The invention provides a method and apparatus for making an abrasive product comprising providing a substantially horizontally deployed flexible backing having a first surface bearing an at least partially cured primer coating and an opposite second surface; providing a dry flowable particle mixture comprising abrasive particles and particulate curable binder material; depositing a temporary layer comprising said particle mixture on the at least partially cured primer coating of the first surface of the backing; softening said particulate curable binder material to provide adhesion between adjacent abrasive particles; embossing the layer comprising softened particulate curable binder material and abrasive particles to provide a pattern of raised areas and depressed areas and curing the softened particulate curable binder material to convert the embossed layer into a permanent embossed layer comprised of cured particulate binder material and abrasive particles and cure the at least partially cured primer coating on the first surface of the backing. The invention also provides an abrasive product having an embossed surface made by the method.
RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation-in-part of pending prior application Ser. Nos. 10/985,288 and 10/985,287, both filed Nov. 10, 2004, which are divisional applications of prior allowed application Ser. No. 10/205,711, filed on Jul. 26, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,833,014, issued Dec. 21, 2004, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
A method of making an abrasive product includes compacting a cohesive layer of abrasive particles and particulate curable binder precursor prior to forming curable shaped structures, and then at least partially curing the curable binder precursor.
