Types of Industrial Brushes

The term industrial brush refers to a select group of brushes designed for use in rugged industrial applications or specialized functions. They can be viewed as aggressive tools that function as a grinder and sander with the capability of reaching places inaccessible by other means.

Although the typical industrial brush is very robust, some varieties are gentler for delicate applications but still have the same rugged structure and strength. This type of industrial brush has recently gained popularity for its use in manufacturing electronics such as cell phones, computers, technical instruments, and televisions that need to have dust, particles, and dirt carefully removed.

Electrostatic Discharge Brushes (ESD)

ESD brushes are made of materials that insulate, conduct, or dissipate electrostatic discharges. Static charges are created by the friction between two surfaces that generate small electric charges known as the triboelectric effect. ESD brushes are designed to inhibit and dissipate static charges and are referred to as anti-static brushes.

Static charges in liquid environments can be dissipated by bristles made of wood, hogs’ hair, horsehair, and goat hair. However, in dry environments, special care must be taken when removing static charges since the charges are flammable and can catch fire due to friction.

All electronic products are vulnerable to damage from static electricity. ESD brushes dissipate static energy and help avoid producing static electricity. This is important for manufacturers who clean or repair electronic products that can be damaged by an accidental electrostatic discharge.

Dissipative Brush

Dissipative ESD brushes control the flow of electrical current and transfer it away from the part being cleaned to a ground. Their treated nylon filaments have a dissipative additive mixed in the nylon resin prior to the extrusion of the filaments.

Conductive Brush

Conductive brushes have a low resistance to electricity, allowing them to accept electrical currents generated by friction and transfer the energy to a grounding point. Natural materials can produce conductive brushes but do not last long due to being stiff and brittle. For this reason, synthetic materials are used, which are more resilient and durable.

Insulative Brushes

Insulative brush materials have high electrical resistance and are difficult to ground. They collect static charges, which remain in the brush since the brushes prevent the flow of electrons. Any charge transferred to an insulative brush remains with it.

Grounded Anti-Static Brush

Grounded anti-static brushes are connected by a wire to a ground to conduct static electric charges safely. They are used to manufacture setups where the brush is mounted after the charge is generated. Accurate grounding ensures that the brush will work effectively in dissipating the accumulated electrostatic charges.

Several types of equipment are cleaned using a grounded anti-static brush, including lenses, film, scanners, cameras, plastics, acrylics, jewelry, glass, monitors, and technical instruments and equipment.

Anti-static brushes, ESD, insulative, dissipative, and conductive, are small and operated by hand using a back and forth or side-to-side motion. Shorter trimmed bristles enhance the stiffness of the bristles, while longer bristles are used to make the brush more flexible.

Anti-static brushes are used for solder removal, dusting, circuit board cleaning, lead trimming, edge connector cleaning, and static dissipation. Due to the size and complexity of the materials they clean, anti-static brushes are small and compact with specially designed bristles.

Anti-Static Brush Fibers

Anti-static fibers are made of natural materials, synthetic materials, and metal. Small diameter bristles are recommended for dissipating, insulating, and conducting electrostatic discharge, and they abrade slower than large-diameter stiff fibers.

Natural Fibers

Natural fibers are manufactured from animal hair and vegetables. Animal hair fibers are horsehair, hog bristles, and goat hair, which are static-resistant, have finer bristles, and have a soft, even texture. Hog bristles are highly durable, goat hair is soft, and horse hair is abrasive.

Vegetable fibers include Tampico and bassine, which are popular due to their resistance properties and long working life. Tampico has chemical resistance with exceptional anti-static properties, while bassine fibers are stiff and long-lasting.

Synthetic Fibers

Synthetic fibers for anti-static brushes are mainly made from dissipative, treated nylon. There are several grades of nylon, each of which has strength and positive properties. For anti-static brushes, nylon 6.6 is recommended due to its conductive properties and stability when exposed to heat.

Metal Fibers

Several types of metals are used to produce anti-static brushes, including bronze, carbon, and stainless steel. Carbon fibers are excellent conductors and are ideal for difficult static removal. Bronze and stainless steel can be twisted into yarn and are resistant to abrasion and mechanical stress.

Choosing the Right Industrial Brushes Manufacturer

To make sure you have the most beneficial outcome when purchasing Industrial Brushes from an Industrial Brushes Supplier, it is important to compare at least 4 or 5 Companies using our list of Industrial Brushes manufacturers. Each Industrial Brushes Supplier has a business profile page that highlights their areas of experience and capabilities and a contact form to directly communicate with the manufacturer for more information or request a quote. Review each Industrial Brushes company website using our patented website previewer to get an idea of what each business specializes in, and then use our simple RFQ form to contact multiple Industrial Brushes companies with the same message.