the change is only revealed in practice – associated with risks for the process. Only by selecting the polishing rings with the lowest wear, leaving all other process parameters unchanged, can significant and now also quantifiable savings be achieved. This cost reduction potential is often underestimated. By determining the service life, industrial enterprises can have the polishing tools they use certified and compared in regards to performance differences and process cost advantages. Parameters such as the contact pressure and cutting speed are validated in test procedures on test specimens previously defined with the customer. Not only can the service life of polishing rings be determined exactly with new test methods; they also make it possible to precisely optimise the contact pressure without having to compromise on the desired surface quality. This allows an impartial, fact-based decision to be made between different process versions. After conducting tests in the technical centre, a test certificate for a previously defined number and type of tools is prepared based on the collected data.