Types of Diamond Tools for Concrete Grinding and Polishing

Since 2002, OnFloor Technologies has been producing innovative and customer-oriented solutions. We offer a full line of high-quality diamond tools for preparing, resurfacing, and polishing a wide range of surfaces, including concrete, stone, steel, wood, and decks.

We are not your average diamond tools manufacturer and distributor. We dedicate our time, energy, and resources in research and development of low cost/high-end floor preparation tools that simplify the operation process. As a competent diamond tool manufacturer, we can manufacture special diamond tools for you in a wide variety of grain sizes and geometries, galvanically, sintered, or in resin bonding, in a variety of diameters, lengths, and quantities.

Why You Need Diamond Tools for Concrete Grinding and Polishing

For decades, concrete floors were considered functional and durable at best, with no perceived aesthetic value. Today, polished concrete is among the most sought-after flooring alternatives due to its unique stone-like appearance, eco-friendliness, and cost-efficiency in terms of maintenance.

While a grinder is an important piece of the puzzle to producing exceptional concrete floors, the real workhorse of any grinding/polishing equipment package is the diamond tooling. Even the biggest or best grinder won't work efficiently if the right diamond tooling is not installed.

As such, knowing how to effectively polish concrete, or any other surface for that matter, starts with having an understanding of the different types of diamond tools and the role each one of them plays in the grinding/polishing process.

Types of Diamond Tools

When it comes to choosing diamond tools, there are different categories of diamond tools to consider. One of them is the diamond grinding shoe.

Diamond grinding shoes, also referred to as diamond grinding segments, are essential diamond tools for grinding, polishing, and coating removal. These types of diamond abrasive tools are available in different shapes and designs, including:

• Diamond grinding shoes with round segment tip(s),
• Diamond grinding shoes with rectangular button segment tip(s),
• Diamond grinding shoes with a single segment tip,
• Diamond grinding shoes with two or more segment tips.

At OnFloor Technologies, there are several types of diamond grinding shoes that we can supply. In terms of the segment shape, we have a variety of shapes to choose from, including:

· Round

We have diamond grinding shoes with round-shaped segments, such as the 25 Grit Single Round Cha-Ching Diamond abrasive tool. It's an economical medium bonded diamond abrasive tool that you can use to create an aggressive profile on concrete in preparation for coating. You can also use it to remove acrylic sealers, polyaspartic, urethane, and epoxy floor coating.

· Rectangle

We also have diamond grinding shoes with rectangular button segments, such as the 25 Grit Single Bar Cha-Ching Diamond abrasive tool. Just like its round-shaped counterpart above, this diamond grinding shoe is designed to create an aggressive profile on the surface in preparation for coating.

In terms of the number of segments, our collection of diamond grinding tools feature several options, including:

· Single

We have diamond grinding shoes with a single segment tip, such as the two diamond abrasive tools mentioned above. We also have the 25 GRIT QUICK TOOL RIPTIP-1 DIAMOND that can remove carpet and mastic glue and prepare the surface at the same time.

· Double

We also have diamond grinding shoes with double segments, such as the 25 GRIT QUICK TOOL RIPTIP-2 DIAMOND. Both our round and rectangle Cha-Ching diamond abrasives are also available with two segments.

· Triple

If you are looking for a diamond grinding shoe with three segments, we've got you covered. The Onfloor Quick Tool RipTip is not only available in single and double configurations, but it is also available with three segments. The 25 GRIT QUICK TOOL RIPTIP (™)-3 DIAMOND features three segments that make the removal of old coatings and adhesives from concrete floor a breeze.

With a single segment, all the head pressure goes to that one single segment. More segment tips on the mounting plant often mean less head pressure.

What to Consider When Choosing Diamond Grinding Tools

There are a number of aspects that you should consider when choosing diamond grinding tools. They include:

· Bonding material

Segment bond is essential when it comes to the durability and performance of a diamond tool on harder products.  Early on in the grinding industry, diamond tooling only comprised of resin bond and metal bond. Today, the list now includes more options, including mixed-resin or hybrid diamonds, which are a mix of both metal and resin bonds.

In addition to hybrid diamonds, there are also PCDs, which are polycrystalline scrappers usually used to remove adhesives and coatings. When shopping for diamond tools, therefore, you should consider the type of material used to make the tool to ensure that you choose a more durable option.

· Grit size

"Grit" is a word used to mean the size of the diamonds. The lower the grit (i.e., 30-grit, 40-grit or 60-grit), the larger the size of the diamond tool, and vice versa.

· The number of segments:

The more segments a diamond grinding shoe has, the less aggressive the tool is, and the smoother the finish. Like sandpaper, as the grit becomes smaller, the finish becomes smoother.

· Segment shape

The grit size is not the only aspect that affects the aggressiveness of the diamond wheel – the shame does as well. Generally, segments with sharper leading edges tend to deliver more aggression, while tapered shapes tend to deliver better dispersion when oriented in the right direction.

· Condition of the floor

In addition to the above aspects, you must consider the type and condition you are working on. Knowing whether you're working on hard, soft, or medium concrete will enable you to buy the right bond of the diamond grinding tools and significantly increase productivity.

WRAPPING UP

As a leading diamond grinding tools manufacturer and supplier, OnFloor Technologies has rich experience in manufacturing different diamond grinding shoes for grinding concrete and removing different coating types, including paint, glue, adhesive, and epoxy. Whether the concrete is new, old, soft, hard, loose, or porous, we have different types of diamond grinding shoes that are ideal for your project.