I didn't even notice that, I guess I spent too much time looking at the pizza. I guess Jason Rose has been working on those polishes...I'm not sure if I think machine-specific polishes are a good thing or a bad thing...on the one hand I have too many polishes already, on the other hand I understand trying to optimize the product for the machine...although I'd need to hear Jason explain it before I sign on to the reasoning.
Does anybody here actually use different polishes if they switch from a rotary to a 3401 to a DA? I mean besides the obvious that you might be compounding with a rotary and doing other steps with the other machines that would use different products because they are different steps. But I mean let's say you are doing the same step on different parts of the same vehicle, say using a 3401 for the large panels and a PC with a small pad for tighter areas...are you going to use a different chemical because one is forced and one free?
I'm not Jason, but I'll do my best to answer your questions. Jason is actually in the Ukraine right now, but I just had a 30 minute conversation with him and covered some of the questions you asked.
The smaller but more frequent orbital of the action of the Mille (me-lay) did present some engineering challenges. If a spot of the pad was dry, the foam could (and often did) grip the paint and it would transfer the energy straight up your arm. The result was vibration and fatigue. A lot of work went into the lubrication side of things to ensure that the compounds would flow over the surface of the pad evenly so that the operator is given the smoothest experience possible. It took a lot of different lubricant formulas, where things like viscosity, solid content, oils, etc were tested until RUPES was happy with the user experience. Then, because of the unique lubrication, the abrasive selection became paramount. As the solid types and content change, so does the lubrication, and then you circle back to the lubricant, and so and so on.
The new Mille liquids are excellent. Jason is now a part of the team that engineered and developed BigFoot from scratch, and being part of that team, it would be foolish not to use his talents to make the team stronger. The new Mille liquids also work quite well on random orbital polishers, even though the movement is a little different. At the show in Bologna, Jason tells me that many people commented the Mille's reception was one of "wow, it feels like a standard BigFoot, it's so smooth." That's not just from the tool design, but also the foam (including the height and bevel, as well as how the polish/compound interacts with the pad and paint).
Rotary polishers, because of the high speeds generated at the edge, require a different lubrication system for optimum performance. The compound has to lay and "stick" the paint to some degree to provide cutting action AND a buffer (pun slightly intended) between the pad and the paint.
To answer the general question - do different movements require specific compounds. NO!
But, those of us who have used different compounds and polishes might find ourselves gravitating towards different brands or products when we switch machine movements. For example, in my detail days, I used to love the old (original M105) on a DA, but couldn't get enough working time to feel comfortable. The second version of M105 worked much better on a rotary, but I didn't like it as much on a DA. I loved Menzerna 400 on a gear driven with a wool pad, but didn't like it on a rotary with a wool pad... And so and so and so on.
Generally we find what works best for us, based on a huge (nearly infinite) number of factors...
Traditionally, RUPES is a company that delivers solutions in a bag. By designing and tuning different compound formulas to the specific machine movement, we can optimize their performance. Is it necessary, absolutely not, but when has RUPES let necessary stand in the way of pushing the boundaries.
The new BigFoot Air, Mille, Rotary and Skorpio E sanders are exciting to us, but with all of this said, we are still just getting started.
