Sandblasting: The Right Equipment for the Job?

Answer 1

Sandblasting in an extremely versatile method for finishing and stripping unwanted materials from surfaces. It is commonly used in industry due in part to its unsurpassed cost effectiveness and the unique surface finish which can be attained. Sandblasting equipment consists of several major pieces: The air compressor, the media hopper, the hose, and the nozzle. There are three types of sandblasters - the siphon sandblaster, the pressurized sandblaster, and the wet sandblaster - all of which use these same four basic parts

In a siphon sandblasting system, high pressure air is supplied to to a siphon mechanism by an air compressor. The siphon tube sucks up grit from the media hopper at a controllable rate where it is then blown down the blast tube to the nozzle. The nozzle is made of a very hard ceramic material to withstand the constant scraping of grit at high speed and serves to concentrate the spray of grit. The grit then exits the nozzle with extreme velocity where it strikes the workpiece.

In principle, the pressurized sandblaster is very much like the siphon sandblaster but has one critical difference. In a pressurized sandblaster system, the grit hopper is put under pressure by the air compressor. Instead of being siphoned out, the grit is forced out under pressure in a controlled way to be blasted at the workpiece. Pressurized sandblasters are able to meter grit amounts better than siphon systems but are often more costly due to the amount of pressurized equipment.

The third and final type, the wet sandblaster, also uses the same four basic parts as the other varieties. The main difference the wet sandblaster exhibits is that the grit is blasted at the workpiece as a wet slurry. This method of incorporating water with the grit helps lessen the heat that is normally generated as high-speed grit strikes a target. This method is commonly used on materials that are unable to withstand high temperatures.

Sandblasting has many uses, with the most common being the removal of unwanted coatings from surfaces. It is often used on intricate surfaces where grinders would be rendered clumsy and ineffective at material removal.