Abtex Corp. hired John De Leon as business development manager, a new position created to focus on sustainable growth through service with existing customers along with expansion into new markets. De Leon has more than 20 years of experience in highly engineered component and system sales, marketing and business development. Abtex manufactures customized, integrated machine and brush deburring solutions for the manufacturing industry.

Timesavers LLC named Brent Fischmann its new vice president of sales. Fischmann assumes immediate leadership of all sales channels and related activities at the U.S.-based company. He comes with more than 20 years of experience in manufacturing sales with previous stops at MultiSource Manufacturing and FasTest, where he held multiple senior level management positions.

Norton Saint-Gobain released BlazeX F970 fiber discs intended for carbon steel and other soft-to-grind materials. The improved micro-fracturing grain consistently exposes sharper grain edges for a better cut rate and long disc life. A heavy fiber backing provides a good disc face to surface grinding advantage and also resists tearing in heavy applications. The discs are available in three sizes consisting of 4 1/2-in., 5-in. and 7-in. fiber discs and in 7/8-in. hole or speed-change attachments. Coarse grinding applications are supported through the grits of 36, 50, 60 and 80.

Sak Abrasives Inc. acquired Buffalo Abrasives Inc., located in Buffalo, N.Y., Buffalo Abrasives manufactures resin-bonded grinding wheels and caters mainly to the North American market with distribution across the entire continental United States. “We are very excited to be partnering with such an innovative and talented company,” said Jeff Binkley, Buffalo’s co-founder and CEO. “Sak Abrasives offers additional capabilities, products and expertise to Buffalo Abrasives.” Sak Abrasives manufactures industrial abrasives and caters to the Indian and other overseas markets.

Pferd Inc. released Polivlies ceramic oxide Co-Cool flap discs. The abrasive material provides special top-sizing for reduced loading and cooler grinding on poor heat-conducting materials. The interleaved flap construction alternates between aggressive coated abrasive and nonwoven material, allowing for grinding followed by surface conditioning in a single operation. The discs are recommended for work on large surfaces made from stainless steel. They are available in 4 ½ in. and 5 in. diameters in plain arbor hole and threaded hub configurations with a maximum speed of 13,300 rpm.

ATI Industrial Automation introduced its Compliant Deburring Blade (CDB). The pneumatically controlled, articulated design provides the ability to tune the contact force to accommodate specific applications by changing the air pressure. The blade is for light and medium deburring, chamfering and scraping operations on materials such as aluminum, steel and brass. The collet accommodates a variety of readily available blades and media used with hand deburring tools. The blades can be changed quickly and easily without the use of additional tools.

Weldcote Metals introduced its C-Prime and C-Prime Plus ceramic flap discs. The polyester backing is for aggressive grinding applications that do not require excessive flexibility. The Plus discs feature polycotton backing with high-quality ceramic grain, which provides stretch and flexibility. The ceramic grains contain a grinding aid for cooler running temperatures and are also self-sharpening. C-Prime discs are available in 4 ½ in. and 7 in. sizes, and Plus discs are available in 4 ½ in., 5 in. and 6 in. sizes.

Dynabrade Inc. celebrated its 50th anniversary in April. The company started near Buffalo, N.Y., in 1969 after Walter Welsch invented the Dynafile, a pneumatic power tool that replaces hand sanding and polishing. Since its founding, Dynabrade has grown into a global company with worldwide distribution via subsidiaries in Europe and Asia. It now has more than 100 sales representatives. The company offers pneumatic abrasive power tools, clean air products, industrial vacuums, abrasives and accessories.

Arc Abrasives Inc. recently released a case study that details how its Apex ceramic resin fiber discs helped resolve an issue for a manufacturer of marine engines and outboard motors. The primary focus was on the rapid removal of studs from cylinder wall castings. Operators were able to use a 24- grit Apex disc for more agile cuts, while the competitor disc was only 36 grit. This expedited process was able to help produce 58 engines per hour, resulting in a 14 percent production increase.