Sand Blasting - Introduction, Parts, Materials Used and Pros & Cons!

Introduction:

Sand blasting is also known as abrasive blasting. It is a process where fine granular sand is applied high pressure against a rough surface keeping in mind the end goal to smooth that surface out. In this process, the abrasive material is pushed, either with a fluid or a gas (ordinarily pressurized air) through a nozzle onto an odd surface. Sand blasting can be applied on wood, dividers, and different surfaces where smoothness is required for paint or different applications. Sandblasting is a quick, powerful, thorough, and safe process It is one of the best ways to prepare an object for high-performance coatings like powder coating.

Types of Sandblasters:

Pressure feed blaster: The media is stored within the pressure pot and then it is sealed. The media goes through the valve and into the compressed air stream, which is placed in the blast nozzle. The nozzle accelerates the media and it impacts the surface of the components.

Suction feed blaster: In suction feed blaster venture siphoning action is used. It draws the blast media into the compressed air stream and then to the nozzle.

Sandblasting parts:

●    Nozzles

●    Blast hose and couplings

●    Air hose and couplings

●    Vacuuming hose

●    Valves

●    Abrasive Traps

●    Regulators, gauges and Filters

●    Control handles

●    Blast Lights and job site lighting

●    Junction Box Assemblies

●    Lids and screens

●    Remote Control Kits

●    Blast Suits and Gloves

●    Cabinet components

●    Cabinet Gloves

●    Filters, Filter Bags, cartridges

●    Fittings

Materials Used for sandblasting:

Following Materials are used in sandblasting process-

●    Sand

●    Copper Slag

●    Steel grit

●    Powder abrasives

●    Small pieces of walnuts

●    Pieces of avocado shells

Pros and Cons of sandblasting:

The pros (advantages) of sandblasting are:

●Quick removal of impurity: This process helps in quick removal the contaminants on different surfaces.

● Abrasive action: The materials which are used in the step are highly abrasive and have an aggressive action on the surfaces.

● Fit for tough/rough surfaces: The powerful action of the process can remove deposits even from tough surfaces like concrete.

● Less machinery involved: This process does not make use of complex machineries.

The Cons (disadvantage) of sandblasting are:  

● Abrasives: The abrasive used in the process is very rough and if used regularly for a particular surface, then it will wear away the surface.

●      Use of silica: In most of the country, sand is used as abrasive in the process which is banned because of different health hazards.

●  Requires precautions: A lot of precautionary steps have to be taken in order to prevent different types of hazards like you have to cover all parts of the body that are exposed to the process. Covering up of body parts will prevent the abrasives to enter into the body.

● Not suitable for smooth surfaces: Mobile sandblasting is usually not suitable for cleaning smooth surfaces because of the abrasives used. Rather you can make use of soda blasting which employs the similar procedure but makes use of sodium bicarbonate.

● Heat generation: The process of sandblasting includes projection of particles with high velocity, so when these materials hit the surface, a lot of heat is generated which can harm the surface.

However, through this process, one can easily remove the contaminants on different surfaces and have an aggressive action on the surfaces. This process can also easily remove tough surfaces like concrete. Therefore this machine and process have their own independent use for different type of the surface preparation.  

Take an Insight of Abrasive Material for Effective Sandblasting

Once you get the complete knowledge of the material which is useful for sandblasting only then you can do effective sandblasting. So it is mandatory to take an insight about the material which is used in the sandblasting but before it we must discuss about the sandblasting process and the necessary steps which is required for sandblasting. 

As you know that Sandblasting is often done to remove rust, or to prepare a surface to receive a new coat of paint and  in the process of sandblasting- sand, glass beads and other material is being used at high speed across the surface of a hard material for its sanded smooth. Also in the first step of the sandblasting process, it needs to determine that what kind of material and equipment is necessary to complete the job. Make sure that there is no residue on surface because may result in marred finish. Apart from it you also have to analyze the degree of work, type of blasting material and what tools will need to be used for the effective sandblasting. The types of material used for the blast a surface depends on how difficult the removal. Therefore it is necessary more about the abrasive blasting material & instructions for the excellent sandblasting work. Here is the detail of the material which is beneficial for effective sandblasting:-

1. Acrylic (Soft Plastic) Material - This softest plastic used for ultra-sensitive surfaces to provide effective strip rate. It is V grade a longest lasting plastic, mostly used for aircraft surface and delicate parts of the applications.

2. Aluminum Oxide – It is a sharp grit, long-lasting abrasive material for sandblasting that can be re-used several time for sandblasting. Apart from it, this is most common dry material for cutting the hardest metals and surfaces that comes in a wide range of sizes.

3. Corn Cob Grit- It is a biodegradable blast material that doesn’t etch or warp surface of blasting. Corn Cob is the best material for the wood log homes and thin metals of plastic.

4. Crushed Glass Grit- It is a silica-free consumable abrasive that offers aggressive surface for removing the variety of coatings. It is made of recycled bottle & glasses that produces a whiter, cleaner finish with mineral.

5. Glass Beads- To create a softer, brighter finish than angular abrasives, it offer a silica-free option for peening, and honing and cleaning .it can also be recycled more than 40 time.

6. Melamine Plastic - The applications which require a high stripping rate without damage to the sub-surface Melamine plastic is the best material for them and it offers the perfect balance of performance.

7. Pumice Material- It is a softest blasting material that offers excellent stripping properties and a best material for soft wood to remove paint and coatings without impact.

8. Silicon Carbide - This Grit is the hardest blasting material and it has a very fast cutting speed. It can also be recycled several times that either sand or aluminum oxide. It takes much shorter blast times and lower overall cost in comparison to other materials.

9. Steel Grit – It is designed for quick and effective removal of surface from metals. It is softer than Aluminum and less likely to fracture. Steel Grit is an ideal material for adhesion of paints and coatings.

10. Steel Shot – It is the best material for peening applications to impart a clean, smooth and polished finish. It can be used more than 3,000 times producing minimal dust during the blasting process.

11. Plastic Bread- Plastic Bread is an ideal material for applications such as auto restoration to deliver an efficient stripping rate without any damage.

12. Walnut Shells – It is the most versatile of the organic material because of its angular and durable shape it is considered a soft media. It is also being used as an economical, biodegradable alternative for sensitive blasting operations.

13. White Aluminum - White Aluminum is increasingly being used in critical, high performance processes such as microdermabrasion. It is a 99.5% ultra-pure grade of blasting media.

14. Dry ice- Using compact dry ice pellets shot in a jet of compressed air is the newest method for sandblasting. It is being used to clean machinery, electrical installations, electromechanical equipment etc.