Abrasive Blasting - Industrial Finishing Systems

Abrasive Blasting

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Abrasive blasting is an efficient and eco-friendly machinery cleaning process that is frequently utilized in most industrial settings. Essentially, it sets to work by forcing abrasive materials otherwise known as blast media into the innards of machinery under great pressure and speed. Once they find themselves within the product being cleaned, these blast media collide with the interior surfaces and in the long run, trap and do away with a wide variety of contaminants. Abrasive blasting may also be used to smoothen rough surfaces as well as roughen smooth surfaces of industrial machinery.

There are numerous methods which fall under the general category of abrasive blasting, and their overall outcomes tend to vary in nature, from mild to more aggressive results. This usually depends on the exact way the blast media is introduced into the substrate. Also, there are diverse blast media to pick from. The more aggressive varieties of blast media are aluminum oxide, steel grit, steel shot, and sand to mention but a few. Mild blast media includes crushed glass, walnut shells, glass beads, corncobs, garnets, and coal slags. Additionally, there are even gentler kinds of abrasive blasting media which leave very little or no profile on the surfaces being processed. This may include soda, plastic beads, or even dry ice.

Let us now take a closer look at some of the most common abrasive blasting types.

Rooms

Compressed air blasting This happens to be the most frequently utilized form of abrasive blasting in the market. It involves forcing compressed air and blast media within machinery to either clean or profile its inner surfaces. This sort of blasting is well noted for being one of the quickest and most effective methods of eliminating rust along with other unwanted contaminants like weld splatter from machinery surfaces.

Wet blasting Wet blasting goes to work in a very similar manner as compressed air blasting. The only difference between the two is the former includes introducing water into machinery besides air and blast media. One of the key benefits of this form of abrasive blasting, when compared with compressed air blasting, is it generates minimal dust as a by-product of the process. It is also a quicker solution and can prevent the impregnation of the surfaces by residues of the blast media utilized. On the downside, wet blasting may trigger corrosion within the inner surfaces of machinery.

Wheel blasting This type of abrasive blasting is also commonly referred to as centrifugal blasting. It involves using a mechanical swinging arm that forces the blast media into the product being processed under great velocities instead of compressed air as is the case with air and wet blasting. Some of the most frequently utilized blast media for this application include recyclable steel. When it comes to cleaning delicate machinery such as those made with plastic and rubber materials, plastic beads within cryogenic chambers are made use of. Typically, the exact size of the wheel blaster you choose will depend on your machinery’s size, which in turn, will impact the cost involved. The main advantage of wheel abrasive blasting is it creates uniform surfaces on smooth, flattened machinery. This makes it an excellent solution if you decide to automate repetitive blasting processes in your facility. On the downside, this form of abrasive blasting isn’t well suited for processing surfaces that feature nooks and crannies.

Dry ice blasting Dry ice blasting entails utilizing dry ice pellets as blast media and compressed air to propel them within the product being cleaned. For those who might perhaps be in the dark, dry ice is the frozen state of the gas carbon dioxide. Dry ice blasting goes to work once the dry ice pellets are within the machinery by colliding and trapping contaminants from the surfaces under great velocity. One of the major benefits of this form of abrasive blasting upon comparison with other alternatives is it never leaves any blast residues since ultimately, the dry ice sublimates into gaseous form.

Vacuum blasting This type of abrasive blasting involves using air pressure and a suction return system which blasts the machinery surface and traps contaminants and the blast media used at the same time. It is especially well suited for indoor blasting applications where there is a greater need to minimize the level of dust generated due to health and safety concerns.

Let us now take a closer look at some of the most common abrasive blasting equipment that ZPar International currently offers to its customers.

Open-air blast pots This is normally the abrasive blasting equipment of choice for most open-air industrial applications. It is always wise to select the ideal size for your blast pot in accordance with your unique needs and preferences. The bigger the pot, the less time will be needed to process your product before you run out of blast media. These industrial cleaning products come complete with diverse features and functionalities. This may include cut-off switches to deactivate the

Blast cabinets Our abrasive blasting cabinets provide an air-tight enclosure for blasting operations that prevents the blast media from leaking out. This kind of product is very suitable for conducting a thorough cleaning of a wide range of small to medium-sized machinery. Blast cabinets come complete in either suction or pressure feed solutions. The latter are widely acclaimed for their capacity to quickly eliminate stubborn contaminants from the inner surfaces of diverse substrates. Alternatively, the suction variety tends to be one of the most pocket-friendly solutions in the market. Apart from pressure and siphon-fed cabinets, you will be spoilt for choices by other similar solutions including soda and wet blast cabinets. It is noteworthy to state that soda blasting is particularly suited for safely cleaning and processing food-grade machinery.

Blast rooms

An abrasive blasting room is specifically designed and engineered to facilitate big blast applications where higher volumes of blasting are desired. These rooms are commonplace among large industrial production facilities and fabrication facilities.

Besides our abrasive blasting offerings, we also specialize in manufacturing paint booths and powder coating units for diverse applications and featuring different airflow styles. ZPar International also provides numerous paint booth accessories including filters, makeup air heaters, control panels, and even boost lifts.

We have the ability to marry up a quality, yet economical enclosure with any reclaim system design you choose.

All too often we have heard how the cost of abrasive blasting equipment prevents customers from making the purchase. To help get over this hurdle we have the ability to provide varying gauges of thickness on our blast enclosures. This allows the customer to pick a gauge of steel that meets your equipment needs and budget.

Combine this with our many years of experience doing design and installation work and we believe we can help you achieve your equipment goals.