Random Orbital Sanding Guide

Abrasive Discs and System Solutions

3M Abrasive Systems Division

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Menu Sanding Made Simple Random Orbital Sanding Portfolio Sanding System Solutions Application Guide Availability Guide

In Random Orbital Sanding,

it’s all about putting together Table of contents page
the optimal system.
Sanding Made Simple . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Here’s how it’s done: 1 3M™ Cubitron™ II and general purpose
discs to always have in your bag

Random Orbital Sanding Portfolio. . . . . . . . . . . . 4–5

Find the best abrasive disc for the job 2 A full view of 3M’s sanding discs organised
by backing type and weight

Sanding System Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6–7

3 Dial in sanding disc performance by selecting
the right backup pad and tool
Match with the right backup pad
to enhance sanding disc performance Application Guide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8–9
4 Common sanding applications with recommended
disc, backup pad and tool to serve as a starting point

Choose the random orbital sander 5 Availability Guide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10–11

Disc availability by grade and attachment type

to optimise the system

Abrasive Disc + Backup Pad + Sander = Random Orbital Sanding

Total System Solution
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 Menu Sanding Made Simple Random Orbital Sanding Portfolio Sanding System Solutions Application Guide Availability Guide

First choice General Purpose

Sanding Made Simple 3M™ Cubitron™ II Alternative Options

Net backing
For coarse grade sanding and heavy stock removal 710W 310W
Excellent tear resistance, excellent durability
From flexible to stiff ! !
NEW NEW
3M Xtract™ Cubitron™ II Net Disc 710W 3M Xtract™ Net Disc 310W
Best applications: stainless, mild steel, paint, • Precision-shaped ceramic and •P recision-shaped ceramic
composites and heavy wood sanding aluminum oxide • Net backing
• Net backing • 80+ - 320+ grades
• 80+ - 320+ grades

Film backing
Best for a uniform consistent finish 775L 375L 360L
Good tear resistance, good durability
Longer life than paper
Best applications: aluminium, paint, primer, 3M™ Cubitron™ II Film Disc 775L 3M™ Film Disc 375L 3M™ Film Disc 360L
gelcoat, wood and solid surface • Starting point for all applications •W  idest film grade range • For finishing
• Precision shaped ceramic grain and • Aluminium oxide applications
Thickness (mil) aluminium oxide blend • 5 mil film (60 – P400 grades) • Aluminium oxide
• 3 mil film • 3 mil film (>P400 grades) •3  mil film
2 3 4 5 • 80+ – 400+ grades • 60 – P1500 grades • P220 – P1000 grades

Paper backing
Most versatile and most common backing type
950U 255P 236U
Good flexibility
Performance can range from value to top tier
3M™ Cubitron™ II Paper Disc 950U 3M™ Paper Disc 255P 3M™ Paper Disc 236U
Best applications: light sanding to heavy stock • Starting point for paper •W  idest paper •G  eneral purpose;
removal, multi-purpose • Precision shaped ceramic grain grade range all applications
Thickness (wt.) with a very open coat • Aluminium oxide • Aluminium oxide
• E-weight paper • C-weight paper • C-weight paper
A B C D E F • 60+ - 180+ grades • P80 – P600 grades • P80 – P500 grades

Cloth backing
For coarse grade sanding and heavy stock removal
Excellent tear resistance, excellent durability
From flexible to stiff
Best applications: stainless, mild steel and heavy
wood sanding
Thickness (wt.)
J X
947A
3M™ Cubitron™ II Cloth Disc 947A
•S  tarting point for cloth backing
•P  recision shaped ceramic grain
and aluminium oxide blend
• X-weight cloth
Y • 40+ – 120+ grades
784F
3M™ Cubitron™ II Cloth Disc 784F
•P  SG blend mineral helping increase productivity
• YF weight (36+ - 80+) and XF (120+) cloth backing
is extra tough and a good match for the most
aggressive sanding applications
•3  6+ - 120+ grades

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 Menu Sanding Made Simple Random Orbital Sanding Portfolio Sanding System Solutions Application Guide Availability Guide
• Film/Paper Backed
Cloth Backed/Non-woven

Random Orbital Sanding Portfolio

The entire 3M portfolio

Film backed sanding discs

Specialised
568XA* Applications 268L* 360L* 375L*

• Cerium Oxide on 3 mil film • Aluminium Oxide on 3 mil film • Aluminium Oxide on 3 mil film • Aluminium Oxide on 3 mil film
• Constructed for high gloss, semi gloss • Works well on sealer sanding, primer • I deal for composite, primer and • A multi-purpose value disc where
and acrylic solid surface applications and e-coat scuff applications gelcoat applications where finish finish and durability are musts
is crucial

Specialised Specialised
268XA* Applications 266L 775L 675L Applications

• Microreplicated abrasive on 3 mil film • Aluminium Oxide on 3 mil film • Precision Shaped Grain on 3 mil film • Diamond abrasive on 5 mil film
• Used in a variety of solid surface and • A versatile disc that delivers in paint • The go-to choice for all applications • Designed for finishing on hard
AOEM tier prep for paint applications removal, prep for paint and solid that require premium performance materials and can be used for coating
surface finishing removal and prep

Lighter backing Heavier backing

*Stearate-free

Paper backed sanding discs

255P 950U

• Aluminium Oxide • Precision Shaped Grain

on C‑weight paper on E-weight paper
•F  or light sanding and prep • A premium choice for all
work on primers, paints, applications that require
gelcoats and sealers fast cut and long life

618 236U 245

• Silicon Carbide • Aluminium Oxide • Aluminium Oxide

on A‑weight paper on C‑weight paper on E‑weight paper
• A value product for wood • The multi-purpose, • A great option for prep for
sanding and applications multi-application value disc paint in metal or deflashing/
where finish is critical surface prep on composites

Lighter backing Heavier backing

4 *Stearate-free
 Menu Sanding Made Simple Random Orbital Sanding Portfolio Sanding System Solutions Application Guide Availability Guide
Film/Paper Backed
• Cloth Backed/Non-woven

Random Orbital Sanding Portfolio

The entire 3M portfolio

Cloth backed sanding discs

947A 784F

•P  recision Shaped Grain • PSG blend mineral helping increase productivity

on X-weight cloth
• YF weight (36+ - 80+) and XF (120+) cloth backing is extra tough
• A premium choice for applications
and a good match for the most aggressive sanding applications
requiring an aggressive and durable disc
• 36+ - 120+ grades

Non-woven finishing discs Use on irregular, rounded work surfaces requiring a highly conformable abrasive.
Load resistant and good for imparting a bright final finish.

Scotch-Brite™ Hookit™ Scotch-Brite™ Hookit™ Scotch-Brite™ Hookit™

7448 PRO 7447 PRO Cut & Polish

•N
 on-woven with Silicon Carbide • Non-woven with Aluminium Oxide • Non-woven with Aluminium Oxide
•F
 or light cleaning, blending and scratch refinement • For cleaning, scuffing, and finishing • For heavier non-woven blending applications
on metal and solid surfaces on metals and plastic substrates where fast scratch removal is required

Scotch-Brite™ Hookit™ Scotch-Brite™ Hookit™ Production

Clean & Finish Clean & Finish

• Non-woven with Silicon Carbide • Non-woven with Aluminium Oxide

• For light cleaning and blending • For a uniform finish prior to coating primer,
on metal substrates metal and solid surfaces

Fine Coarse

For a variety of sanding applications. Flexible, more durable backing. High performance and
Net backed sanding discs a virtually dust-free finish.
! !
NEW NEW
710W 310W

•P  recision-Shaped Grain and aluminum oxide • Precision-Shaped Grain

• Medium and lightweight net backing • Heavy, medium, and lightweight net backing
• A premium disc for a variety of sanding • A cost-efficient disc good for coating removal
applications and multiple substrates and surface refining

Lighter backing Heavier backing

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 Menu Sanding Made Simple Random Orbital Sanding Portfolio Sanding System Solutions Application Guide Availability Guide
• Tool/Backup Pad
Orbit

Sanding System Solutions

Select the right backup pad.

A
A B A One piece stud design for improved
C B B A balance and reduced vibration
Colour-coded pads with
customised features make it simpler
Low Profile Design Standard Design Low Profile Finishing Design B to achieve the exact finish desired
Firm red foam for stock removal and Tapered edge and medium yellow Soft beige foam for better finish
leveling. Also available in black. foam for blending and feather edging and conformance Upgraded hole placement for
• Most Aggressive • General Purpose • Best Finish
C clean sanding pads for the ultimate
in dust extraction
Firm Medium Soft

More Aggressive Less Aggressive

Select
the right tool. NEW
!
NEW
!

• Available in 75mm, 125mm
and 150mm diameters
•C
 an be used with Hookit™
and Stikit™ backup pads
3M Xtract™ Pneumatic Random
Orbital Sanders
Ideal product for dust
extraction solutions where
pneumatic air lines are present.
3M™ Pneumatic Random Orbital
Sanders
For work environments where dust
extraction is not required

Factors affecting performance checklist.

Abrasive
■ F
 ollow basic sanding technique
■ Frequently inspect discs for
tears, folds or loading
■ Make sure work surface is
debris-free before moving on
to finer grade disc
Backup Pad
■ Match backup pad to the job
(i.e., low profile for stock removal)
■ Confirm that tool and disc pad are
the same diameter
■ Inspect for damaged pad —
adhesion loss, worn foam
■ If increased conformability is needed
attach a 3M foam interface pad
Tool Air Pressure
■ Check tool lubrication schedule ■ C
 heck your gauge to make sure
(1–3 drops of tool lubricant daily tool is running at 6.2 bar / 90 PSI
is recommended) ■ U
 se minimum length of air hose
■ Ensure that the speed control necessary – check local regulations
adjusted to the maximum ■ E
 nsure inside air line diameter
■ Test that the lever is undamaged is at a minimum 9mm
and muffler is not clogged ■ C
 heck airline fittings: 7mm is best,
4.8mm is marginal

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 Menu Sanding Made Simple Random Orbital Sanding Portfolio Sanding System Solutions Application Guide Availability Guide
Tool/Backup Pad
• Orbit

Material removal
Select
3/16” the right orbit. After sanding with 775L 80+ for 30 seconds on a painted panel

3/32” Finer finish/Lower cut

2.5mm Diameter Orbit Why choose 2.5mm orbit?

Chrome Lever  cuffed
S
3/8” • To use with finer grades • clear coat
Fine finish sanding
• Least amount of stock removal
5/16”

5mm Diameter Orbit Why choose 5mm orbit? Cut through

• clear coat
Silver Lever • Most commonly used orbit pattern • colour coat
General purpose sanding • Good balance of stock removal with exposed
and finish primer
3/16”

8mm Diameter Orbit Why choose 8mm orbit? Cut through

• clear coat
3/32” Black Lever • More stock removal needed • colour coat
Aggressive sanding* than 5mm orbit • starts to cut
• Not as aggressive as 10mm orbit primer
3/8”

5/16” 10mm Diameter Orbit Why choose 10mm orbit? Removes

Gold Lever • clear coat
• Most aggressive stock removal • colour coat
Most aggressive sanding* • primer
• Good for large area sanding
• e-coat to
or if high cut rate is needed
bare metal

*Not recommended for woodworking applications

Coarser finish/Increased cut
3/16”

3/32”

Basic sanding technique.

Start the sander ON the surface and stop OFF the surface.
1 This will help to avoid swirl marks.
5/16”

2 Apply light hand pressure on the tool and allow the backup
pad to orbit freely. Let the tool do the work.
3 Run the tool flat on the work piece to prevent gouging.
Follow a set pattern when sanding. This ensures that previous
4 scratches are removed and a uniform finish is reached.
3/32” 7
 Menu Sanding Made Simple Random Orbital Sanding Portfolio Sanding System Solutions Application Guide Availability Guide
• System
Clean Sand

The 3M recommendations below are starting points for the ideal system solutions.
Application Guide Be sure to conduct trials to find the right system for the application.

Recommended Alternative Common Suggested Suggested

Application Disc Disc Grades Backup Pad Tool Orbit Process
Low Profile Sanding workpiece for consistent scratch
Primer Sanding 775L 375L 180 – 400
Finishing
5mm
prior to paint

Removing coatings from workpiece prior

Red
Coating Removal 710W 310W 80 – 240
Low Profile
10mm to application
of primers and paints

Smoothing and leveling

Surface Refining/ 710W 310W 80 – 220
Red
5mm workpiece prior to paint for consistent
Flattening Low Profile
paint adhesion

Red Removing excessive plastic flash by

Deflashing Plastic 784F 947A 60 – 120
Low Profile
5mm
knocking off sharp edges

Flattening or removing defects in gelcoat

Low Profile
Gelcoat Sanding 775L 360L 240 – 1000
Finishing
5mm while refining for following buff and polish
or paint step

Removing raised lines in manufacturing

Removing 775L 180 – 320
Red
5mm to blend
255P
Parting Lines Low Profile
surface geometry

Incremental steps of cutting

Yellow
Shaping 947A 784F 36 – 220
Standard
8mm and shaping refinement for composite
fabrication

Leveling or smoothing wood surface and

Whitewood 710W 310W 150 – 220
Red
5mm removing machining marks from saw cuts
Sanding Low Profile
or routers

Leveling orange peel and

Low Profile
Sealer Sanding 775L 255P 320 – 400
Finishing
2,5mm scuffing for adhesion of next
layer of coatings or finish

Refining a fiber disc scratch

Prep for Paint 947A 784F 80 – 120
Red
5mm used in stock removal for an
on Steel Low Profile
even scratch prior to paint

Removing Handling 947A 310W 80 – 120

Red
8mm
Identifying defects in metal parts caused
Scratches Low Profile by upstream handling

Yellow Removing sharp edges on

Edge Deburring 947A 784F 60 – 120
Standard
8mm
sheared metal

For applications needing a bright final finish, follow up with a Scotch-Brite™ non-woven finishing disc.

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 Menu Sanding Made Simple Random Orbital Sanding Portfolio Sanding System Solutions Application Guide Availability Guide
System
• Clean Sand

3M Xtract™ Cubitron™ II
Sanding System

Create a Safer and Cleaner Workspace

Sanding debris is removed directly from the workpiece as an operator sands with the system. 3M Xtract™ discs remove more dust
With a convenient and efficient dust free system, the work environment is cleaner and more and last longer than 5- and 6-hole
comfortable for all workers. discs of a similar diameter.

Improve Sanding Disc Performance Dust Extraction

A disc loads less when the dust it generates is vacuumed away. Less loading means more
of the disc’s abrasive surface is in direct contact with the workpiece. More direct disc contact
provides better cut rate and less disc loading equals longer life.

Dust Collected
Save time and money on Abrasives and Improve Productivity
With longer life and a faster cut rate, less discs are used to complete a job. Not only can disc
consumption be reduced, each job can be done faster, improving a shop’s overall productivity.

3M Xtract™ Clean sanding 3M Xtract™ Pneumatic

sanding abrasive disc backup pad Random Orbital Sanders

+ +
No Hole 5- or 6-Hole 3M Xtract™

!
Disc Life
EW!
N NEW

Minutes
3M Xtract™
vs. No Hole
After sanding on cured
gelcoat for 30 seconds,
the 3M Xtract™ disc has No Hole 5- or 6-Hole 3M Xtract™
not loaded. This means a
longer abrasive disc life. Test results are based on dry sanding applications. Results
will vary by application, material being sanded and tool used.

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Menu Sanding Made Simple Random Orbital Sanding Portfolio Sanding System Solutions Application Guide Availability Guide
• Sanding Made Simple
ROS Portfolio

Availability Guide: Sanding Made Simple +

P
= 3M™ Cubitron™ II or Precision Shaped Grain grade
= FEPA (Federation of the European Producers of Abrasives) grades

Grade

3M ID Attachment Forms 24 36 40 50 60 80 100 120 150 180 220 240 280 320 360 400 500 600 800 1000 1200 1500
Net Backing

710W Hookit™ Clean Sanding + + + + + + +

310W Hookit™ Clean Sanding + + + + + + +

No hole + + + + + + + +

775L Hookit™ 17 hole + + + + + + + +

Film Backing

Clean sanding + + + + + + + +

No hole P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P

375L Hookit™

Multi-hole P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P

360L Hookit™ Clean sanding P P P P P P P P P

No hole + + + + +
950U Hookit™
Paper Backing

Multi-hole + + + + +

No hole P P P P P P P P P P P P

255P Hookit™
Multi-hole P P P P P P P P P P P P P

236U Hookit™ Clean sanding P P P P P P P P P P

Cloth Backing

No hole + + + +
947A Hookit™

Multi-hole + + + +

784F Hookit™ No hole + + + + +

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 Menu Sanding Made Simple Random Orbital Sanding Portfolio Sanding System Solutions Application Guide Availability Guide
Sanding Made Simple
• ROS Portfolio

ROS Portfolio Grade

Attachment

Grinding Aid
or Stearate
Backing

Mineral
Weight
3M ID

Hookit™
24 30 36 40 50 60 80 100 120 150 180 220 240 280 320 360 400 500 600 800 1000 1200 1500 2000

Stikit™
Net 310W H/M/L* PSG • • + + + + + + +

* L = Light, M = Medium, H= Heavy

784F YF/XF PSG ✓ • + + + + +

Cloth
947A X PSG ✓ • + + + +

255P C AO ✓ • • P P P P P P P P P P P P P

Paper 236U C AO ✓ • P P P P P P P P P P

950U E PSG ✓ • + + + + +

360L 3 mil AO • P P P P P P P P P

Film 375L 5/3 mil AO ✓ • P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P

775L 3 mil PSG ✓ • + + + + + + + +

Backing 3M ID Mineral Attachment Scotch-Brite™ Grade

Mineral Grade
AO = Aluminium Oxide + = 3
 M™ Cubitron™ II or
Scotch-Brite™ 7448 PRO SC
Ultra fine AZ = Aluminium Zirconia Precision Shaped Grain
Scotch-Brite™ Clean & Finish AO
Non- C = Ceramic
woven
Scotch-Brite™ 7447 PRO AO Hookit™
CO = Cerium Oxide
P = F
 EPA (Federation of the
Very fine
Scotch-Brite™ Production Clean & Finish SC
D = Diamond European Producers of Abrasives)
Scotch-Brite™ Cut & Polish AO Medium
PSG = Precision Shaped Grain
SC = Silicon Carbide

Product and grade availability subject to change.

Visit 3M.com/Abrasives to confirm current product grade and form offering. 11
For more information visit: www.3M.co.uk/Abrasives

3M™ Hookit™ Discs are applicable for

robotic and automation applications.
Please find more info at:
www.3M.co.uk/robotics

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Abrasive Systems Division Customer Service Group

3M United Kingdom PLC 3M Ireland Limited
4th Floor, Building 8 The Iveagh Building
Exchange Quay, Salford Quays Carrickmines Park
Greater Manchester M5 3EJ Carrickmines
Tel: 0845 504 8772 Dublin 18
Please recycle. Printed in the UK. © 3M 2021. 3M, Cubitron, Finesse-it, Hookit, Scotch-Brite, Standard Abrasives, Stikit and Trizact
abrasives.uk@mmm.com Tel: 1 800 320 500 are trademarks of 3M Company.
www.3M.co.uk/abrasives All rights reserved. OMG145134