Everything you need to know about abrasive blasting

Abrasive blasting is an erosive cleaning process which is used to remove unwanted materials from a metal’s surface.

There are two main types of abrasive blasting – dry and wet – which can be used for numerous applications. Here at Special Metals, we specialise in both wet and dry abrasive techniques which allow for gentle removal of unwanted materials by cleaning with water or air pressure.

We offer two of the best abrasive blasting services including:

Aqua blasting

Aqua blasting – also known as vapour blasting -, is a wet abrasive process, which cleans material from a metal through the use of water pressure and extremely fine media. This is a non-aggressive process which enables a finer finish, as the water ensures that all unwanted media and dust is removed immediately.

Advantages of using aqua blasting:

• The process of vapour blasting not only provides a clean surface but also delivers a pristine and permanent satin finish, which saves times on repainting
• Aqua blasting is extremely eco-friendly, as no hazardous materials are used during the abrasive blasting process
• Moisture is retained within the metal on impact with the water pressure, which reduces dust build-up and prevents the intake of harmful substances

Aqua blasting can be used for numerous applications, such as:

• Vehicle parts, including exhausts, cylinder heads, vintage and classic car parts, wheels, brake drums and more
• Ship parts, including propellers, anchors, deck furnishings, rudders, and outboard fittings
• Surface preparation and reconditioning for engineering parts

Bead blasting

Bead blasting involves the use of glass beads to remove unnecessary media from your chosen metal. In comparison with other forms of abrasive blasting which use jagged techniques – beads offer a much softer application through the process of gentle dimpling, which enables a high-quality finish.

Advantages of using bead blasting:

• Once a metal has been bead blasted it will become hardened due to the compacting process that occurs during the abrasive procedure. This increases durability and protects the material against potential damage and ultimately lengthens its lifespan, ensuring that you are getting value for your money
• In contrast to sandblasting, which involves the use of silica sand, which can cause health issues, glass bead blasting is extremely safe and eco-friendly as glass beads do not produce harmful substances
• The use of glass beads enables extensive flexibility, which means it can be used for an array of applications

The most common forms of bead blasting applications include:

• This process is ideal for cosmetic finishing due to the matte appearance of the bead blast finish, which enables light reflection and gives a mirrored effect to items such as car parts, electronics, tools and more
• Any materials that require deburring (the process of removing burrs from all the metal’s edges in order to construct a suitable surface for proper assembly of engineering parts)
• Glass bead blasting is the ideal cleaning procedure, as it easily removes any bacteria or unwanted material from the workpiece

Contact Special Metals

Here at Special Metals, we offer our premier abrasive blasting services to clients who require a non-aggressive cleaning process applied to their products.

Our Guyson bead blaster and Vaqua aqua blaster enable us to thoroughly clean, deburr, and apply a high-quality finish to your metal parts in preparation for assembly.

For further information on our first-rate abrasive blasting services, enquire online or contact us on +86-755-29936699.

Posted on: Dec 21, 2018