Mirka UK is raising awareness of the importance of regular and consistent maintenance of its tools to help improve their lifespan and maximise overall performance, through a series of competitions and advice slots from its team of experts across its social media platforms. 

Mirka’s top tips will be tailored to multiple sectors including painting and decorating, woodworking, and industrial.  They will highlight the common issues associated with tool damage and wear, and will provide users with simple but effective solutions to address tool maintenance efficiently.

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TOP TIPS

Pete’s advice for keeping tools in tip-top condition for longer, are:

  • Register your tools at www.mirka.com/uk to protect them with Mirka’s warranty in the event of damage or mechanical issues.
  • Regular checks should be carried out before using any tool to ensure that it is safe to use. Remember excessive vibration can cause HAV (Hand Arm Vibration) so always check to ensure the correct backing pad is fitted. If any issues are found, make sure they are fixed by a certified repairer.

SANDERS

  • Constantly check for worn or damaged backing pads as even the slightest amount of wear can cause a significant increase in vibration levels of the tool.
  • On the PROS or DEROS machines, if you intend to use an interface pad (5-10mm), you should remove the backing pad and insert the grub screw that comes in the box with the tool into the remaining threaded hole beneath the pad. This will counterbalance the weight of the interface pad and reduce the vibration of the tool when in use.
  • Minimise the dragging of cables and hoses along the ground as this can cause damage to both and result in having to replace them.
  • Ensure that the compressor is working at optimum level and regularly check for water in the air lines to reduce the risk of corrosion of the metal parts within the air tool’s motor.

DUST EXTRACTORS

  • Ensure that the dust extractor is being used with a Mirka Fleece dust bag, Extractors used without a dust bag can cause damage to the machine and release fine particles in the air.
  • Check the level of the dust bag on a regular basis and replace when two thirds full.
  • Periodically check and clean the extraction filter. This can be done easily using the push and clean filter cleaning mechanism on all Mirka extractors.

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Pete Sartain, national sales manager of Mirka UK, says: “Tools are the lifeblood of any business, so when they are poorly maintained users risk them succumbing to mechanical issues or producing a less efficient performance. In turn, this can lead to a drop in income and profits, and, in the worst case scenario, a loss of livelihood if users don’t look after them correctly.

“Bringing together our years of experience at the cutting edge of tool and abrasive technology, these competitions and top tips will provide our customers with simple solutions that will enable their tools to perform to an optimum level for longer.”