Some of the sandblasting jobs we have done.
Types of Sand Blasting
Wet abrasive blasting
Common features include: the ability to use extremely fine or coarse media with densities ranging from plastic to steel, the ability to use hot water and soap to allow simultaneous degreasing and blasting, elimination of dust – so silicacious materials can be used without worry, hazardous material or waste can be removed without danger – e.g. removal of asbestos, radioactive, or other poisonous products from components and structures leading to effective decontamination.
The process is available in all conventional formats including hand cabinets, walk-in booths, automated production machinery and total loss portable blasting units.
Process speeds can be as fast as conventional dry sand blasting when using the equivalent size and type of media. However the presence of water between the media and the substrate being processed creates a lubricating cushion that can protect both the media and the surface from excess damage. This has the dual advantage of lowering media breakdown rates and preventing impregnation of foreign materials into the surface. Hence surfaces after wet blasting are extremely clean, there is no embedded secondary contamination from the media or from previous blasting processes, and there is no static cling of dust to the blasted surface. Subsequent coating or bonding operations are always better after wet blasting than dry blasting because of the cleanliness levels achieved. The lack of surface recontamination also allows the use of single equipment for multiple blasting operations – e.g. stainless steel and carbon (mild) steel items can be processed in the same equipment with the same media without problems.
Bead blasting
Bead blasting is the process of removing surface deposits by applying fine glass beads at a high pressure without damaging the surface.
It is used to clean calcium deposits from pool tiles or any other surfaces, and removes embedded fungus and brighten grout color. It is also used in auto body work to remove paint.
Wheel blasting
In wheel blasting, a wheel uses centrifugal force to propel the abrasive against an object. It is typically categorized as an airless blasting operation because there is no propellant (gas or liquid) used. A wheel machine is a high-power, high-efficiency blasting operation with recyclable abrasive (typically steel or stainless steel shot, cut wire, grit or similar sized pellets). Specialized wheel blast machines propel plastic abrasive in a cryogenic chamber, and is usually used for deflashing plastic and rubber components. The size of the wheel blast machine, and the number and power of the wheels vary considerably depending on the parts to be blasted as well as on the expected result and efficiency. The first blast wheel was patented by Wheelabrator in 1932.[2]
Hydro-blasting
Hydro-blasting, commonly known as water blasting, is commonly used because it usually requires only one operator. In hydro-blasting, a highly pressured stream of water is used to remove old paint, chemicals, or buildup without damaging the original surface. This method is ideal for cleaning internal and external surfaces because the operator is generally able to send the stream of water into places that are difficult to reach using other methods. Another benefit of hydro-blasting is the ability to recapture and reuse the water, reducing waste and the impact on the environment.
Micro-abrasive blasting
Micro-abrasive blasting is dry abrasive blasting process that uses small nozzles (typically 0.25 mm to 1.5 mm diameter) to deliver a fine stream of abrasive accurately to a small part or a small area on a larger part. Generally the area to be blasted is from about 1 mm2 to only a few cm2 at most. Also known as pencil blasting, the fine jet of abrasive is accurate enough to write directly on glass and delicate enough to cut a pattern in an eggshell. The abrasive media particle sizes range from 10 micrometres up to about 150 micrometres. Higher pressures are often required.
The most common micro-abrasive blasting systems are commercial bench-mounted units consisting of a power supply and mixer, exhaust hood, nozzle and gas supply. The nozzle can be hand-held or fixture mounted for automatic operation. Either the nozzle or part can be moved in automatic operation.
Dry ice blasting
In this type of blasting air and dry ice are used and with the help of a huge mass and air pressure the parent material is cleaned without destroying the properties of the parent material.
Bristle Blasting
Bristle Blasting is, unlike other blasting methods, a process not needing any blast media. The surface is treated by a brush-like rotary power tool made of dynamically tuned high-carbon steel wire bristles. Repeated contact of the rotating sharp bristle tips with the surface results in localized impact, rebound, and the formation of craters, thereby simultaneously cleaning and coarsening the surface.
This article was excerpted from the article on SandBlasting at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandblast , under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License