From Surface Prep to Weld Removal: 3M Industrial Abrasives and Welding PPE for Every Step

welding ppe helmet with respirator and right angle grinder with industrial abrasives

Grind less. Weld more.

optimize weld preparation and weld removal with a complete system of 3M abrasives, PPE and tools engineered for speed, safety and consistency.

Below, see how 3M helps reduce grinding time and improve welding efficiency step by step.

Abrasive solutions for weld grinding.

Longer disc life, fewer changeovers

3M™ Cubitron™ 3 Performance Abrasives keep cutting consistently, helping you process more parts per disc while reducing changeovers and downtime across weld prep and weld removal processes.
Up to 40% more speed

When you pair 3M™ Cubitron™ 3 Performance Abrasives with 3M™ Speedglas™ Welding Helmet, end-to-end weld prep and finishing can be up to 40% faster.*
Help reduce airborne metal particles

3M Precision-Shaped Grain slices instead of plows, producing larger metal chips that settle faster, helping reduce metal dust from grinding and welding.
Up to 88% less vibration exposure

Optimized abrasive mineral means less tool pressure, lower trigger time and reduced hand-arm vibration.*

Find the right 3M abrasive for every welding and grinding step

Abrasives for cutting

Cut through steel, stainless and alloys with fast, consistent performance designed to reduce heat and wheel wear.

See Cut-off Wheel
Abrasives for surface prep

Remove rust, mill scale and coatings to prepare surfaces for welding without steel wire hazards or aggressive gouging.

See XT Pro Extra Cut

See XT Pro
Abrasives for beveling

Create consistent bevels and clean edges for weld joints with fast-cutting abrasives designed for control and long life.

See Cubitron™ Fibre Disc
Abrasives for weld removal and grinding

Remove welds, smooth joints and blend surfaces faster while helping reduce vibration and tool pressure during grinding.

See Cubitron™ Fibre Disc

See Flap Disc

3M welding PPE helmets and tools that keep your welding and grinding process moving

The welder's safety in focus

3M™ Speedglas™ Welding Helmet G5-01 and G5-03 Pro Air are certified APF1000 (NIOSH). This level of protection significantly reduces exposure to welding respiratory hazards when the welding helmet is used full time.

Visit Apex Welding Safety Site
Electric angle grinder for surface prep and grinding

Built for control and long shifts, with balanced power for prep and heavy grinding.

Explore the technology that transforms how work gets done

3M science is behind every cut, every weld and every finish. Here's the welding and grinding technology that powers our system advantage.

Reengineered 3M Precision-Shaped Grain

Precision-shaped grain slices through metal instead of ploughing, helping you grind faster with less pressure and longer disc life.

Explore these 3M™ Cubitron™ 3 Abrasives for welding and grinding:

Fibre Disc

Flap Disc
3M Precision-Shaped Grain + Nonwoven Technology

Combining nonwoven technology with precision-shaped grain, these discs quickly remove rust, paint and coatings without damaging base metal.

Explore these 3M™ Scotch-Brite™ Clean and Strip Discs for welding and grinding:

XT Pro Disc

XT Pro Extra Cut Disc
Brighter Weld View | 3M™ Speedglas™ Natural color Technology

Delivers a brighter, more realistic view of the weld pool and joint area, helping improve control, accuracy and weld quality.

Explore these 3M™ Speedglas™ Welding Helmets with Natural color Technology:

Visit Apex Welding Safety Site
Switch Modes with TAP Feature | 3M™ Speedglas™ G5-03 Welding Helmet

Switch between weld and grind modes with our TAP feature—no need to remove gloves or break workflow, helping maintain productivity. Just three easy taps.

Explore this 3M™ Speedglas™ Welding Helmet:

Visit Apex Welding Safety Site

Weld Grinding: Where fast meets finesse.

3M helps Reddish Electroplating double throughput without sacrificing finish quality
Reddish Electroplating Ltd specialize in industrial hard chrome plating for demanding engineering applications. With growing production demand and tight finish requirements, the team needed to improve grinding speed without compromising surface quality.

3M™ Cubitron™ Fibre Discs and 3M™ Cubitron™ 3 Cloth Belts reduced grinding time on hard alloy components while maintaining consistent surface quality. With less pressure required, discs lasted longer and operator fatigue was reduced—leading to higher throughput and more efficient process.

They achieved:
- 2x more work completed
- Up to 60% less abrasive used
- Improved plating-ready surface finish

“Once we saw the increase in throughput these products deliver, we realized we couldn’t afford to use anything else but 3M™ Cubitron™ 3.”

Graham Hanks, Production Manager
Reddish Electroplating

Frequently Asked Questions

Get answers about surface preparation, grinding efficiency, abrasive selection, and welding safety systems, including how to optimize your metalworking processes with 3M products.

What does “precision-shaped grain” mean and why does it matter?
3M™ Precision-Shaped Grain (PSG) is ceramic abrasive technology designed with sharp, consistent cutting points. Instead of plowing through metal like conventional industrial abrasives, PSG slices cleanly, reducing grinding forces and heat buildup. This results in faster cut rates, longer disc life, and improved operator comfort with less effort and pressure required.
How can I calculate cost savings for my industrial abrasive processes?
Please reach out to your 3M Metalworking Specialist. You can use the 3M Abrasives Process Improvement Calculator to estimate labour and productivity gains. Enter details such as current abrasive performance of life and speed, labour rates, and material type, etc. to compare your existing process and cost versus the upgraded 3M abrasive process. Results can be downloaded and shared to showcase process improvement and cost savings.
How can I increase welding productivity without hiring more welders?
You can increase throughput by improving efficiency in weld preparation and weld removal. When used together as a system, 3M™ Cubitron™ 3 Performance Abrasives and 3M™ Speedglas™ Welding Protection have been shown to help reduce total processing time by up to 40%*, while also helping reduce vibration exposure. This helps your team increase production without increasing labour.
What if I need 3M abrasive disc size, product, or grade recommendations for my process?
Submit your details through the form below and a 3M Metalworking Specialist or Application Engineering Support will reach out. Check out the below resources for more product information:
- 3M Metalworking Site
- 3M™ Cubitron™ 3 Right Angle Digital Brochure (PDF, 35 MB)
Who do I contact to get 3M product recommendations for my application?
A 3M metalworking specialist can help with application-level recommendations if you’re assessing abrasive or PPE solutions for production use. Submit your details through the form below. Your inquiry will be reviewed to determine the next steps. For general product information or browsing, please use the product links above.

Resources to help you evaluate your options

Use these resources to better understand productivity impact, PPE compatibility and abrasive selection.

3M Metalworking Site

See the complete system, product data and safety details
See what efficiency is worth

Input your production details and discover how much labour time and cost you could save by switching to 3M abrasive solutions.

See your results

Request support from a 3M expert for your industrial manufacturing welding or grinding project

If you’re working on industrial manufacturing projects that involves welding and grinding processes—and you’re looking to improve speed, safety or process efficiency—we can help. 3M experts may be able to help with technical guidance or selection of 3M products or to schedule a consultation.

Submit your details and a 3M metalworking specialist will review your request. For general product browsing, please use the links above.

Up to 40% more speed. Process time recorded during testing in a selected metal fabrication processes. Performance solution of 3M™ Cubitron™ fibre disc and 3M™ Adflo™ Powered Air Purifying Respirator System with 3M™ Speedglas™ G5-01 Series Welding Helmet and hearing protection compared to a conventional solution of high-quality ceramic grinding wheel and 3M™ Speedglas™ 100 Series Welding Helmet with separate half face piece respirator, grinding shield, hearing protection, and safety glasses.
Up to 88% less vibration exposure. Performance testing in a typical weld preparation process; 3M™ Cubitron™ 3 Fibre disc average compared to the average result of 10 globally selected high-quality competitive type 27 Grinding wheels including ceramic grain products, according to independent testing by Fraunhofer Institute. January 2024.
These respirators help to protect against certain airborne contaminants. Before use, the wearer must read and understand the User Instructions provided as part of the product packaging. A written respiratory protection program must be implemented meeting all the requirements of OSHA 1910.134 including training, fit testing and medical evaluation. In Canada, CSA standard Z94.4 requirements must be met and/or requirements of applicable jurisdiction, as appropriate. Improper use may result in sickness or death. For correct use, see supervisor and User Instructions, or use the 3M Contact Form for more information.