Are you involved in using metals like steel or aluminum for your manufacturing procedures? If that is so, you would then most likely understand the effect dirt, chemicals, or small imperfections on the surface can have on finishing techniques. However; there is an efficient manner by which you will be able to clean, prepare, and refine these surfaces; it‘s called abrasive media blasting. It is fast and efficient and holds a very important key to a perfect result rendered onto your materials.
In this article, we dive into abrasive blasting: its core principles, advantages, and all the essentials for your upcoming blasting ventures.
What is Abrasive Blasting?
Abrasive blasting is a broad phrase used to characterize finishing techniques whereby a high-pressure abrasive material stream is directed to a workpiece surface. This method can be used for several surface finishing goals, including surface roughing or smoothing, surface shape modification, and removal of past coatings or impurities.
Every one of the several uses for abrasive blasting calls for a distinct blasting media. This abrasive blasting media guide will enable you to choose the most suitable material for your particular finishing operations.
One note: “Abrasive blasting” and “sandblasting” are sometimes used synonymously. Most applications are not advised for a standard “dry” sandblasting operation using regular sand. For many businesses, blasting with sand is financially unfeasible since it usually calls for twice the amount of material.
Sandblast media also contains notable amounts of silica, which, when broken down and inhaled by workers, can cause severe respiratory problems. However, you may usually run conventional sandblasting operations with other abrasive blasting media.
Why Abrasive Blasting?
The following are some key reasons for choosing abrasive blast cleaning as a method of preparing surfaces:
- Improves Adhesion: Blast cleaning removes any debris, dirt, grease, or corrosion, leaving no contamination at all in the cleaned-up area. Paint, powder coatings, and other treatments stick much more readily to the bare metal, which certainly assures you of a stronger, lasting finish.
- Customizable Finishes: You are in charge of what your surface comes away looking like. Considerations like the type and size of the blasting media help you get the degree of smoothness or roughness needed for your project.
- Highly Efficient: This is an efficient abrasive blasting method. As pressure forces the liquid, infused with abrasive blasting media, out of the gun’s barrel, it manages to reach into all the small nooks and crannies that exist on the surface, providing very thorough cleaning while reducing waste and saving you time and money.
- Easy on Your Materials: Unlike some of the other, more aggressive methods—chemical stripping in particular—abrasive blasting goes easier on your materials. Assuming you follow each process stage correctly, abrasive blasting greatly lowers the chance of damage.
- Protects the Environment: To clean surfaces, abrasive blasting substitutes media, including steel shot, corn cobs, aluminum oxide, and walnut shells, for hazardous chemicals. You get good outcomes without spewing greenhouse gases or damaging chemicals into the atmosphere.
How Abrasive Blasting Works
Compressed air is used in abrasive blasting to speed a grit of tiny particles toward the surface and object cleaning. This operation can produce a lot of dust. Thus, you have to separate it from the operator to reduce the health hazards from the abrasive blast dust. View this detailed walk-through instruction on the abrasive blasting process:
- Select Your Abrasive Blasting Media and Equipment: An abrasive material and blasting tool must be specifically chosen.
- Gear Up: This isn’t optional. In addition to the gloves, wear ear and respiratory protection.
- Prep the Area: Lay down a tarp to catch debris and make cleanup easier afterward.
- Load the Equipment: Put your blasting material inside the machine.
- Attach the Hose: Make sure everything is secure.
- Compressor Test Run: Test the compressor with recycled materials.
- Surface Blast: Blast the surface using fluid, back-and-forth strokes until you produce a clean result.
What Is the Difference Between Dry and Wet Blasting?
It is only a matter of how the material is projected. Dry blasting is based only on the impact of the abrasive blasting media on the surface, while wet blasting uses water for surface cleaning.
- Dry Blasting: Mainly used for cleaning substrates and removing contaminants from surfaces, it is applied using direct pressure with a pressure pot or suction system. Usually more expensive than suction systems, direct pressure machines offer a simpler way to push big abrasives.
- Wet Blasting: Slurry pumps built into wet blast machines drive a water and abrasive mix through the blasting gun. Desirable for many uses, wet blasting machines mix water and air for great effects and provide consistent delivery. It is more applicable to projects where a somewhat glossy finish needs to be realized. It will be best when you need homogenous results without excessive generation of dust.
Things to Ponder On Before Your Next Abrasive Blasting Job
Here are some of the things that you should dwell upon before you start working on an abrasive blasting task:
Boost output
To maximize the blasting process with minimum material waste, always check the air pressure behind the blasting nozzle holder. Though anything above 100 should do, the pressure should be consistently 110 pounds per inch (PSI). Projects started under less than 100 PSI will take more time and waste resources.
How to Stay Safe
When handling abrasive blasting media, always use PPE, including masks or respirators designed specifically for blasting. If at all possible, avoid using silica sand. Never run your blasting device in closed quarters without ventilation. Make sure the environment is free of susceptible objects, animals, or spectators before starting your project so extra abrasive media might not hurt them. To pick the right time-saving methods, think about signing up for official blast training. Follow all local and national environmental rules whether you are blasting outside or clearing items.
Save Money
Maintaining blasting equipment will help to keep running expenses low. Changing blast nozzles as needed or when they wear is the easiest maintenance point. On a regular basis, clean the nozzle to prevent cross-contamination or any build-up. Rely on the manufacturer to explain the highest-wear items that should be replaced regularly.
Enhance Performance
Choosing the correct blast hose and designing the perfect blasting environment will help you ensure successful abrasive blasting. The location you use for abrasive blasting needs to be well-ventilated. Make sure a blast hose fits your equipment and project size. Natural resistance produced by undersized hoses will impede performance and lower pressure, leading to material wastage.
Abrasive Blasting Media and Their Common Uses
With the huge variety of materials used for abrasive blasting, you can pick and choose the best for your finishing.
- Glass and Ceramic: Ideal for stainless steel, abrasive blasting media like ceramic grit and crushed glass produce a softer surface. Because they can clean, deburr, and prepare surfaces without embedding anything into them, glass beads are a common blasting method. Additionally, they are recyclable and reusable.
- Plastic and Metal: From plastic grit, steel grit, and steel shots to aluminum oxide, cut wire, and copper slag, these are tough materials that rank high on versatility. Perfect for heavy-duty industrial uses, granite and marble surfaces, or deep etching, these materials are well-known for their robustness and versatility. A few of them are recyclable.
- Natural and Organic: Ground corn cob, powder from ground apricots, peach and plum stones, garnets, and walnut shells are natural and organic blasting choices that are generally gentler substitutes for more sensitive surfaces based on the material and part size.
- Ice and Sodium Bicarbonate: Projects like food service maintenance or rust and graffiti removal are successfully done with dry ice and sodium bicarbonate.
Conclusion
Abrasive blasting media is a very powerful tool in the world of surface finishing and preparation. Be it the enhanced adhesion or the eco-friendly approach it takes, it’s little wonder that it makes for a go-to method across so many industries. Whatever may be the material used, metals or otherwise, the key lies in choosing appropriate media and following proper safety guidelines. Follow this guide, and you will be well on your way to mastering this art of abrasive blasting with some very amazing results for your next project.
If you need expert guidance with abrasive blasting media, look no further than Kramer Industries.
About Kramer Industries
Kramer-Since 1911, we have been operating in the industry, offering trusted advice while providing only top-quality products for our customers. Let us help you achieve flawless results in your finishing projects.