Dust-Free Finishing System is suited for building industry.

Press Release Summary:




Abranet(TM) Deco Sander performs dust-free finishing on walls and ceilings, helping to maintain clean work environment. System is made up of telescopic sanding tool that uses proprietary abrasive material coupled with industrial-type vacuum cleaner. Suction of vacuum can be adjusted to allow unit to stick firmly to ceiling. Material has thousands of holes across surface that facilitate dust extraction, helping to avoid atmospheric contamination.



Original Press Release:



Dust-Free Abrasive Offers Improved Sanding Results for Building Industry



Leading abrasive technology company, KWH Mirka, is introducing the AbranetTM Deco Sander. Developed with the needs of the building industry in mind, the sander applies the same innovative abrasive technology that has been successful in the automotive industry to provide dust-free finishing. Designed specifically for walls and ceilings, the system offers efficient sanding results while maintaining a clean work environment.

The system is made up of a specially designed telescopic sanding tool using the company's proprietary abrasive material coupled with an industrial-type vacuum cleaner. With the Deco Sander, Abranet abrasive material is attached to the sanding strip head. This device ensures that dust particles are quickly removed from surfaces. The suction of the vacuum cleaner can be adjusted, if required, to allow the Deco Sander to stick firmly to the ceiling, which is useful to aid sanding.

Benefits of less dust

"There are several aspects to our sanding solution," says Hans Hede, who leads the Abranet development team, "You don't inhale dust and you don't have to cover up." Typically wall surfaces such as plaster contain mineral particles that can fall into the eye or be breathed in during sanding. Because dust is removed so quickly and effectively using the Deco Sander, other types of work can be carried out within a room while the sanding operation is going on. In trials with one company sanding operations and painting were able to be carried out close to each other, says Hede.

There are also benefits in time saved because the chores of covering furniture and cleaning up are eliminated. Hede says, "The amount of dust produced is so much smaller that a lot of time is saved in reduced cleaning up at the end of sanding." This can represent a saving of between 20 and 80 per cent according to the location and type of work. The effectiveness of the Deco Sander has been tested for more than a year by a construction company, which has now adopted the system instead of conventional pole sanders.

In addition, it can be used alongside more conventional hand sanders. Mirka offers three different sizes of hand sanders. As well as its benefits throughout the building industry, the company also sees a potential market for the Deco Sander in the DIY equipment rental market.

Innovative matrix proven effective

The Deco Sander uses the AbranetTM abrasive material, an innovative matrix design which has thousands of holes across the surface. This facilitates dust extraction and avoids atmospheric contamination so helping to maintain a healthy working environment. Abranet has been proven to reduce air-borne emissions by 99 per cent or more verified by the European standard EN 1093-3, carried out by an independent, accredited laboratory. In addition, the company's technology has won innovation prizes in a number of countries including the US, UK, Finland and the Netherlands.

Whether using the Deco-Sander or the associated hand blocks, Hede says that when compared to conventional sanding technology, Abranet allows sanding to be carried out "faster and for longer" with the same sheet of abrasive. Further he notes, "For a standard sized room only one sheet of Abranet is required compared to several traditional sanding sheets."

Mirka's products are used widely in the automotive finishing trade, original equipment manufacturers, composite producers, the furniture industry and metal finishers plus customers in the paint, hardware and machinery sectors. Its products include abrasive wheels, sanding machines and accessories.

More than 90 percent of production is exported. It has activities in 70 countries world-wide and wholly owned marketing companies in the UK, Germany, France, Sweden, Italy and Spain plus an export company in Singapore. Mirka, with headquarters in Finland, is part of the KWH Group, an enterprise with a broad range of interests that ranges from cold storage, handling and transportation, to plastic products for stationery and packaging applications, to plumbing products.

For more information contact:

KWH Mirka Ltd
Mrs Lena Smeds-Furu, Marketing Manager
Pensalantie 210
FI-66850 Jepua
FINLAND
Tel: +358 6 760 2111
Fax: +358 6 760 2290
E-mail: lena.smeds-furu@mirka.com
sales@mirka.com
www.mirka.com

Mirka Abrasives Ltd
Mr Simon Bloxham
Unit 7
Holdom Avenue, Bletchley
Milton Keynes MK1 1QU
GREAT BRITAIN
Tel.: +44 1908 375533
E-mail: simon.bloxham@mirka.com
sales.uk@mirka.com

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