Non-woven hand pads are flexible, open-web abrasive pads made from a bonded nylon (polyamide) fibre web impregnated with abrasive grains. Their primary use is to abrade, blend or clean surfaces by hand or with light power tools, providing controlled material removal without the deep scratching associated with conventional cloth or paper abrasives. They are commonly used for paint and rust removal, surface blending, edge rounding, deburring and final finishing.

The pads consist of a non-woven substrate carrying abrasive minerals such as aluminium oxide (brown/grey), silicon carbide (black) or ceramic alumina for more aggressive cutting. They are supplied in graded densities rather than strict grit sizes, typically described as coarse (approx. P60–P80 equivalent), medium (P120–P240), fine (P320–P400) and very fine (P600+ equivalent) to allow selection of the correct finish. The construction gives an open, low-clogging structure and a consistent scouring action that leaves a satin to polished finish depending on grade and technique. As a hand abrasive, head, thread and drive types are not applicable.

Non-woven hand pads meet recognised industry quality and safety expectations for abrasive media and are manufactured to standards referenced by DIN, ISO and BS where applicable for non-woven and coated abrasive products. They are compatible with commonly used surface preparation practices and, because the substrate is non-metallic, they do not contribute metallic contamination—an important advantage when working on stainless steel and aluminium where corrosion resistance is required.

Typical applications include stainless steel finishing in food and pharmaceutical environments, removal of oxidation and corrosion on metalwork, blending weld seams in fabrication, preparing wood and composite surfaces for finishing, and cleaning paintwork prior to recoating. Industries that use these pads include fabrication and welding, marine maintenance, automotive restoration, joinery and general maintenance and refurbishment.

Key benefits are conformability to contours, controlled material removal with reduced risk of deep scratches, good longevity compared with single-use abrasives, low loading and ease of rinsing, and compatibility with delicate substrates such as stainless steel. Duchy Fasteners stocks a range of non-woven hand pads from leading brands including Tyrolit in multiple grades and formats, typically supplied in common sizes (for example 75 x 100mm and 150 x 230mm) and pack quantities (10, 25 and 50) to suit workshop and site requirements.