To achieve a desired finish on the particle board or wood, large belt sanders are often used for commercial sanding operations. They come in many shapes and sizes and also have minor variations from machine to machine. Some are simple with single contact roller with circumferential sanding belt to very big and complex ones to carry continuous belts of varying lengths. The surface of the belt loads or fills with materials abraded from the subject during the sanding operations and becomes glazed. The glaze eventually inhibits the sanding operations because smooth surfaces are considered unfit for such operations.

The usual practice is to dispose the glazed belt. This is considered a waste and expensive too. This not only increases the expenses but also the downtime of the machines while changing the belts. All belt sanders have many safety features like belt tracking limit switch, emergency stop button, safety bar and most often these machines switch off automatically when the power is cut off. These machines are also available in different series. The sander is used mostly for easily and quickly removing and leveling.

State of the art sanders may be computer operated and have serviceable parts that even an experienced carpenter has never heard of. If it is beyond your talents, call a serviceman.
There are simple adjustments and maintenance functions that a handyman can do. If the belt needs changing, change it. I know it is expensive, but you need a quality outcome, right?  There is a checklist that needs to be done before each use. Do it! Things like checking on moisture traps and drains can seem small, but if not checked can be very expensive.
Mechanical parts not near electricity need oiling on a regular basis. That is in handyman 101. Most newer sanders are rife with electronics, so forget this unless your sander is ancient.

Check all the fixed parts of your sander before doing the adjustable or moveable parts. Also check for any looseness in any machine parts as heavy use can vibrate it apart (The heavier the sander, the less vibration you get.). Check the spacing for all the settings and get out that book that came with your machine, the one you hang beside the machine in a plastic protector. Some new models have electronic height adjustment. Make sure the feed  is exactly parallel to the roller that first makes contact with the work piece. The rolls for holding the piece down will be below that. Adjust the platen to just below the contact roll and parallel to it.  The platens on cheap belt sanders are removable rather than adjustable. Put appropriate dressing on the conveyer belt to ensure proper friction. Check the tracking conveyer belt tracking. Replace any damaged part.
Keep the machine and the work area clean.
Know the difference between a problem that is machine based from a problem that is material based (integral to the work piece).
A big belt sander is a man’s machine. Treat it with respect.

A belt sander is most often used in a 3×21 inch size.  The size is based on the size of the belt itself.  The sizes can vary from 1” to 37” wide.  They can be small enough to be operated by a single finger.  They can also be machines that have 15 hp motors and stand several feet tall.  Look for the following features while seeking to purchase a belt-type sander:  What is the dB of the motor output?  Will there be too much noise?  Is the machine balanced?  Where are the handle grips located?  Are they close to the speed control switch?  What type of platen is there for sanding a flat surface?  How well is dust collected?

The “disk-and-belt” sander is a combination mechanism.  In general, they are useful for wood, plastic, and non-ferrous metal.  Check these things when purchasing a disc-and-belt model sander:  What size are the sanding discs?  What size belts are required?  How does the table tilting operate?  What horsepower motor does it have?  Can the belts be changed without difficulty?  Does the sander have belt tracking?

Choose the right size disc sander that suits the job.  Sanders that can be held in the hand begin at 5 inches in size.  Sanders that are used in a workshop tend to be freestanding.  These can be up to 20 inches large, with 3HP 3-phase motors.  Look for some of the following things when buying a disc sander:  Is it easy to change the disc?  Is the motor the correct size to do the job?  Are the belts aligned easily?  Is there storage for wrenches?  How is dust collected?  Consider other kinds of sanders, too: palm, finish, random orbit, spindle, and even drywall sanders are all useful tools.

These devices act aggressively on wood. They are typically used at the start of sanding or for the rapid removal of material. They may also be used to remove paints or other finishes from wood. Sanders of this kind are able to produce surfaces of unparalleled smoothness when they are fitted with sand paper of a fine grit.

Stationary or fixed sanders are adopted for the removal of non-ferrous metals like aluminum. These types of metals clog grinding wheels, rendering them unable to adequately grind soft metals. Belt sanders however are able to grind and do not clog up. They are able to do this as the sandpaper possesses small grooves which open up as they move around the drive wheel’s arc. Then there are bigger ones which are known as wide belt sander.

Sanding devices may vary greatly in size. They may be small, hand-held units as shown or they may be large enough to sand 4 foot by 8 foot plywood sheets in manufacturing plants.

The sanding of wood creates a large quantity of sawdust. For this reason, sanders created for this purpose usually possess a dust collection system. This system may consist of a simple cloth filter bag which is attached to a transportable sander or may be a large vacuum system which sucks dust into a central collection area.

The type of sanding commonly adopted in the manufacturing of medium sized wood based objects is slack belt sanding. It is a lengthy sanding belt that runs slackly over an object.  The machinist exerts pressure to the sander to enable it to sand specific areas. The process is extremely precise and requires great skill and exactness.