Rubberized Abrasives
CRATEX Rubber-bonded Abrasives are a mixture of high-quality abrasive grains (silicon carbide), fillers and rubber, which is used as a bonding material. Softer than other types of bonded abrasives, they don’t hamper the quality of the metal.
Products (20)
Mini Block Kit No. 128B
$55.64
Mini Stick Kit No. 128S
$55.64
Mini Wheel Kit No. 107
$55.64
Mini Point Kit No. 167
$55.64
Points
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Mandrels
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Large Wheels
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Cones
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Oblong Sticks
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Round Sticks
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Small Wheels
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Square Sticks
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Combination Kit No. 226
$411.04
The demand for rubber-bonded abrasives is on the rise from industries like metal, steel, electrical and electronic, medical, transportation; they are used on production and assembly lines, in finishing operations, in tool and machine shops in production of basic tools, instruments, components parts and for maintenance and repairs.
Grit Textures
CRATEX products are made in four standard grit textures or compositions which differ in accordance with the mesh size of the abrasive grain used:
- C - COARSE (Green)
- M - MEDIUM (Dark Brown)
- F - FINE (Reddish Brown)
- XF – EXTRA FINE (Grey Green)
CRATEX Standard Bond
The CRATEX Standard Bond common to each of the four Grit Textures stated above, is made with premium-grade oil-resistant chemical rubber. In contrast to conventional grinding wheels, the CRATEX bond has unique cushioned action; cuts freely, smoothly and softly without gouging or digging into the work surface. It resists clogging or smearing, and is ideal for a broad range of applications where metallic or non-metallic surfaces must be smoothed and polished without loss of dimensional tolerances or control.
CRATEX Hard Bond
The CRATEX Hard Bond increases the cutting action when compared to the CRATEX Standard Bond. It is designed for use in specialization applications only. The Hard Bond removes burrs on hard metals like stainless steel and can also be used for light grinding on applications where light metal removal is essential. All CRATEX Flexible Abrasive Finishers are available in Hard Bond, in each of the four Grit Textures. Hard Bond is not available in kits and minimum quantities are required.
CRATEX Abrasive Type
The Abrasive Type used in CRATEX Rubberized Abrasives is premium-quality silicon carbide (only chemical compound of carbon and silicon) that has been washed, dried and treated to remove all impurities. After that, it has been carefully screened to U.S. Department of Commerce standards for size.
Although silicon carbide is more expensive than other abrasive materials, it has been produced and used to produce grinding wheels and other abrasives for more than a hundred years. Because it is such an excellent abrasive of the high level of purity, with good mechanical properties, it is used today in numerous high-performance applications. Among other features, some are high strength, high hardness, excellent thermal shock resistance, and superior chemical inertness.
Grinding wheels are built to last, and precisely this is the reason why we use them – to ensure a long service life of our products. They are typically used for the broadest range of light deburring, smoothing, cleaning and polishing applications on ferrous and non-ferrous alloys, as well as many non-metallic objects, such as glass.
Shapes and Sizes
CRATEX products come in all shapes and sizes. Small Wheels, Large Wheels, Points, Cones, Blocks and Sticks are all available as standard products. The occasional need for non-catalog shapes or compositions can usually be solved by adapting or modifying standard shapes and compositions to meet special requirements. Several wheels can be mounted in series for added width. The abrasive action of the wheels can be softened by using lower operating speeds and lighter work pressures. CRATEX Rubber Bonded Abrasives can also be dressed or shaped to special contours using conventional abrasive wheel dressing tools and methods. Contact a customer services representative for further information.
Typical Applications
- LIGHT DEBURRING and smoothing to relieve stress concentrations and to remove visible and microscopic burrs without impacting surrounding areas.
- SMOOTHING and polishing to improve wearing qualities and to reduce the dangers of progressive fracture and fatigue failure.
- CLEANING and polishing to remove undesirable surface deposits.
- POLISHING and smoothing to improve performance, appearance, cleanliness and to lessen the dangers of surface contamination.
CRATEX products are used in various industries, and the application list is a long one: breaking edges, radiusing and polishing out high spots, removing rust, cleaning threads, smoothing the edges of punched or sheared metal, deflashing, smoothing and polishing molds, dies and other production tools, sharpening and honing of cutting dies, blades and edged tools, removing corrosion, excess solder, heat marks, cleaning and polishing contact points, jacks and electrodes, removing tool marks, scratches, light burrs, and fins, blending in welded seams after rough grinding, engine turning, damaskeening, polishing engine ports, shafts, turbine blades, smoothing glass edges, jewelry finishing, gemstone sanding and many others.
Because of endless ways to use them, CRATEX products found their way to workshops and shelves of all kinds of craftsmen. All you need to do is choose the type of abrasive and its size depending on the application, control and precision you want to achieve.