New technologies are changing the abrasives market, said Ted Giese, director of the Abrasive Engineering Society. However, end-users are conservative, so it often takes a while for good technologies to make it into the market.

Some of the best new abrasives are micro-structured aluminum oxide, cerium oxide or silicon carbide, Giese said. These are available in products like 3M™ Trizact™ or Cubitron™.

Giese said some manufacturers like Tyrolit, Ltd. have abandoned traditional abrasives production and adopted the strategy of concentrating on high-tech superabrasives.

"These superabrasives are less consumable and last longer in both coated and bonded applications," said Giese. "Distributors need to help customers adjust their machining processes accordingly."

Globalization has influenced the push for higher technology. Cheaper Asian raw materials for traditional abrasives are imported and commonly used by domestic manufacturers, he said.

In addition, competition has led to increased consolidation, said Gene Huegin, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Leominster, Mass.-based Pferd, Inc. Companies like Saint-Gobain Abrasives have purchased other large players including Norton, but most acquisitions have occurred among smaller, lower-price competitors.

"Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to narrow the field," said Huegin. "It's a global marketplace and there are a phalanx of others to take their place."

The marketplace is shrinking for abrasives, said executive vice president of sales and marketing Jim Miller of Portland, Ore.-based General Tool & Supply, Co. He said abrasives once comprised nearly one-third of the business at General Tool but now make up only 15 to 20 percent.

"Ceramic aluminum oxide was the last big thing to come along," said Miller. "Some areas are doing well, like diamond applications for cutting wafers, for example. Ultra-fine superabrasives are also in demand for applications like lens polishing."

He said standard, rough grinding materials are shrinking in the marketplace, but items like flap discs, which combine the properties of flap wheels and coated abrasives, are popular.

"Technology in abrasives has progressed significantly," said president Dave Riess of Herlache Industrial Supply, Green Bay, Wis. "New man-made minerals and structures such as synthetic diamond, cubic boron nitride and other superabrasives have resulted in tremendous improvement in consistency and overall tool life."

New structured abrasives provide consistent removal rates and finishes during the entire life of products like abrasive belts, he said. A single grade of abrasive can now replace two or more intermediate grades and reduce the number of steps required in finishing work.

"The right applications can provide considerable value," said Reiss. "A flap disc can rough and finish in a single step, which saves time."

Expanded grades and forms of non-woven products can reduce the time required in surface cleaning, deburring and polishing operations. The expanded use of ceramics has increased the rate of grinding and the product life in both bonded and coated abrasives, he said.

"Selling these high-performance products is different from selling commodities," said Reiss. "Salesmen have to be better trained in technical applications and more involved with their clients."

The purchase price is higher on high performance products, but end-users can realize significant savings in productivity and tool life, he said

Specialty abrasive product catalog; includes a wide variety of products for performing coarse stock removal, light-medium stock removal, deburring, edge-breaking, blending and various finishing applications. Rex-Cut Products, Inc. Circle no. 201

Tiger Disc™ for stainless steel grinding; provides a higher cut rate than conventional zirconium discs; for superior performance in all stainless steel applications; specially formulated fast-cutting abrasive cloth designed for cool-cutting. Weiler Corp. Circle no. 202

A 3 and Z 3 flap discs; A 3 is made of a premium aluminum oxide material with a polyester backing; Z 3 is made of 100% Zirconia alumina material with a poly-cotton backing. Camel Grinding Wheels, USA Circle no. 203