Mirka has released a tough and durable new range of abrasives called Galaxy, which it says has self-sharpening technology, a clog-resistant coating, and “excellent” dust extraction.
Peter Sadler, Mirka Business Development Manager ANZ, says Galaxy has a film-style backing material that is well suited to the automotive repair segment. The latex film construction means it’s flexible but has “impressive robustness”, particularly on the edge of the disc.
“When it comes to common collision repair tasks, such as sanding around sharp edges of panels, profiles, contours, etc., a paper-backed abrasive is going to suffer, but Galaxy is much better able to handle the punishment and just keep going and going,” he said.
According to Sadler, Galaxy has a genuine ‘wow’ factor. “When we do a demonstration, there are no tag lines or sales pitches – we prefer to just put Galaxy in the technician’s hands and ask them to tell us what they think. When they keep on sanding and sanding and sanding and realise that it’s still cutting, they are amazed.”
The cutting performance of most abrasives reduces as they wear down, but Galaxy has ceramic grains that self-sharpen. During the sanding process, every time an edge of an abrasive grain breaks off, the grains underneath form a new cutting edge. The unique Mirka technology means Galaxy remains sharp for longer periods, significantly extending the life of the abrasive.
Mirka says that efficiently removing dust was a key factor in developing the Galaxy’s longer cutting lifespan. Consequently, dust doesn’t tend to stick to the abrasive so it can be more easily guided to the on-tool extraction system, helping avoid frustrating and time-consuming surface defects such as pigtails.
The dust extraction design also allows the Galaxy to fit any type or brand of tool. Described by Mirka as “ground-breaking”, the Multifit ‘fits all’ design consists of 50 carefully spaced and sized dust extraction holes that take up only six per cent of the abrasive disc surface area. According to Mirka, this optimised layout also gives the Galaxy strong edge wear resistance and a “perfect balance” between long life and dust extraction.
“From an old sander with just six dust extraction holes, right through to the very latest models, Galaxy’s Multifit hole pattern is designed to suit any machine. Best of all, when replacing discs there is no need to line up holes on the backing pad – simply place the new disc on and the hole pattern is always correctly positioned for any machine. This makes Galaxy abrasives quick and easy to replace, leaving you to get on with the job knowing you will get excellent dust extraction,” said Sadler.
Although Galaxy works well when used directly against the sanding tool’s backing pad, Mirka said its Net Interface pad provides an extra performance boost, particularly on finer grits from P320 upwards. The four-millimetre-thick spacer features an open weave net construction, allowing dust to easily flow through while providing a cushioning effect that helps the abrasive ride over surface contours and improve cut.
The new Galaxy range is available from P40 to P2000 in 150-millimetre discs and a selection of rolls and sheets to suit a variety of applications.
“Galaxy is about giving users excellent performance at a really good price and the message to everyone is simple – give Galaxy a try. To provide that opportunity, there will be Galaxy sample packs handed out. We are confident that once people feel the Galaxy ‘wow’ factor, the product will sell itself,” said Sadler.
For further information, contact your local Mirka distributor.