What Is Abrasive Blasting?
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What Is Abrasive Blasting?

What Is Abrasive Blasting?

Last Updated: April 16, 2024 If your manufacturing processes involve working with metals such as steel or aluminum, you might notice that your workpieces often have dirt, chemicals, or imperfections that can hinder the effectiveness of various finishing techniques. Abrasive media blasting offers a quick and efficient way to remove these materials and prepare the surface for subsequent steps.

A Closer Look at Abrasive Blasting

Abrasive blasting is a broad term describing finishing processes that involve propelling a high-pressure stream of abrasive material onto a workpiece surface. This process can serve multiple purposes, such as roughening or smoothing the surface, eliminating previous coatings or contaminants, and altering the surface shape. There are numerous applications for abrasive blasting, each requiring a different type of blasting medium. Finishing Systems has put together this guide to help you choose the most appropriate material for your specific finishing needs. It's worth noting that the terms "sandblasting" and "abrasive blasting" are often used interchangeably. Traditional "dry" sandblasting using regular sand is not recommended for most applications. Sandblasting generally demands twice the amount of material, making it cost-prohibitive for many companies. Additionally, sandblast media contains significant amounts of silica, which can lead to severe respiratory issues when inhaled by operators. Therefore, most common sandblasting tasks can be carried out using alternative types of abrasive materials. For more information, feel free to contact us.

Why Choose Abrasive Blasting?

Abrasive media blasting offers numerous advantages for manufacturing and surface finishing:
  • Promotes Adhesion: By removing dirt, grease, corrosion, and other substances, abrasive blasting leaves a clean, contaminant-free surface. This makes it easier for paints, powder coatings, and other materials to adhere to the underlying metal.
  • Offers Customizable Finishes: With abrasive blasting, you have control over your surface preparation outcomes. Select the media type and size that allows you to achieve the desired level of roughness or smoothness required for your project.
  • Ensures Efficient Outcomes: This process enables the media-filled liquid to reach even the smallest crevices on the workpiece’s surface. You'll achieve a thorough cleaning and material removal, minimizing waste and saving both time and money.
  • Reduces Damage Risk: Using harsh methods like chemical stripping could permanently damage or distort the substrate. Abrasive blasting significantly lowers the risk of damage, provided each process step is executed correctly.
  • Protects the Environment: Abrasive blasting employs non-toxic materials such as steel shot, corn cobs, aluminum oxide, and walnut shells instead of harmful chemicals to clean surfaces. This ensures high-quality results without releasing dangerous substances into the environment or emitting greenhouse gases.

The Abrasive Blasting Process

Abrasive blasting uses compressed air to accelerate a stream of small particles to clean objects and surfaces. This process generates a significant amount of dust, so it’s crucial to isolate the operation from the operator to reduce health risks from abrasive blast dust. Here’s a step-by-step guide to the abrasive blasting process:
  1. Select the appropriate blasting equipment and material.
  2. Wear protective gear, including gloves, ear protection, and a respirator.
  3. Cover the project area with a tarp to collect debris and blasting material.
  4. Add the blasting material to the equipment.
  5. Attach the hose.
  6. Test the compressor using scrap material.
  7. Use smooth, back-and-forth strokes to blast the surface until you achieve the desired clean outcome.

Dry vs. Wet Blasting

Dry blasting relies on the impact of propelled media to affect the surface, whereas wet blasting cleans the surface through water propulsion. Wet blasting is preferable when a more refined surface is needed. However, dry blasting can be used to gather and filter debris from a surface. Dry blasting machines can operate under direct pressure with a pressure pot or via a suction system. Direct pressure machines tend to be more expensive than suction systems but provide a simpler method for pushing larger abrasives. Wet blast machines utilize a slurry pump system to push a mixture of water and abrasive through the blasting gun. Wet blasting machines offer consistent delivery and combine water and air for excellent results, making them ideal for many applications.

Important Considerations Before Your Next Abrasive Blasting Project

Now that you understand where abrasive blasting techniques can be applied, here are some key points to keep in mind before starting your next project.

Boost Efficiency

Always measure the air pressure behind the blasting nozzle holder to maximize productivity and minimize material waste. Ideally, the pressure should consistently be around 110 PSI, but any pressure above 100 PSI should suffice. Pressures below 100 PSI will lengthen project times, wasting valuable time and resources.

Ensure Safety

Always wear personal protective equipment (PPE), including masks or blasting-specific respirators, when handling abrasive media. Whenever possible, avoid using silica sand. Never operate your blasting unit in confined spaces without proper ventilation. Before beginning your project, ensure the area is clear of bystanders, animals, or items that could be damaged by excess abrasive media. Consider taking formal blast training to learn proper time-saving techniques. When blasting outdoors or disposing of materials, comply with all local and federal environmental regulations.

Save Money

Keep operational costs low by maintaining your blasting equipment. Replace blast nozzle heads as needed or when they wear and expand. Clean the nozzle between materials and projects to prevent buildup or cross-contamination. If you need to replace large parts of your blasting equipment, seek manufacturer recommendations for optimal results.

Enhance Success

Set yourself up for successful abrasive blasting by creating an ideal blasting environment and choosing the right blast hose. The area where you perform abrasive blasting should be well-ventilated. When sizing a blast hose, ensure it matches your equipment and project requirements. Undersized hoses create natural resistance, hindering performance and reducing pressure, leading to material waste.

Get the Best Results

Successful abrasive blasting depends on the materials you choose for your project. Options include:
  • Glass and Ceramic: Ceramic grit and crushed glass create a softer finish, ideal for stainless steel. Glass beads are a popular choice because they clean, deburr, and prepare surfaces without embedding anything into them. They’re also recyclable and reusable.
  • Plastics and Metals: Plastic and metal blasting materials include plastic grit, steel grit, steel shot, aluminum oxide, cut wire, and copper slag. These materials are known for their strength and versatility, perfect for heavy-duty industrial applications, granite and marble surfaces, or deep etching. Some types are recyclable.
  • Natural Materials: Natural and organic blasting options include garnets, walnut shells, ground corn cobs, and powder from ground apricot, peach, and plum stones. Depending on the material and piece size, these natural options can be gentler alternatives for more sensitive surfaces.
  • Specialty Materials: Specialty materials, like dry ice and sodium bicarbonate, are suitable for projects like food service maintenance or rust and graffiti removal.
You might also consider specific blasting techniques for certain projects. For instance, micro-blasting is ideal for detailed etching, wheel blasting works well for heavier materials, and shot blasting helps operators achieve a deep clean.

Why Choose Finishing Systems for Your Abrasive Blasting Needs?

At Finishing Systems, we’ve been helping businesses like yours optimize manufacturing outcomes since 1972. We have the facilities, equipment, and expertise to deliver the best results for your projects. Contact us today for more information about our blasting services.

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