The New 3M™ Clean Sanding System
In the first quarter of 2025, 3M launched its new dust extraction system — the 3M™ Clean Sanding System — in the United States and Canada. This system — which consists of a dust extractor, pneumatic and/or electric random orbital sanders, a mobile work station, quality abrasives, and personal protective equipment — was created to help further 3M 's focus on shop cleanliness and technician hygiene.
“When you look at our abrasive portfolios that we've had for years, we've always had dust extraction hole patterns that support dust extracting systems,” said Nick Oberle, an appli cation engineer specialist in the 3M Automotive Aftermarket Division. “This is because 3M recognizes how important dust extraction is for the profitability of shops and the technicians who are using its products.”
Dust extraction systems — like the 3M™ Clean Sanding System — are crucial to shops because they play a vital role in maintaining a clean and safe working environment. By removing airborne particulates, these systems protect workers from developing respiratory issues, keep dust out of motors and circuits — thereby extending the lifespan of equipment — saving time spent on cleanup, which boosts employee efficiency.
The new 3M™ Clean Sanding System was designed to support shops by preventing the above issues and mitigating dust from the point of creation.
Easy and Efficient
In addition to supporting technician hygiene and health, the 3M™ Clean Sanding System is also easy and efficient to use. Not only is it compact and mobile, it also pairs with pneu matic and/or electric sanders. With the included Y-adapter, the system can run one or two sanders simultaneously for flexibility to share a system between technicians.
“The system is ready-to-use out of the box and includes the basics to get you going. All a technician must do to operate the 3M™ Clean Sanding System is plug the extractor into a pneumatic or electric sander,” Oberle said. “The Clean Sanding System allows a technician to connect the hoses by simply plugging the dust extraction hose and the air hose to the dual-action sander.”
By pairing the easy setup of the 3M™ Clean Sanding System with 3M™ Cubitron™ II abrasive discs and sheets, technicians save even more time. This is because the 3M™ Cubitron™ II abrasives cut at least 30% faster and last at least 30% longer than other conventional ceramic abrasives.
With dust extraction 3M™ Cubitron™ II abrasive discs and sheets now available in a full grade range — from coarse 40 grade for bodywork to fine paint grades, with a recent launch of grades 500, 600, 800, and a new 1000 grade — technicians can minimize costly rework and time wasted due to dust contamination.
The 3M™ Clean Sanding System also comes with optional storage accessories so technicians can store their tools in an efficient and organized manner. These accessories consist of a workstation and abrasives organizer.
Technician Friendly
Another perk of the 3M™ Clean Sanding System’s design is that it is tech-friendly. It includes an auto on/off switch, an antistatic hose, rubber wheels, brake locks, and LED indicator lights. All these characteristics were designed with the technician in mind.
“The motors run very smoothly and are very quiet, with very low vibration,” Oberle said. “They are very easy to use from a technician perspective because we’ve got real vacu ums hooked up to them. As a result, you get enhanced dust extraction. You get the benefit of a vacuum, but the tools are highly desired by the technician.”
From a technician’s perspective, the 3M™ Clean Sanding System has been exceedingly well received by the industry and by the field. This is because of the durability of the tools offered within the system, the comfort of them, and the ease with which they work and operate.
To learn more about the 3M™ Clean Sanding System visit: 3M.com/CleanSandingSystem.