Saint-Gobain Abrasives Provides Solutions for High Flying Aerospace Industry

According to leading industry analysts, driven by increased commercial production, the global aerospace industry is poised to grow by as much as 5 percent in 2014, despite a marked drop in defense spending. To help meet this increased demand while maintaining operational efficiency, Saint-Gobain Abrasives, the world’s leading manufacturer and supplier of performance-engineered abrasives, will feature its Norton brand of high-performance abrasives solutions for aerospace maintenance and repair applications at Aviation Week MRO Americas at the Phoenix Convention Center in Arizona (April 8-10, 2014, Booth 2940).

Norton brand products, along with other Saint-Gobain division products, offer better efficiencies and technology for all types of fabrication across the Aerospace market. In 2013 alone, Norton brand products combined for more than $10 million in cost savings for the Aerospace industry.

For aerospace applications such as exterior and interior airframe maintenance and repair, stripping and painting, and engine rebuild and maintenance, Saint-Gobain will feature its portfolio of quick change disc products, including Norton Rapid Prep™, Norton Vortex Rapid Prep™, Norton Vortex Rapid Blend™, Norton Blaze Rapid Blend™ and Norton Blaze Rapid Strip™. Also featured will be belt products, Norton Rapid Prep™ LF (low flex) aluminum oxide (A/O), and being introduced at the show, Norton Rapid Prep™ RF (regular flex) A/O. These products include Saint-Gobain Abrasives’ Clean Bond™ resin technology for a smear-free finish.

Additional products on display include Quantum™ X grinding wheels with Vitrium³™ bonded abrasives technology, and Norton Multi-Air® Cyclonic™ vacuum discs for aerospace applications.

“As the civil aviation market continues to show steady growth, aerospace manufacturers and suppliers find themselves under increased pressure to raise productivity while controlling costs,” according to Jim Krause, Manager, Segment Marketing – Aerospace, Saint-Gobain Abrasives. “Our comprehensive portfolio of Norton Bear-Tex abrasives solutions provides aerospace operations with the performance they need to maintain effective and efficient operations.”

High-Performance Quick Change Discs

Norton Rapid Prep non-woven products combine a high-performance A/O abrasive grain with Clean Bond resin technology, allowing for faster throughput and reduced labor requirements. Norton Vortex Rapid Prep products combine the same Clean Bond smear-free performance, but with a patented Vortex abrasive that provides up to four times the performance of conventional surface conditioning products. Both products are suited for aircraft frame component work like blending mismatch and corner break on aluminum spars, as well as aircraft OEM interior finishing.

For more challenging applications, Norton Vortex Rapid Blend, Norton Blaze Rapid Blend, and Norton Blaze Rapid Strip offer a combination of synthetic mesh and patented abrasives (different abrasive grains) for removing imperfections on metal surfaces, working up to eight times better than conventional discs on aircraft repair including epoxy adhesive removal from carbon fiber inner skin, carbon fiber and copper removal, and aircraft airframe blending mismatch and corner break on aluminum spars. Norton Blaze Rapid Strip is an excellent choice for airframe component work, such as blending and finishing stainless steel and titanium straps.