Objective To investigate the effects of micro-grit sizes on the sanding performance of wood materials and to provide a basis for the design and preparation of precision-shaped abrasive belts (PSAs), sanding experiments with PSAs were carried out.

Method In this study, abrasive belts with grit sizes of 150, 180, and 220 meshs (P-150/180/220) were prepared and compared with ordinary coated abrasive belt (OCA) with a grit size of 220 (O-220). 200 000 sanding tests were conducted respectively using particleboards as sanding samples. The material removal amount, surface roughness of particleboards, and mass changes of abrasive belts were compared to analyze the effect of micro-grit sizes of abrasive belt on sanding performance and wear process.

Result (1) The removal amount of particleboard with PSA was less than that with OCA, but the stability of PSA was much better than that of OCA. There was a negative correlation between the average removal amount of particleboard sanded by PSA and the size of micro-grit. The removal amount of PSA became more stable with the increase of grit size. (2) The surface roughness of particleboard sanded by PSA decreased initially, stabilized and fluctuated within a small range. With the increase of grit size, the surface roughness of particleboard decreased and became more convergent. (3) In the sanding process, the mass of PSA showed a periodic wavy decline. The mass loss of P-150 was the fastest, and the mass decline of P-180 was the most stable. There were compensatory and synergistic effects between the equivalent abrasive particle and surface micro-grit.

Conclusion Under the condition where the shape and size of equivalent abrasive grits are the same, the micro-grit size significantly affects the sanding performance of PSA, particularly in PSA with smaller micro-grit size. This study provides a scientific basis and theoretical support for the design and production of PSAs, promoting the development of wood processing technology and abrasive belt manufacturing technology toward high efficiency and intelligence.