The Advantages of Air Sanders

At CXS Tools, we supply a range of professional sanding products, including four different kinds of air sanders. Put simply, this type of sander allows you to smooth surfaces by abrasion with sandpaper, whilst being powered by air. These pneumatic tools that are usually used by professionals on industrial sites, are the key to achieving high quality and accurate results in your sanding work. And now they are available to everyone, so you can perform all sanding projects, whether commercial or domestic, to an excellent, professional standard.

The options we have range between price points of £255 to £365, from either TEX or Mirka. Our TEX Orbital Sander with a 150mm diameter is the cheapest choice, with other sanders stocked being the Mirka Air Sander, or the Mirka Orbital Air Sander, with or without a dust bag. Today we’re going to look at some of the advantages of purchasing an air sander, whichever model you choose.

Reduced Risk

Air sanders are much safer to use than their electronic counterparts. It is likely that there may be moisture, conductive materials, and flammable liquids present in the same space where sanders are being used. In environments where metal fabricators are involved, there may also be chemicals around that are required to clean and prepare materials for welding, but don’t mix well with electronics. There can be a risk of electrical shock when there are cords and wires around, especially if they are damaged or faulty. As air sanders don’t use electricity and their rotary vane air motors don’t generate any spark, there is no risk posed in this area.

Power to Weight Ratio

Producing more horsepower in a more compact and lightweight package than electric sanders, these air sanders offer an ideal power to weight ratio. It can be confusing to look at the information on power when it comes to electric tools as the power that is fed into an electric motor isn’t the same as the output. Furthermore, it is only around 50% to 60% of the labelled wattage that actually relates to the abrasive mounted on it. In contrast, air sanders are more reliable in that the output of power is the same as the input, so you know what you are getting when you purchase your sander.

Ergonomics

Already, you will be able to see why the use of air sanders is more efficient than other types. Additionally, we can think about how this relates to your team’s productivity in terms of the RPM (revolutions per minute). Air sanders feature a speed control mechanism, which means that it can produce the optimum number of RPM by regulating the air flow to the sander. When the person working with the tool increases the downward pressure on the abrasive, this mechanism is able to increase the air flow to the motor, so you get the perfect speed for the application.

Use in Extreme Environments

Unlike electric sanders, which can be damaged by dust, debris, heat, and water, air sanders can cope with use in harsh environments. Electric sanders need a certain amount of rest time in order to prolong its life. When compared to air sanders, there really is no competition here. Designed with a 100% duty cycle, air sanders are able to work without the need for any periodic rest breaks. They also tend to be more resistant to repeated drops, and some can even be used underwater if there’s enough ventilation above the surface. Not only does this make air sanders suitable for use in extreme environments, but it also allows for increased productivity.

Service and Maintenance 

Air sanders are easy to maintain, and they can be rebuilt and serviced across many years to keep them in full working condition. Again, your average air sander can complete around 200 hours before requiring any servicing, compared with between 60 to 120 hours with an electric sander. When using an industrial air sander, this increases from 200 hours to 2000 hours between each maintenance check. The long service intervals are the icing on the cake when it comes to air sanders, as you can see there are a great many advantages to using these incredible tools.

Contact Us

Located in Colchester in Essex, if you would like to find out more about the range of air sanders at CXS Tools, please get in touch with us by emailing info@cxstools.co.uk. You can also speak to a member of our team directly by calling 07584 551 383. We will be happy to help with your query.