Mirka Iridium Soft

Mirka Iridium Soft is a premium foam-backed abrasive designed for fast, controlled and low-dust dry sanding, particularly in automotive refinishing, collision repair and OEM applications. Its flexible construction allows the abrasive to conform closely to curves, contours and intricate surfaces while maintaining consistent contact for an even finish.

Iridium Soft combines a durable abrasive surface with a flexible foam backing and secure grip attachment. The advanced Multifit® multi-hole configuration works with dust extraction systems to help minimise clogging and maintain efficient sanding performance, while the soft foam construction makes it equally useful for machine and hand sanding.

Benefits

• Premium automotive abrasive designed for professional refinishing, collision repair and OEM applications.
• Flexible foam backing conforms to curves, contours and irregular surfaces for smooth and even sanding.
• Aluminium oxide abrasive grain provides efficient cutting performance and long service life.
• Multifit® multi-hole configuration supports efficient dust extraction and helps reduce abrasive clogging.
• Excellent clog resistance helps maintain consistent cutting performance and prolongs abrasive life.
• Reduced pilling and swirl marks helps produce a more uniform scratch pattern and cleaner finish.
• Dry sanding performance eliminates the need for water, allowing the surface to be inspected throughout the sanding process.
• Suitable for hand and machine sanding for greater versatility across different applications.
• Secure grip backing keeps the abrasive firmly attached during sanding while allowing quick removal and replacement.
• Comfortable to use with the flexible foam construction helping reduce hand fatigue during manual sanding.

Ideal Applications

• Automotive paint preparation
• Clear coat sanding
• Collision repair and refinishing
• OEM automotive applications
• Primer sanding
• Paint and top coat sanding
• Blending and feathering
• Fine surface preparation
• Pre-polishing preparation
• Curved and contoured surfaces

Suitable Materials

• Paint and clear coat
• Primer
• Top coat
• Polyurethane
• Water-based primer
• Gel coat
• Polyester high-gloss finishes
• UV high-gloss finishes

Available Grits

Mirka Iridium Soft is available in a range of fine grades to cover everything from initial refinement through to final pre-polishing preparation:

• P1500 – Fine finishing prior to polishing.
• P2000 – Ultra-fine preparation and pre-polishing.

Why Choose Mirka Iridium Soft?

Mirka Iridium Soft is an excellent choice when you need the flexibility of a foam abrasive without sacrificing cutting performance. The combination of durable abrasive grain, flexible foam backing and Multifit® dust extraction makes it particularly effective for modern automotive refinishing, where surfaces can range from broad panels to complex curves and contours.

The fine grit range extending to P2000 also makes Iridium Soft an excellent option for preparing surfaces before polishing, painting or other finishing processes.

1. Select the correct grit: Choose the appropriate Iridium Soft grade for the material and level of correction required. Use a coarser grit for greater material removal and progressively finer grades for refining the surface.
2. Prepare the surface: Ensure the surface is clean, dry and free from loose contamination before sanding.
3. Attach the abrasive: For machine sanding, firmly attach the Iridium Soft disc to a compatible Multifit® backing pad. For hand sanding, the grip backing can be used directly where appropriate.
4. Connect dust extraction: When machine sanding, use a suitable dust extraction system to take advantage of the multi-hole configuration and minimise airborne sanding dust.
5. Sand using controlled passes: Apply light to moderate pressure and use overlapping passes. Allow the abrasive to do the cutting rather than applying excessive pressure.
6. Follow the contours: Allow the flexible foam backing to conform naturally to curved and shaped surfaces. Avoid excessive pressure that could compress the foam and create an uneven sanding pattern.
7. Inspect regularly: Stop periodically and inspect the surface. Dry sanding allows you to check progress without having to remove water from the work area.
8. Progress through the grits: When refining a surface, move progressively through the appropriate grit sequence to remove the previous sanding marks.
9. Replace when required: Replace the abrasive once cutting performance has noticeably reduced or the abrasive surface becomes loaded.