Buffing Wheels

As the delivery mechanism for compounds, selecting the right buffing wheel is an important factor in successful finishing. To this end, Matchless supplies full disc buffs, bias airway buffs, sisal (both bias and full disc), and cloth/sisal (ODCBS) constructions. These buffs are available in a wide variety of cloths, sewing arrangements, diameters and widths, arbor sizes, and dip treatments. Just like our compounds, our buffing wheels are constructed to your specific requirements and quantities.

As a complement to our buffing wheel line-up, we also provide contact wheels for those customers utilizing abrasive belts. These can be either a fabric construction in diameters of 6" to 16", with face widths of 1" to 6", or, our very popular Diamond Cross Cut Contact Wheel (DCCW). The Diamond wheel is a proprietary construction of rubber facings which provides substantially longer belt life and uniform wear, in spite of difficult shapes to be finished. DCCWs are available in 6" to 18" diameters, with face widths from 1 ½" to 10".

Conventional Buffing Wheels

Conventional buffs are the original design for buffing wheels, and come in virtually unlimited constructions of materials, dimensions and treatments. In addition to the obvious choice of buff diameter and face, full disc buffs may be constructed to fit a wide variety of requirements through:

• Altering sewing configuration – Most sewing is a "spiral" sew – of varying spacing – but sewing may also be concentric, radial, or square sewn. Each configuration has its merits and best applications; consult with your Matchless sales representative for the best match of fabric and finishing requirements.
• Selecting the right fabric/material – Our most common materials are:
  • 86/80 cotton – the standard cotton fabric used in many requirements
  • 60/60 cotton – in various weights
  • 80/80 cotton
  • Canton flannel – cotton napped on one side only; used where softness is key
  • Domet flannel – cotton napped on both sides; the ultimate "soft" fabric
  • Denim – for harsher environments
  • Sisal – for tough, heavy stock removal; frequently mixed with cotton layers (see bias buff page).
• Adding Mill or Dip Treatments – The materials listed above can be mill treated prior to construction, or dip treated post-construction, to improve wear and durability of the buff. Such treatments are designed to extend the life of the buff, and/or improve the quality of the finished part.

Bias Airway Buffs

Since the advent of automatic buffing equipment, bias airway buffs have become the industry standard for buffing wheels. Although the buffing equipment will establish some parameters, similar to full disc sewn buffs, bias airway buffs may be constructed in a wide variety of fabrics and treatments. Furthermore, the construction of bias airway buffs is designed to allow for the "ganging" of multiple buffs to achieve a wider working surface.

It is important to also understand the difference between bias buffs and full disc buffs in terms of their construction. Whereas full disc buffs are assembled from multiple layers of complete discs of fabric, bias buffs are assembled in a two step process. First, the fabric is "biased" by rolling out the cloth, and rerolling it on the bias, such that the threads are now oriented at 45 degrees to the edge, not 90 degrees or parallel. The biased cloth required for each buff is then wrapped around a drum, and clinched into a center ring, maintaining the thread exposure at the edge of the buff at 45 degrees. This feature allows the buff to last longer, and does not waste cloth in the middle of the buff.

Common bias airway buffs include:

• Regular 86/80 fabric – most frequently in 16 ply, but also available in 12, 20 and 24 ply (others on request)
• Various Mill and Dip treated fabrics and sisal – as with full sewn buffs there are several different hardnesses and attributes to choose from
• Cloth and sisal combinations – referred to as open face, double cloth bias sisal (ODCBS), these buffs are very popular for fast cutting in steel and stainless steel requirements
• Canton and domet constructions are also used where softness, limited or no scratching is demanded

Contact Wheels

For those applications which utilize abrasive belts, Matchless offers two different contact wheels. One is the Perfect Finish Contact Wheel, which is of cloth construction, and secondly, the Diamond Crosscut Contact Wheel, of rubber construction.

The Perfect Finish Contact Wheel is constructed of solid, sewn cloth sections which are glued together to form facings up to 6" in width; diameters are typically between 6" and 16". The wheel may be specified in varying levels of density. This construction provides a sturdy, long-wearing support system in those applications with minimal contours and recessed surfaces.

The Diamond Crosscut Contact Wheel (DCCW), on the other hand, is an excellent choice when the work piece is more demanding, with sharp contours and angular features. The DCCW is constructed of durable folded rubber discs which allow the belt to flex without wandering, allowing easier contour finishing. This feature both extends belt life and improves operator efficiency, such that the DCCW pays for itself in short order through savings in abrasive belts. The DCCW is available in 6" to 16" diameters, with facings from 1½" to 6", and in densities from soft to firm.

Specialty Items

In addition to sewn and bias airway buffs, Matchless also offers a number of specialty constructions and products, including:

• Abrasive Belts/Discs – through our various trading partners, we offer a complete line of coated abrasive products, both belts and discs
• Polishing Wheels – may be used with the glue and abrasive of your choice, both of which we also offer.
• Razor Buffs – popular in the jewelry trade, these items have a very thin face, pin-hole arbors, and smaller diameters
• Pieced Buffs – economical buffs where cost trumps finish quality
• Belly Pads – Protective apron worn by buffing operators for cleanliness and protection
• Flanges – a must item for safe and secure mounting of buffs on arbors
• Rakefillers (buffing wheel rakes) – used to clean buffs of dried compound and product residue, as well as to "true-up" and restore the face of the buff
• Meter Buffs
• Non-Woven Buffs