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.