nastroflex news · best wishes for 2014! 2013 was a year full of news for nastroflex -new products,...

JANUARY 2014

Summary

Nastroflex News Technical commercial newsletter

2

Dear Customer...

Nastroflex strengthens its presence in Denmark

Altac X6 is a brand-new aluminium oxide abrasive applied to cloth backing and used on metal surfac-es intended for chrome plating. It is without doubt the most popular innova-tion at the moment.

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Photo. Work-pieces sanded with Altac X6

INTERNATIONAL ISSUE

Nastroflex strengthens

its presence in

Denmark

Best wishes for 2014!

Do we really know

about anti-static

abrasives?

Altac X6: lasting

performance

Naxomax R Antistatic:

the evolution of the

species

J859: cold precision

Technical meeting with

ICLA Akzo Nobel

Abrasive products with

additives against

overheating

Nastroflex products

with additives and

their applications

Costa and Nastroflex:

innovating and creating synergies to improve customer

service

How to best use

zirconium belts

Cefla and Nastroflex:

together for premium

painting solutions

Nastroflex and Cefla

Live - Live innovation

and technology

International markets

Breaking news

From 2011 to the end of 2013, Denmark 3M distri-buted Nastroflex products, following the acquisition and the subsequent merge with Slipnaxos, former distributor of the Nastroflex group in the Scandinavian country. The non-strategic nature of this business to 3M and the need to provide cu-stomers with an appropri-ate level of service, led 3M and Nastroflex to sign an agreement whereby the

portfolio of customers using Nastroflex pro-ducts will be under the direct management of the Italian company as of February 1, 2014. Danish customers will continue to be suppor-ted by Mr. Lars Sadolin, who after a few years

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Photo. Lars Sadolin, Nastroflex sales and technical support for Denmark.

The new abrasives designed for metal

Altac X6: lasting performance

Best wishes for 2014! 2013 was a year full of news for Nastroflex - new products, new quality tools, new collaborations in Italy and abroad, new image - and, above all, it was a year in which we worked to provide end users with the best service and quality. Trusting that what was done in 2013 will bring us all the benefits we hoped for in 2014, we want to wish our customers, suppliers and partners a new year full of satisfaction.

Applications with anti-static products

Do we really know about anti-static abrasives?

As part of the rationalisa-tion of its wide range of items for wood, Nastroflex is reviewing anti-static products in particular, which deserve further con-sideration due to their technical qualities. WHY ANTI-STATIC

PRODUCTS? The sanding process is definitely the main cause for the presence of dust in the wood processing in-dustry (as well as all non conductor materials such as plastics, resins, etc), so much so that the presence

of particularly efficient dust exhaust systems is usually required. Howe-ver, analysing the process allows to find ways to make sanding dust extrac-tion easier.

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2

Nastroflex News, Jan 2014

(from page 1)

It all starts when, during the sanding process, the workpiece, wood chips, the sanding belt and some parts of the machine become electrostatically charged, especially in low humidity conditions. ORIGIN OF CHARGES Electrostatic charges are generated with a simple mechanism: friction between two objects can cause elec-trons to move from one object to the other; the material that gains elec-trons becomes negatively charged and the one that loses them becomes positively charged. We all remember how, as children, we would rub a plastic pen against a sleeve of our jumper to attract small pieces of paper to the pen. The amount of electrostatic charge de-pends largely on the electrical con-ductivity of materials: good conduc-tors, such as metals, quickly lose their charge, while bad ones can keep it for a long time, even for weeks. When sanding wood, we are dealing with a non-conductive material, pre-cisely wood, which is processed at a certain speed by an abrasive belt consisting of paper, resins and grit, which are non-conductive.

The electrostatic charges that develop on the workpiece and the wood chips have opposite polarities: the work-piece usually takes on a negative charge and the powder becomes po-sitive. PROBLEMS GENERATED Some of this dust sticks to the abra-sive belt, causing it to "clog" and re-ducing its removal capacity; another percentage of dust settles on various parts of the machine, in the form of masses that can cause the belt to break, or cover the photocells respon-sible for adjusting the oscillation of the belt itself, causing it to break as well. Finally, some sanding dust settles on the workpieces that have just been processed, forcing the operator to clean them again before moving on to painting. But the most noticeable phenomenon, since the dust particles have the same polarity, is that they tend to repel each other, and therefore they disperse. Particles that do not stick to the work-piece, to the abrasive belt or to the machine, tend to by-pass the suction drain and disperse in the air. THE SOLUTIONS Various attempts have been made to

reduce electrostatic charges, such as providing machines with small bru-shes or metal bars connected to the ground, which still do not solve the problem and are easily worn out by the abrasive. The best way forward is to prevent the development of electrostatic charges and this is why some manu-facturers of abrasives, including Na-stroflex, have developed various types of anti-static abrasive paper. Different methods are used to make them and they are often covered by patents, but they basically consist of the addition of substances with high electrical conductivity to the abrasive binders (e.g. graphite which, if used in the outer layer, gives the product a black colour) or to paper. These products are spreading rapidly due to the growing awareness of health in the workplace, the reduced price difference compared to conven-tional products and, often, a more favourable price-to-performance ratio. In fact, an anti-static abrasive belt clogs more slowly, ensuring greater durability and consistent performance, provided that ambient humidity does not exceed a limit of 50%, beyond which the electrostatic effect doesn't happen.


Do we really know about anti-static abrasives?


Naxomax R Antistatic: the evolution of the species

From the vast range of Nastroflex products, we point out the evolution of a highly successful product like Naxo-max, in its antistatic version called Naxomax R Antistatic. This product is mainly used for san-ding compact fibre solid wood, hard and soft wood, and veneers. The innovative aspect of Naxomax R Antistatic is that graphite, which cre-ates antistatic properties, mixed to the first of two layers of phenolic resin binders. Looking carefully, this aspect will be-come apparent in the form of soft shades that darken the product's orig-inal colour. Using a magnifier, you will see a black colour near the abrasive grains. Compared to its standard version and competing products without antistatic substances, Naxomax R Antistatic guarantees, where relative humidity

does not exceed 50%, higher perfor-mance in term of end result and better cleaning of the sanded piece, thus reducing even the side effects of the electrostatic charge, such as dust attraction and sparks. Naxomax R Antistatic has all it takes to replace competing products, such as Eka 1000, PS23, 1939 e BW114.

Pictured: Naxomax standard above, Naxomax Antistatic below. Traces of graphite are clearly visible.

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Applications on metal

J859: cold precision

J859 is a product made of aluminium oxide, where resin is mixed with a coolant. It is coated over a poly/cotton flexible J-weight, with close coating. It is particularly suitable for grinding and satin-finishing stainless steel and die-cast aluminium parts, including profiled pieces. The strengths of J859 in the pro-cessing of stainless steel include high-quality finishing and product durabi-lity thanks to the coolant contained in the resin, which also avoids the typi-cal bluish "burning" resulting from this type of application. As regards the processing of alumini-um, J859 features excellent re-sistance to clogging, which typically

occurs when processing products like aluminium, as well as a good level of finishing, with low Rz values (roughness peaks). Most users of J859 use medium/fine grain belts over soft contact wheels without grooves.

The belt is often 1-2 cm wider than the wheel itself, which allows users to make the most of flexibility along the protruding edges and work even parts with accentuated curves. Photo. J859 in the processing of alloy wheels for motor vehicles.

(from page 1)

In the field of coated abrasives, it is quite rare to create revolutionary products. Altac X6 definitely is, be-cause it uses a traditional mineral (aluminium oxide) in a new form. A PERFECT SURFACE With its uniform "shell" structure, Altac X6 ensures a higher quality finish for sanded products. Its surface consists of small parts of compact abrasive material, structured in regular geometric shapes that wear

out slowly, while maintaining a high quality finish over time, from the be-ginning to the end of the belt's life cycle. This particular structure requires low operating pressures, due to its greater sensitivity and ability to adapt to the material to be sanded. Altac X6 also solves the problem of

surface scratches, quite recurrent when using products with a mineral called "compact grain", which comes in agglomerates or even roughly spherical shapes. Altac X6 is used for a process called fine satin finishing on metals intended for galvanic processes, which mainly involves the components for interiors. Photo on the left. The "shell" structure of Altac X6. Central photo. Frame for chrome steel table.

Meetings with industry players

Technical meeting with ICLA Akzo Nobel

In recent months, at the headquarters

of ICLA (Akzo Nobel group), Nastro-

flex Sales Managers met with the

entire technical and commercial staff

from the wood division of the presti-

gious multinational company, to deal

with certain issues of common inte-

rest.

This meeting is part of the technical

dialogue we talked about in previous

issues, which Nastroflex started back

in 2010 with many players in the

wood chain, with the aim to achieve,

through a common pathway, improve-

ments in the processing and finishing

of wood pieces, and then offer these

new features to end users.

During the meeting it emerged that

professionals in the wood sector, with

whom both companies work every

day, increasingly feel the need to

(to page 4)

The new abrasives designed for metal

ALTAC X6: lasting performance

4


When using abrasives, it is normal for heat to develop. Heat tends to grow as the processing becomes more complex, when it is carried out at high speeds or using coarse grains. Heat and the presence of oxygen also cause chemical reactions which in-crease abnormalities on smooth sur-faces. The effects of overheating on work-pieces include the appearance of burn marks, difficult handling and even deformation. The same phe-nomenon can lead to crumbling or dulling of the abrasive product, thus reducing its life. In response to this problem, the most effective cooling system is undoubt-edly the one that provides a flow of coolant (an emulsion of water and oil)

in the work area, which however re-quires more complex sanding ma-chines, including a tank, a pump, a filter, a collection case and several protections from splashes. In addition, it requires a system for drying the workpieces after pro-cessing. As regards abrasives, a solution for dry machining was obtained by intro-ducing some materials called "additives", which feature a special composition to prevent the heating of the metal particles removed and thus facilitate and extend the cutting action of the abrasive product over time. Currently, the most widely used addi-tive is potassium tetra-fluoborate (KBF4), which is applied as a third layer over the two usual layers of

binder resin forming the abrasive sur-face together with mineral powder. Another additive used is cryolite, a complex salt consisting of aluminium, fluorine and sodium (trisodium he-xafluoroaluminate) mixed in the se-cond layer of binder.Compared to the previous additive, it features less ef-fective cooling but makes the abra-sive less expensive, avoiding the ap-plication of a third layer. The effectiveness of additives rea-ches its peak with coarse grains, up to P120. However, they prove less effective with fine grains (which are less prone to overheating), since the reduced space between the grains, where the additive can accumulate, forces it to reach the surface, from which it is easily removed.

Applications on metal using products mixed with additives

Abrasive products with additives against overheating

Nastroflex products with additives and their applications


Technical meeting with ICLA Akzo Nobel

(from page 3)

measure the final level of finish (roughness), not only visually but also through appropriate tools. Nastroflex has long insisted on this issue and addressed it in previous seminars, dedicated to users who need glossy finishes. In addition to this aspect, participants agreed on the importance of using quality paints, the composition of which - especially in the balance be-tween fine resins and solid contents - has a significant impact on the suc-cess of the sanding process and the resulting finish.

Finally, all those pre-sent found that users in the industry are sho-wing growing interest in the development of products and applica-tions for alternative and innovative materials, such as PVC and other wood substitutes. The usefulness of the meeting was openly praised by all partici-pants.

Photo. A moment during the meeting.

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Costa and Nastroflex: innovating and creating synergies to improve customer service

Costa Levigatrici Spa, a world leader in the design and manufacture of au-tomatic sanding machines for wood, metal and other materials, is one of the companies with which Nastroflex has worked intensively since the 80s. Founded in the early twentieth centu-ry for the construction of metal ma-chinery and equipment, in 1982 the company specialised exclusively in the design, manufacture and sale of sanders creating Costa Levigatrici. Since then, the company has conti-nued to pursue its mission to offer high quality products and unsur-passed reliability through constant investment in innovation and re-search. An approach to the market that brings it close to Nastroflex and is instru-mental in the development of coordi-nated work designed to provide high quality service to mutual customers. Many small and large companies in North-Eastern Italy use Costa equip-ment and Nastroflex abrasives in manufacturing processes, from the stock removal to the high finishing. These companies include Friulintagli, Gammalegno and Saca, to mention a few. The sectors and possible applications of these products range from the cali-bration of veneers to be used for pa-

nelling, the sanding of chipboard or MDF panels to be veneered, through to the finishing of glossy paraffin poly-ester kitchen doors. Nastroflex and Costa also come to-gether in international markets, where the Italian sanding technology enjoys leading competitive positions. Currently, Costa has several offices and partnerships around the world: Costa Sanders North America, Costa Levigatrici Ltda Brasile for the South American market, Ville-Tec Australia/New Zealand, Costa Sanders Malesia

for South-East Asia, Levigo Enginee-ring India for the Indian market, Costa Schleiftechnik GBR for the German market and Costa Shlifovania Russia for Eastern Europe. In 2012 the company also acquired the "Tagliabue" brand to carry out qualified routine maintenance and repairs on machines manufactured by the long-established Milanese compa-ny. Photo. A Costa machine with Nastroflex belts in operation at a company in North Eastern Italy

Useful tips

How to best use zirconium belts

When deciding to use zirconium belts instead of traditional aluminium oxide products to get the expected perfor-mance, some considerations should be taken into account. Abrasives that are commonly referred to as "zirconium" are composed of a mixture of aluminium oxide and zirco-nium oxide. In the Nastroflex range, the most common zirconium-based products are Y986W, R205, Y988D and Y998D. The higher the percentage of zirconi-um (typically ranging from 10 to 50%), the greater the product's ability to remove material from very hard me-tals. However, there are some instructions to follow. Use of these abrasives

requires high working pressure and contact wheels, preferably 2:1 grooved wheels with cutting tooth, rubber hardness of at least 70°A Shore. When using machines with wide belts, conveyor rollers should move at low speed to ensure prolonged contact. When using a product with a high percentage of zirconium, with a soft roller or for manual sanding, the abra-sive will tend to blunt after some time and will no longer be capable of breaking down to form a new cutting edge. As a result, the belt's life will be re-duced and, even if the belt still looks like new, the abrasive grains will slip on the piece to be sanded without carving it, therefore without removing

any material. In these cases, there are two alternatives: changing the contact wheels, increasing their hard-ness, or switching to an abrasive with a lesser percentage of zirconium oxide. Photo. A contact wheel for abrasive belts

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Cefla and Nastroflex: together for premium painting solutions

Photo: the headquarters of Cefla USA in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Among the Italian companies in the wood supply chain with which Nastro-flex collaborates, Cefla Finishing Group occupies pride of place. Founded in Imola in 1932 as a com-pany specialising in electrical and thermo-hydraulic systems, it entered the timber industry in the 50s, manu-facturing painting and paint drying systems. With its brands Decodigit, Delle Ve-dove, Duspohl, Falcioni and Sorbini, Cefla Finishing Group is now a recog-nised world leader in the manufacture of systems for painting, decorating and coating wood and its derivatives, designing and implementing tailored

lines and turnkey solutions for compa-nies across five continents. Looking at the numbers of Cefla Fi-nishing Group, we can see a growth for all companies in the group, despite some year of difficult financial situa-tion around the world. This important result was achieved thanks to the increased market share of the wood industry in China, Germa-ny, France, Poland, Asia, Russia and Latin America, areas where even Nastroflex is growing significantly. It can be said that Cefla's success is the result of a project with deep roots, projected into the future through the constant pursuit of innovation. Nastroflex and Cefla have been fo-cusing on research for many years now, to provide the wood painting industry with solutions aimed at max-imising product quality and process efficiency. In fact, just as Cefla has a major plus point by developing equipment that keep up with market changes through its Research Centre Lab, even the Nastroflex research lab, located at the

headquarters in Trezzano sul Navi-glio, allows the company to develop new abrasives and improve their inte-gration with finishing processes, ai-ming to make the most of the techno-logical investments that international competition is increasingly requiring of industries. The ongoing confrontation between Cefla and Nastroflex technicians led to the winning solutions that the two companies are now offering the mar-ket and represent a strategic ad-vantage for many manufacturing com-panies, which are still one of the flag-ships of Made in Italy. Photo: a Cefla oven for drying water-based paints.

On October 18 and 19 Nastroflex joined Cefla Live, an important event organised by Cefla Finishing Group to present innovative solutions for high quality finishing systems.

The event featured an introduction of the latest developments in the Inert Coating Technology by Sorbini and the world première of the new Tech-nomelt UV Fusion Coating technology by Henkel, two solutions combined for finishing melamine panels with a

gloss or matt finish. On this occasion, Nastroflex intro-duced a new family of high-tech abra-sives for super finishing applications. Photo. Nastroflex staff at Cefla Live


Nastroflex and Cefla Live - Live innovation and technology

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International markets

Nastroflex at the Trä Dagars open house show in Sweden From September 17 to 20, Nastroflex joined the Trä-Dagars event, held at the premises of MARED AB in Huskvarna.

This open-house show is well known in Sweden since the Mared company represents prestigious manufacturers of machines and systems for the wood industry, including Barberan, Heesemann, IMA, Masterwood and many more.

Nastroflex was very proud to receive, among others, the appreciation of Heinz Grupe, an engineer of the Heesemann company (pictured), for the performance of our belts and e-specially for products 621 and 220R, designed for polishing surfaces.

Iwmar and Nastroflex for Poland Almost 21,000 professional visitors, 525 exhibitors from a dozen coun-tries, 23,000 square meters of exhibi-

tion space. These are the numbers of Drema and Furnica 2013, the largest exhibition of woodworking tools and equipment in Poland, which now ranks fourth in the world for furniture exports. Iwmar Company, Nastroflex repre-sentative in Poland, is now a stable presence in this event. Marek Kwiatkowski, owner of Iwmar, pointed out that the 2013 edition "was another opportunity to meet existing customers and acquire new contacts, through the introduction of new pro-ducts such as F248A, L312T AS and LONBRADE abrasive discs, dedica-ted to gloss finishes. Iwmar's success among users is undoubtedly due to the experience of our employees and the high quality materials and tech-nical solutions that we can provide through Nastroflex." The company will also join the next edition of the event, to be held Sep-tember 16 to 19, 2014.

From Chile: SlipNaxos Chile Mr. Oscar Zarate, highly regarded manager of SlipNaxos Chile and long time friend of Nastroflex, visited us at our offices. Overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Chile is not only a land of fine wines and delicious fruit. The Chilean production of panels and furniture, especially made from local pine wood (Araucaria), is well known throughout the American continent. Crocodile branded products are very popular and appreciated in the coun-try, and SlipNaxos Chile with its well-equipped conversion facilities, cur-rently undergoing extensive refurbish-ment, has contributed significantly to making the brand known among ma-jor users.

Technical meeting with German company Ka.Ef. In June last year, the technical and sales staff of our distributor in Germa-ny, Ka.Ef., visited Nastroflex offices in Ponte di Piave for a refresher course on issues related to gloss finishes. There was also discussion about the best distribution methods for boo-sting German sales of these typically Italian, high-quality

finishes, which are already recording excellent results. Pictured below. After work, the staff of KaEf enjoys some relaxing time in the Venetian Lagoon

From the UK: Bibielle UK Ltd Under the direction of Nastroflex, Bibielle UK acquired a long-established converter of abrasive products from Sheffield, thus beco-ming the largest manufacturer of wide belts in the UK. Bibielle UK is a very dynamic compa-ny run by owner Michael Wright and covers wood and metal industries through a team of young vendors. The recent meeting in Ponte di Piave helped them enrich their knowledge of technical applications, which Neil Smith, sales manager, defined as “the trump card to maintain the high repu-tation of Crocodile branded products in the UK.”. Pictured below. From left: Italo Rossetto from Nastroflex, Michael Wright, Bibielle UK sellers and, to the far right, Neil Smith.

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Nastroflex News Nastroflex Spa Via delle Industrie, 17 31047 Levada di Ponte di Piave (Treviso) ITALY Tel. +39.0422.853018 Fax. +39.0422.853533 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.nastroflex.com Available in digital format on request

red into an agreement under which

Nastroflex spa will take over 3M a/s'

sales and distribution of products from

Nastroflex, KA:EF and Proflex in Den-

mark.

This transfer will be effective from 1

February 2014.

As part of the transfer, Lars Sadolin

will become an employee of Nastro-

flex spa and will continue to provide

Danish customers with Sales & Tech-

nical Support relative to products from

Nastroflex, KA:EF and Proflex; there-

fore, your main contact for these pro-

duct lines remains unchanged.”

The entire staff of Nastroflex gives a

warm welcome to Mr. Lars Sadolin

and wishes him luck.

Nastroflex wishes its Danish custo-

mers all the best for the year that lies

ahead and confirms its commitment to

give them special attention with a

view to ensure an adequate level of

service quality.

(from page 1)

has passed from Denmark 3M to Na-

stroflex, thus ensuring a continuous

relationship with customers.

Below is the text of the letter sent by

3M Denmark to its customers:

“NEW SETUP FOR DISTRIBUTION

OF ABRASIVE PRODUCTS FROM

NASTROFLEX SPA

3M a/s and Nastroflex spa have ente-

Dear Customer...

Nastroflex strengthens its presence in Denmark

Breaking news

Rina, the new certifying body for Nastroflex's Iso 9001 certification In the early months of 2013, Rina became the new certifying body for Nastroflex's quality management sy-stem, in accordance with ISO 9001:2008. As confirmed by Rina's membership in the IQNet network, the certification is accepted internationally.

The certification applies in particular to the "Design and manufacture of coated abrasives for industrial appli-cations" and the "Marketing of coated abrasives and accessories for indu-strial applications." The Iso 9001:2008 standard provides that quality management systems should be audited every year and thoroughly reviewed every three years.

The quality delivered every day by Nastroflex to its customers around the world is therefore in excellent hands.

The crocodile logo in the Nastroflex brand gets a little makeover

Just as its products, Nastroflex's im-age needs to evolve and our dear crocodile, the groups' internationally renowned "signature", is not getting off scot-free. The logo has been subtly enhanced to emphasise the dynamism of our group during these years of strong market changes. In particular, the brand's characters and some details in the crocodile's head, such as the pupil and teeth, were slightly revised. Looks always count, even in the rough world of abrasives.

nastroflex news · best wishes for 2014! 2013 was a year full of news for nastroflex -new products,...

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