An All-Inclusive Guide to Diamond Impregnated Pads

Leading Diamond Tools Product Page

Runyon Surface Prep offers a comprehensive line of grinding and polishing machines, along with diamond tooling, for the grinding and polishing of a variety of flooring surfaces. To help in choosing the correct diamond impregnated pad for your job, we&#;ve put together a one-page, full-color Guide to Diamond Impregnated Pads, outlining five of the most requested brands we carry.

Twister Diamond Cleaning Pads & TXP Xtreme Pads
HTC&#;s Twister line mechanically cleans and maintains floors using floor pads prepared with billions of microscopic diamonds. Each pad carries a different size of diamonds to polish the floor, keeping its natural gloss and shine.
Benefits of HTC Twister Pads:

• Economical &#; no costs for chemicals
• Environmentally friendly &#; uses water only; makes for a better working environment
• Creates higher gloss and cleanliness
• Works on all floor types

Coverage Rates on HTC Twister Pad Life (in square feet):

• Twister TXP Red: 150,000 &#; 500,000
• Twister Red: 75,000 &#; 150,000
• Twister White: 300,000 &#; 350,000
• Twister Yellow: 350,000 &#; 400,000
• Twister Green: 400,000 &#; 500,000
• Twister SuperClean (typically only used when cleaning): 400,000 &#; 700,000
• Twister SuperGloss (typically only used when burnishing): 200,000 up to 250,000

Diamond Cleaning Pads
Estimated pad life is highly dependent on 1) the condition of the floor 2) the equipment used and 3) the type of job. Compared to cleaning, restoration can reduce the pad life by 50% to 75%, depending on the number of passes made with each grit and the amount of pad pressure. Pad life is greater when used wet at low rpms under an auto scrubber versus dry under a burnisher at high rpms.
Applications:

• SuperClean &#; daily cleaning of heavily guarded, coated or finished floors
• SuperGloss &#; daily or periodic burnishing of heavily guarded, coated or finished floors

TXP Xtreme Pads
The TXP is a very unique pad that falls between HTC&#;s resin bond hybrids and the standard Twister pads in performance.
Applications:

• On heavily guarded, coated or finished floors &#; TXP can be used to deep scrub or strip the floors prior to recoating. Lifespan in these applications is 100,000 to 500,000 square feet.
• On stone or concrete floors &#; TXP can be used for stain and etch repair, light honing and floor preparation. Recommended wherever tools in the 100 to 400 grit range were used previously. As aggressive as a 100 &#; can leave the floor as refined as a 400. Since this pad is often used as the first step in a restoration, it takes a beating and usually has a lifespan on stone and concrete of 50,000 to 200,000 square feet.

STI SPIN-1 Diamond Pads
Substrate Technology, Inc. (STI) manufactures complete polishing systems from prep to polish, for the best possible finish. The SPIN-1 Pad System polishes concrete in a fraction of the time when compared to large polishing machines. The natural hair pads are infused with diamonds and are exceptionally effective in maintaining polished concrete. Pad life is in excess of 20,000 SF/1,858 M2. Available in 21&#; and 27&#; sizes to fit most propane burnishers.

3M Scotch-Brite Diamond Plus Pads
The Scotch-Brite&#; Purple Diamond Floor Pad Plus and Scotch-Brite&#; Sienna Diamond Floor Pad Plus Cleaning System by 3M is based on a diamond formula and a simplified, one-step process that simultaneously cleans and polishes stone floors.
Get A Brilliant Shine

• Helps reduce labor and material costs up to 50% &#; addresses labor and material costs associated with stripping, deep scrubbing and burnishing floors
• Easy to use and easy to maintain
• Environmentally Preferable Cleaning System, which means products or services that have a lesser or reduced effect on human health and the environment when compared with competing products or services that serve the same purpose
• Helps eliminate the need to use floor finishes, coatings, stripper and crystallization products, and the labor-intensive work associated with applying these chemical products

CPS SpinFlex Polishing Pad
SpinFlex Polishing Pads from Concrete Polishing Solutions (CPS) are impregnated with a higher concentration microscopic diamonds and have a higher heat rating than competitors&#; pads. They are uniquely designed to maintain and enhance the shine on a variety of surfaces. Easily adaptable, they mount to any floor grinder, burnisher or auto scrubber and are excellent for cleaning and enhancing the floor&#;s shine.

A common accessory for a floor scrubber or autoscrubber is the use of floor pads (sometimes called floor scrubbing pads), which are available in various grades or colours for different applications.

Key Insights

• Floor Pads are generally ready to be replaced once they have worn to less then 10mm thick
• The correct chemicals, floor texture, and after care are main factors for increasing the floor pad lifespan
• Users should ensure they remove the pad from scrubber after use and rinse off any excess chemical

Scrubbing machine pads are designed as a consumable item, meaning they will deteriorate over time and require replacing. But fortunately, they have an approximate lifespan which you can forecast depending on the type of flooring, and the length of time your floor scrubber is used each day. There are also some tell-tale signs that your floor pad is ready for replacement.

How can I tell if my scrubbing machine pad is ready to be replaced?

You will be able to tell when your floor scrubbing pad is ready to be replaced by checking for indications of wear. As a general rule, once pads have worn to less than 10mm thick, they are ready to be replaced. This prevents the pad driver rubbing against the floor and causing damage to the surface.

If you are using a diamond encrusted pad such as Twister or Cyclone Pad, once the top-coloured layer has worn off, it is ready to be replaced.

What Impacts the Lifespan of scrubbing Pads for Floors?

There are 3 major factors that affect the life of a scrubbing pad.

1) Using the correct chemicals

The correct use of chemicals will ensure your floor pads do not deteriorate unnecessarily over time. Overuse of chemicals, using chemicals that are too strong or at a higher dilution rate than recommended will all degrade the lifespan of floor scrubbing pads.

2) Texture of the floor

Certain floor textures will wear down a pad significantly faster than others. To learn more about choosing the right pad or brush for your floor, click here .

Contact us to discuss your requirements of diamond resin pads. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

3) Care

Scrubbing machine pads that are washed after use will last longer. Washing them out will not only rinse out chemical residue that may breakdown the integrity/strength of the floor pad, it will also improve future cleaning results.

How can I increase the lifespan of my Floor Scrubbing Pad?

The major factors that influence the lifespan of a scrubbing pad include:

- Using the correct pad for each type of flooring, this will prevent unnecessary wear

- Ensuring you are using the correct chemicals for your environment and flooring

- Remove pads from the floor scrubber and rinse out after use to remove soiling build-up

- Do not use the pads at a higher RPM than they are designed for

Taking care of my scrubbing machine pad

Taking care of your scrubbing machine pad correctly is a simple task that will make a huge difference to its overall lifespan and quality. Always remove the pad from the scrubber after use, remove any chemical residue by rinsing the pad with fresh water and avoid overloading the pad with excessive pressure or RPMs.

Read how to choose the right orbital floor scrubber: i-scrub 30e vs i-scrub 30b.

Get the Best Results with i-Mop Floor Scrubbing Pads

If you own an i-mop , speak to your delegated i-team partner or representative to help you forecast the lifespan of your floor pads and brushes. They will also be able to tell you the best appropriate pads for different surface types.

As a general guide, if you use your i-mop XL for 1 hour per day (or m2) on a smooth floor, you could use approximately 19 sets of Green Twister pads per year, depending on the application. Twister Pads will last approximately 40% longer than a standard pad depending on how smooth or rough the surface is.

For more information on the types of i-mop Floor Pads available click here .

To understand the differences between Floor Pads and Brushes click here .

If you are looking for more details, kindly visit tile polishing pads.