Abrasive blasting, a surface cleaning and preparation process that involves the use of an abrasive blast cabinet to propel an abrasive medium against a workpiece surface at high pressure, can reduce surface cleaning and prep time by up to 75% when compared to manual techniques. Adding accessories such as a blast cabinet dust collector, media reclaim, or blaster air filters further boosts the performance of your operation. This blog will highlight seven abrasive blast cabinet parts and accessories that help maximize uptime and productivity.
The Basics of Abrasive Blast Cabinet Operation
While there are several types of abrasive blast media available to suit a wide variety of applications, almost every operation uses an abrasive blast cabinet, and an air compressor.
In the abrasive blasting process, the surface to be treated is placed inside the abrasive blast cabinet and a technician, who must be outfitted in personal protective equipment, adds the blasting media to the blasting machine. A hose with a special nozzle is attached to the blasting machine, which is powered by compressed air. The technician moves the hose and nozzle in a side-to-side motion to blast the surface with the abrasive media until the specified level of cleanliness is achieved.
Finishing surfaces with abrasive blasting helps improve efficiency as it is not only faster than manually cleaning surfaces, but it also offers better results because it provides a superior surface for bonding, minimizes the risk for damage and is more environmentally friendly than chemical strippers.
7 Abrasive Blast Cabinet Accessories That Maximize Performance
While using abrasive blasting equipment will always provide greater efficiency than manually finishing pieces, there are several accessories that can further boost the performance, productivity, quality and cost effectiveness of the operation by reducing downtime, improving safety and supporting sustainability.
Consider using the following seven abrasive blast cabinet parts and accessories to achieve the greatest level of performance and productivity from your operation:
| Nozzles | Having the right type and size of abrasive blast nozzle for the application will ensure that the media is being applied in a way that increases blasting productivity without harming the surface. Take note of the blast nozzle shape, as that will determine the blast pattern and finish. Nozzle material is also an important consideration and will depend on the abrasive media as some may mandate use of a more durable construction. Size is also critical because it controls the amount of media that is able to get through – if a nozzle is too small, less air and abrasive will pass through so efficiency will suffer, and, if it’s too large, the air and media mixture will be too weak to provide adequate performance. |
| Blast machine screens and covers | Because the efficiency and performance of the abrasive blasting operation relies on having clean, dry media, screens and covers are critical blast cabinet parts as they help prevent downtime caused by blockages that may occur if moisture and debris get into the media or blast machine. Screens prevent debris that may be mixed in with the blast media from getting inside the blasting machine, while blast machine covers keep moisture from entering the blast machine. |
| Blast cabinet dust collector | A blast cabinet dust collector is one of the most important blast cabinet parts because it removes dust, dirt and debris generated during the abrasive blasting process. During blasting, small particles of corrosion, coating and dirt are produced and, when the compressed air inside the blast chamber blows these particles around, it creates a situation where the technician’s visibility is reduced, which will negatively impact the efficiency and quality of the operation. In addition, this dust and debris will likely escape from the abrasive blast cabinet and cause housekeeping and safety issues. A blast cabinet dust collector helps prevent these issues, enhancing operator performance, finish quality and safety of the facility. |
| Blaster air filters | There are three types of blaster air filters that may be used, depending on the set up of the abrasive blasting cabinet and operation: air inlet filters, air regulator filters and dust collector filters. Dust collector filters, which are available as cloth or cartridge filters, are the most important as they are used to capture dust that comes from treating the part. Air inlet filters clean the air as it enters the abrasive blast cabinet to increase visibility for the operator and air regulator filters filter the compressed air to ensure that it is clean and dry, preventing media clumps. |
| Abrasive recovery systems | In a blast cabinet operation, a reclaimer, or separator reclaimer, separates usable abrasive media from dust and spent abrasive, allowing for the reuse of the good media and improving visibility and efficiency. Abrasive separator reclaimers are pneumatic centrifuges that separate usable abrasive from dust and unwanted worn abrasive while creating the negative cabinet air pressure required for all blasting cabinets. |
| Personal protective equipment | Increasing safety and complying with Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) mandates can be achieved through the use of personal protective equipment (PPE). Abrasive blasting operators should be equipped with abrasive blasting cabinet gloves that are heavy duty and durable enough to protect forearms. Ensure that any selected abrasive blasting cabinet gloves are designed specifically for blasting applications and that they are constructed of abrasion-resistant materials such as leather, neoprene or Kevlar. Respirators are also an important piece of PPE as they prevent dust from entering the lungs of the technician. Blast suits are necessary to protect operators from cuts and lacerations caused by abrasive media rebounds. These should be constructed of abrasion-resistant, sweat-wicking material. Providing appropriate, comfortable PPE will ensure that operators are safe and productive |
| Abrasive blast cabinet lights | Sand blast cabinet lights can be installed inside the blast cabinet to increase the visibility of surfaces being finished in low-light conditions. This will enhance the performance of the operator and increase the quality of the finished product. |
Having the right abrasive blast cabinet parts, components and accessories will ensure that the blasting operation is as safe, efficient and effective as possible. By maximizing performance, these blast cabinet parts and accessories help increase uptime and productivity, so your operation remains profitable and competitive. Contact the experts at HTE to learn more about essential accessories for your abrasive blast cabinet.
