Products / Services #4943596

Grinding Wheels: (Bonded Abrasives) For all applications: carbide, creep-feed, internal, gear, plunge, surface, disc grinding, etc.

Various grains and bonds depending on your surface needs.

The JR Nielsen & Sons, inc. Corporation (Nielco) of South Windsor, CT. had been in business since 1928 serving the needs of commerce and industry in the northeastern section of the U.S. As their lines in dry finish products expanded, they acquired the Rogers Abrasives Company. This allowed further business growth into metal and plastic manufacturing by the addition of a specialty compounding and blending division, ideally set up to custom blend products for finishing needs.

ACA acquired this division in 1998. Moved it to Branford, a short distance from its former home. ACAs interest is to develop new products for the plastic and metal finishing industry that utilize faster production equipment. Heat generation in vibratory, centrifugal barrels and discs finishing equipment require changes in formulation to meet
increased productivity levels.
Dry Finishing is a surface preparation process without water or other liquid chemistry. Tumbling media such as hardwoods, nutshells, and corncobs are impregnated with a variety of man-made andor natural abrasives. When these types of media are placed into a tumbling machine, similarly to a traditional wet-finishing process, the materials are able to cut, deburr, degrease, de-rust, de-scale andor prepare the product surface for secondary finishing operations. The dry finish surface preparation can be applied to metals before plating, painting and lacquering. As in any case, manufacturing requirements for ferrous andor non-ferrous products will predetermine the correct combination of these ingredients.

"Dry Shine" is also a surface preparation process. Dry shining builds color, providing buff-like finishes with depth and clarity. This process uses a less aggressive tumbling media than dry finishing and prepares the final product surface.

These procedures 'dry finish' or 'dry shine' can be achieved in a variety of metal-finishing equipment. Oblique and horizontal type rotary barrels; unlined or wooden lined barrels; vibratory bowls or tubs; centrifugal barrels or discs; and heated vibratory dryers are typically used in many different factories.

ACA manufactures many different types of dry finishing media and additives for industrial, commercial and residential use. Our in-house laboratory can also develop new processes and products to your specifications. Please review our products on the adjoining pages. Don't forget to fill out a request form if you seek further information or give us a shout on our toll free number.

Blasting grains sizes come in coarse and fine gradations. 24, 36, 46, 50 & 80 are a good range of coarse grits. Fine grits are in 180, 240, 320 and 400. Not all companies use the same numbering system, but cross reference charts assist in choosing the correct size.

These gradations are found in man-made: aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, plastic composite and glass bead; natural minerals are zirconia, quartz, silica and other combinations of these.

There are also natural abrasives used in industry. They are walnut shells, pecan shell and other fruit shells that provide a soft finishing cut rather than a hard abrasive. Unfortunately these materials have a shorter lifecycle than manmade materials.

Steel shot is also another blasting media used by many who repaint furniture, large containers and steel structures.

1-MC: designed for heavy cutting of all metals.

DLCX-24: designed for cutting of non-ferrous metals.

R-122M: designed as a light deburring compound for carbon and stainless. This is a ONE-STEP product: mild cut and bright finish. This is also used for relieving of oxides for antique finishes on brass and bronze. Performs very well in centrifugal discs.

C-48: Designed for light cut and polishing of aluminum, nickel or silver.

R-48: Designed for light cut and polishing brass or gold.

Casebrite: designed to for gun re-loaders. Its function was to make the brass shell casing clean and brassy bright in finish. It was designed as a ONE-STEP process. It yields great finishes on carbon as well as stainless. Ideal on aluminum for bright finishes without scratching.

3 AZ: Similar to Casebrite however additional waxes in formula allow for a deeper color; excellent finish for all metals.

LC-9: 'Knock your socks' off with coloring of yellow metals: gold and brass. Bright color! This is not a one step product. It is the second step where the metal has already had surface preparation. It also yields good color on stainless and carbon, as well as sterling and silver plate.
2DL Cream: designed for all metals, especially good on gold and sterling. Almost a silver polishing compound; primarily this product yields gentle abrasion to remove oxides without deterioration of silver or gold surfaces.

Whether flash removal or fine wood finishing, ACA has the right coated abrasive for the job. Coated abrasives can come in many forms of belts, rolls, sheets or discs. A coated abrasive is a combination of two primary parts, the backing and the abrasive grain. The combination of the backing and the grain will be determined by your process. The backing material may consist of either paper or cloth. Paper backed coated abrasives are generally used in sheets or discs, however, the heavier weight paper can be used in belt form. Primarily all heavy applications will require a cloth backed abrasive.

The abrasive grain is adhered to the backing with resins or glues depending upon the surface finishing application. The grains are mostly either aluminum oxide or ceramic as well as silicon carbide and garnet. Each combination of grain and backing will provide a specific set of finishing characteristics. ACA is able to match your finishing needs to the exact combination of grain, bonding material and backing to ensure that the product get the best finish possible.

ACA ships by US Mail, FEDEX, UPS and common carrier from our 17, 000 square foot warehouse. Call, email or fax your requirements to us so that we can meet your pricing and process needs.

Abrasive media comes in all shapes, sizes and bonds: vitrified and resin is the pre-form category. It can be rapid cut or non-cut polishing in bond. Finish requirements set the standard for proper choice.

Ceramic or vitrified is the largest volume in use today. It abrades well in all equipment, is relatively clean in cutting and surface preparation and settles out in simple water treatment systems. This material is always run wet, therefore an antioxidant andor cleaner will perform very well in finishing.

Plastic (resin) media is somewhat different. It is lighter in volume (poundscubic foot). Ceramic normal weights 85-90 lbscu. ft. Resin weights 55-60 lbs. cu. ft. Plastic has same cut or non-cut features. Plastic media is normally used prior to plating where low micro-inch finish (Ra value) is required. Since plastic media weights less it is more forgiving on finish. It will have reduced impingement. It will not yield high color, however.

Random shape is the third category. These materials are random in size and are classified by mesh sizes; 38x14 would be an example. These shapes are ideal for parts not having a lodging affinity. Materials available in this area are aluminum oxide, corundum and quartz.

The last type of media is steel form. This is a pre-form forged from carbon or stainless. It finds its nitch in ball burnishing. There are some applications for steel impingement to close pouroity on castings.

Selection of media again depends on the finish requirement of the parts to be refined. ACA has a complete selection for your evaluation.

A band saw blade is primarily a strip of steel with teeth which have been set to the left and right, heat treated, cut to specific length, welded together at the ends to form a continuous cutting tool. ACA will recommend a particular type of blade based on your application and your environment. With this in mind, there are key pieces of information that you need to know.

Band Saw Blades are broken into 4 categories: carbon, friction, bi-metal and carbide. Each type is additionally specified by blade length, blade width, thickness, tooth tip, body, pitch, TPI and material application. The following are quick definitions of band saw blade terminology.

Blade length total length of blade
Blade width tip of tooth to back of blade
Blade Thickness gauge of blade
Tooth tip length of total # of teeth
Body blade length excluding teeth
Pitch distance from tooth tip to tooth tip
TPI - # of teeth per inch
Material the material to be cut

ACA welcomes questions about band saw applications and their processes. We carry a full line of band saw blades for all manufacturing processes. Please email us so that we can rapidly respond to your needs.

ACA has a complete line of vibratory bowls and tubs. Volume (capacity) range from the small bench-laboratory models of .5 cubic feet to large 100 cubic feet continuous-feed systems both in bowl construction as well as in-line. Bowls can be batch, but the proven internal unload feature in production units is the direction to follow. In-line systems return the media back to the in-feed of the vibrator following partsmedia separation. Parts then may continue through other thru-feed requirements of washing, rust proofing of drying.

There are many models in between these as described above. Capacities range in virtually any cubic feet volume. Your partsday requirement assists the capacity selection. There are small, compact vibratory units that come on casters for portability and use 115 volts that are ideal for smaller machine shops. Fitting the need is most important to be cost efficient.

ACA supplies a complete line of contact wheels for off-hand polishing and automation robots. Composition and hardness of wheels vary depending on the application: blend, cut, and stock removal or subsequent operation: satin dull or bright, buffed, etc.

Contact wheels are made from many different products. Rubber, urethane, cotton, leather, felt are some of the more popular. Construction of these contact wheels varies to the operation. Hardness of the contact wheel is also relevant to production as well as finish. Contact wheels can be solid, serrated, fluted, pieced, or woven.

Buff wheels for coloring are manufactured in various sizes. A large selection as found in contact wheels are available: solid, loose, spiral sewed, glued, and airway. Fabrication materials in cotton and felt have many types of cloth treatments. Application of abrasive rouges for finish requires different treatment and hardness.

ACA supplies a complete line of contact wheels for off-hand polishing and automation robots. Composition and hardness of wheels vary depending on the application: blend, cut, and stock removal or subsequent operation: satin dull or bright, buffed, etc.

Contact wheels are made from many different products. Rubber, urethane, cotton, leather, felt are some of the more popular. Construction of these contact wheels varies to the operation. Hardness of the contact wheel is also relevant to production as well as finish. Contact wheels can be solid, serrated, fluted, pieced, or woven.

Buff wheels for coloring are manufactured in various sizes. A large selection as found in contact wheels are available: solid, loose, spiral sewed, glued, and airway. Fabrication materials in cotton and felt have many types of cloth treatments. Application of abrasive rouges for finish requires different treatment and hardness.