ABRASIVES

Aircraft Abrasives for MRO and Maintenance

Aircraft abrasives are essential maintenance supplies for surface preparation, paint and coating removal, corrosion removal, blending, deburring, smoothing, and finishing aircraft components and surfaces. Business Aircraft Consumables supplies a selection of 3M aerospace abrasives and related abrasive products for aircraft maintenance, MRO, FBO, manufacturing, and repair applications.

Our aviation abrasive selection includes Roloc sanding and Scotch-Brite discs, bristle discs, radial bristle discs, abrasive sheets, hand pads, cut-off wheels, and abrasive disc holders. Products are available in different sizes, abrasive materials, grades, and configurations to match specific maintenance and surface-preparation requirements.

Abrasives are used throughout aircraft maintenance for controlled material removal and surface preparation. Depending on the product and grade, aircraft maintenance technicians may use abrasives to remove paint, corrosion, sealants, adhesives, oxides, and other surface contaminants or to prepare a surface for bonding, sealing, painting, or inspection.

Proper abrasive selection is particularly important on aircraft because the objective is often to remove a coating or contaminant without unnecessarily removing or damaging the underlying substrate. The appropriate abrasive, grade, tool, speed, and technique depend on the material and the maintenance procedure being performed.

BAC carries abrasives suitable for work involving aluminum, steel, stainless steel, composites, painted surfaces, primers, and other aircraft materials. Always follow the applicable aircraft maintenance manual, component maintenance manual, manufacturer's instructions, and abrasive manufacturer's recommendations for the specific application.

Aircraft Abrasive Products

3M Roloc Abrasive Discs

3M Roloc quick-change discs provide a convenient way to change abrasive discs during multi-step maintenance and finishing operations. BAC carries Roloc products including coated sanding discs, Scotch-Brite non-woven discs, and bristle discs in multiple sizes and grades.

Roloc discs are available in configurations intended for applications such as sanding, grinding, blending, deburring, cleaning, and finishing. The quick-change attachment system allows compatible discs to be changed without replacing the backing assembly for every abrasive change.

3M Scotch-Brite Abrasives

3M Scotch-Brite non-woven abrasives are available in disc and hand-pad configurations for surface conditioning, cleaning, blending, and finishing. BAC carries Scotch-Brite products in multiple grades, including products identified by different colors and abrasive grades.

Scotch-Brite hand pads can be used for aircraft surface preparation, blending, cleaning, and finishing where a conformable hand abrasive is appropriate. BAC also offers Scotch-Brite Roloc discs for rotary-tool applications.

Bristle and Radial Bristle Discs

3M bristle and radial bristle discs are used for controlled surface cleaning and material removal. Depending on the product and grade, applications can include removing paint, coatings, corrosion, adhesives, sealants, weld burns, rust, and other surface contaminants.

Radial bristle products can be particularly useful for working around contours and in areas where controlled abrasive action is required. Their non-metallic abrasive construction can also be useful in applications where avoiding metallic abrasive debris is important.

Aircraft Sandpaper and Abrasive Sheets

BAC carries 3M Wetordry abrasive sheets for wet and dry sanding applications. These sheets can be used for surface preparation and finishing on materials and coatings including paint, primer, gel coat, metal, and wood, depending on the specific abrasive and application.

Choose the appropriate grit and abrasive material for the surface and required finish. Do not use an abrasive more aggressively than the applicable maintenance procedure permits.

Choosing the Right Aircraft Abrasive

Selecting an abrasive for aircraft maintenance requires more than simply choosing a grit. Consider the following factors:

• Substrate: Determine whether you are working on aluminum, steel, stainless steel, composite material, paint, primer, sealant, or another surface.
• Material to be removed: Paint, corrosion, sealant, adhesive, oxidation, burrs, and surface contamination may require different abrasive products.
• Required material removal: Choose an abrasive grade appropriate for the amount of material that may be removed.
• Surface finish: Fine finishing and surface conditioning generally require a different abrasive than aggressive material removal.
• Tool and attachment: Verify that the disc, pad, wheel, or sheet is compatible with the tool being used.
• Operating speed: Never exceed the manufacturer's maximum rated speed for an abrasive product or tool.
• Maintenance procedure: Follow the aircraft or component manufacturer's instructions whenever an approved or specified abrasive is identified.

Abrasive Grit and Grade

Abrasive grit identifies the relative coarseness of a coated abrasive. In general, coarser grits remove material more aggressively, while finer grits are used for smoothing and finishing. However, the actual cutting behavior also depends on the abrasive material, backing, construction, pressure, tool speed, and substrate.

For aircraft maintenance, always use the grade specified or permitted by the applicable maintenance procedure when one is provided. Avoid assuming that two abrasives with the same nominal grit will produce identical results.

Aircraft Surface Preparation

Abrasives are frequently used as part of surface preparation before bonding, sealing, painting, coating, inspection, or repair. The objective may be to remove contamination or coatings, create the required surface condition, or blend an area without compromising the underlying material.

When preparing a surface for an adhesive or sealant, follow the product manufacturer's surface-preparation procedure. Abrasive treatment alone does not establish that a surface is ready for bonding or sealing; cleaning, abrasion, solvent treatment, primer, and other steps may also be required.

Aircraft Abrasive Brands

BAC's abrasive selection includes products from 3M, including Scotch-Brite and Roloc abrasive products. The current catalog includes 3M sanding discs, non-woven discs, bristle discs, abrasive sheets, hand pads, and cut-off wheels.

If you need a specific abrasive by manufacturer part number, grit, size, or grade and do not see it listed, contact BAC. We can help locate aviation maintenance abrasives and other difficult-to-source consumables.

Aircraft Abrasives for MRO, FBOs, and Maintenance Departments

Business Aircraft Consumables supplies aviation consumables to aircraft maintenance professionals, MRO facilities, FBOs, aircraft operators, and other aviation organizations. Our catalog includes abrasives along with aviation sealants, adhesives, hydraulic fluids, lubricants, cleaners, shop supplies, safety products, and other maintenance consumables.

Shop by abrasive type, manufacturer, size, or part number to find the abrasive suited to your maintenance application.

Maintenance Note: Abrasive products can remove substrate material as well as coatings and contaminants. Always follow the applicable aircraft, component, tool, and abrasive manufacturer's instructions for abrasive selection, operating speed, application technique, and permissible material removal.

Frequently Asked Questions About Aircraft Abrasives