By Veco Sponge Blasting media is the technique of applying different kinds of grit, or media, to the project’s surface using compressed air. This procedure is used to clean the surface, etch it, and get it ready for powder coating. Knowing the different kinds of media and how they are used will help you approach your project more effectively.
Media blasting or sandblasting is the process of launching abrasive media at a surface to remove impurities, paint, coatings, or other materials. In addition to etching a surface, it is also used to create creative designs or graphics as needed for the project and to prepare a surface for powder coating. Several media types are employed, depending on the project, the surface, and the intended effects.
Uses of Blasting Media blasting
Applications for blasting media are found in many different sectors. Here are a few areas where our media-blasting clients typically operate.
Automotive Industry
In the automotive sector, blasting media is used for paint removal, rust removal, and surface preparation prior to coating or painting. It is used in both the building of brand-new automobiles and the preservation of vintage automobiles.
Construction Industry
Concrete, metal, and other surfaces can have coatings, graffiti, and corrosion removed with blasting media.
Marine Industry
Blasting media is used in shipyards to clean and prepare ship surfaces for painting, coating, or maintenance. It is useful for cleaning ship hulls and other marine structures of rust, barnacles, and old paint.
Aerospace Industry
Blasting media is used in the aerospace sector to prepare and polish aircraft parts. Prior to maintenance or repainting, it aids in cleaning surfaces of pollutants, old paint, and rust.
Manufacturing Industry
Media blasting is a surface preparation technique used by several manufacturing industries before painting or coating. It is used in the manufacturing of machinery, other fabricated items, and metal components.
Advantages of Blasting Media
Affordable
Blasting media works well on a range of surfaces and is reasonably priced.
Environmentally Friendly
Blasting media is a non-toxic, non-destructive technique for surface preparation. It does not emit harmful materials or garbage.
Improved Appearance
A surface can be made to look homogeneous and appealing again with blasting media.
Surface Preparation
Blasting media effectively cleans surfaces of rust, scale, paint, and other impurities. This prepares the surface for additional processes like welding, painting, and priming.
Thorough Cleaning
Surface impurities are rapidly and completely removed by blasting media without causing any harm to the substrate underneath.
Types of Media Blasting
Aluminum Oxide
The most popular abrasive material for surface preparation and blast finishing is aluminum oxide. It has a very long-lasting and sharp edge. Among its greatest benefits is that it is robust and easily recycled for numerous other purposes. It can be used for a wide range of tasks and comes in several grit sizes and hardness ratings.
Crushed Glass
Crushed glass is an aggressive surface treatment that is used to get rid of thick coatings and contaminants because of its sharp edges and angular profile. Because the materials are inert and non-toxic, they are totally harmless. They also do not contain any free silica or heavy metals. Compared to several other media, it requires as little as half the material to prepare the surface because it is so light.
Glass Beads
The glass beads employed in this type of blasting are non-toxic, heavy metal-free, and devoid of silica. When the blasting process is finished, the pre-formed ball shapes polish while they blast, leaving a brilliant and flawless surface. Additionally, these materials have a high degree of recyclable and reuse value.
Organic Compounds
Naturally occurring materials that are great at safeguarding beneath surfaces include corn cobs and walnut shells. Walnut shells are used in more vigorous stripping, while corn cobs are utilized in more sensitive and soft blasting, such as from wood surfaces.
Plastic
Plastics work with consistent and standardized results, making them perfect for speedy stripping. Plastics are frequently the best option when paint needs to be removed from composites, automobile surfaces, aerospace materials, or fragile metals.
Pumice
The same block-shaped substance sold to help eliminate skin calluses works well for minor blasting tasks. The grainy, soft volcanic stone is perfect for delicate tasks. Pumice can be the perfect blasting medium if the procedure calls for a delicate touch or a cautious approach to preserving the underlying surface material.
Silicon Carbide
Silicon carbide is the toughest blasting material available and cuts quite quickly. It starts as a bunch of little blocks that split apart rapidly when they are blasted. It is reusable numerous times. Among all the blasting media, it is the most recyclable. It is widely used to etch glass and stone. When applied to heavily rusted surfaces, it works very well.
Steel Shot
Steel shot works well for cleaning and stripping metal surfaces. This substance consists of a number of tiny steel balls that are burned at the surface to remove substances. This medium leaves a high sheen and polish on the surface.
Steel Grit
Steel grit works fast if the procedure calls for a very forceful approach and the surface material is resistant to this kind of blasting. It also gets rid of many different kinds of pollution. Etching metal is a fantastic use for it.
Final Words
When blasting media or abrasive materials, also known as “media,” are often propelled onto a part’s surface at high speeds using compressed air or water, the “media,” or abrasive material, produces a surface that is clean and ready for finishing or additional treatment.
