Polishing and Grinding Accessories

A diamond segment is a hard abrasive element on a metal bond (metal-bond), working at 16–120 grit — it strips coatings and levels concrete. A diamond pad has grain set in flexible resin (resin-bond), usually mounted with hook-and-loop backing, and works at 200–3000 grit, giving the surface a satin or mirror shine. A segment removes material, a pad smooths it. A full cycle combines both across several to a dozen passes of increasing grit.

Matching head hardness works the opposite way to intuition: hard concrete needs a soft bond, because it exposes sharp diamond grain faster, while soft, abrasive concrete needs a hard bond, or it wears down within minutes. Norton Clipper GRD 252 (soft bond, 14-inch/356 mm plate) suits hard concrete, while GRD 252 S (medium bond) suits concrete of average hardness. Heads usually work up to around 120 grit, after which segments and pads take over. If you're unsure, choose a medium bond.

Plate colour is a conventional, industry-wide code for bond hardness. In the Norton Clipper line, blue means a soft bond (for hard concrete), and green means medium (for concrete of average hardness). The coding is not standardised across the industry — another manufacturer may mark a hard bond red or yellow, or skip colour coding altogether. Heads come in several plate sizes, from 3–4 inches up to 14 inches (356 mm), regardless of bond colour. Check hardness in the model's specification before buying, not just by colour.

A concrete hardener is an impregnating agent based on lithium silicate that penetrates the capillaries of the concrete and reacts with free calcium hydroxide, forming a harder, less porous structure. The result: higher abrasion resistance and less dusting. The product is applied after coarse grinding, usually in 1–2 coats, before polishing with pads from around 200 grit upward. It suits floors under wheeled traffic — warehouses, underground car parks and production plants.

A lithium hardener reacts chemically with the concrete's structure — it penetrates the pores and forms crystalline calcium silicate compounds, permanently raising hardness at the raw-floor stage. A gloss-enhancing sealer (concrete guard) forms a thin protective layer only after polishing, usually with pads of 1500–3000 grit, raising shine without affecting hardness. A hardener is applied in 1–2 coats in the middle stage of the process, while a sealer is applied once, at the end.

Mounting a hook-and-loop head means pressing its hook layer onto the machine's loop-covered intermediate plate — it takes a few seconds to a dozen, no tools needed. Clean dust off both surfaces first, as residue reduces grip. Plate size must match the diameter of the machine's mount — from 3–4 inches up to 14 inches (356 mm) on heavier planetary grinders. The loop backing wears out after a few dozen fittings and the intermediate plate then needs replacing.

Diamond pads are not universal — fit depends on the diameter of the intermediate plate and the mounting type, not on the pad's brand. The range is dominated by 3- and 4-inch sizes (about 75–100 mm) for edges and corners, 7 inches (about 180 mm) for lighter machines, and 14 inches (356 mm) for heavier planetary grinders. A pad with the wrong diameter won't cover the full swept area. Check the plate diameter in your machine's manual before buying.

A segment's lifespan is measured in square metres of surface processed, not in days. Low-grit segments, 16–40 grit, wear out faster than finishing segments at 100–120 grit, because they work under heavier pressure on rougher concrete. During intensive work covering several hundred m² a day, a set of coarse segments typically lasts several to a dozen shifts before the diamond layer wears down to around 1–2 mm. Correctly matched bond hardness can extend lifespan several times over.

Grinding concrete with segments at 16–120 grit removes unevenness, old coatings and cement laitance — the result is matte and rough. Polishing continues the process with resin pads at 200–3000 grit, combined with a lithium hardener that seals the pores of the concrete — the result is a satin or mirror shine without applying a layer of resin or paint. A full cycle from raw concrete to high gloss usually takes 5–7 passes, and on damaged surfaces as many as 8–9.

A full process needs four groups of accessories: a head or metal segment for stripping (16–40 grit), a segment or transitional pad for finishing grinding (50–200 grit), a lithium hardener applied in 1–2 coats, and a resin pad at 400–3000 grit for polishing to a shine. Dry grinding generates silica dust, so an industrial vacuum connected to the head's shroud is essential. The set is matched to a single machine and stage of work.