Today, abrasive blasting is used for an array of purposes. This includes surface cleaning and finishing, along with preparation of the materials. Some of the materials it can be used on include glass, wood, plastics, and metals.
With this cleaning method, the process is faster and more effective than using chemicals. However, if you aren’t convinced this method is right for your needs, consider the specific benefits abrasive blasting provides for surface prep.
Eco-Friendliness
Abrasive blasting is much more eco-friendly than traditional chemical cleaning methods. The abrasive media used is natural and eco-friendly, which means no greenhouse gases are emitted. This isn’t the case if chemical substances are used for this process.
Efficiency
With abrasive blasting, it is possible to get into all the nooks and crannies of any surface being worked on. This helps to ensure a more thorough and faster-cleaning process.
Usually, chemical cleaning is accompanied by a manual process of scraping or brushing. Even with this two-step process, it’s not as efficient as abrasive blasting is.
Surface Profiling
The adhesion profile of any surface is controllable thanks to the use of different particle sizes of blasting medium during the surface prep. The profiling of the surface, which refers to how rough it is, depends on the application needs determined by the material.
Operator Safety
In most cases, using abrasive media to clean surfaces is not as much of a health risk as chemical cleaning methods. While sandblasting does present some level of health risk because of the sand particles and fine dust generated during the process, most operators can easily take protective steps to minimize the hazards.
Effectiveness
Abrasive blasting is efficient for surface preparation, but it is also cost and time effective. You will find that state-of-the-art technology is available, which provides mobile solutions for working on surfaces that may not be accessible for manual or chemical cleaning processes.
The Importance of Blasting Before Surface Coating
Usually, abrasive blasting provides an affordable way to prepare and clean surfaces. Even better, the abrasive media used is often reusable.
Because of this, you see economic advantages over more traditional methods, while cleaning surfaces better and faster while removing the undesirable contaminants more efficiently.
If contaminants are left on the surface before the new coating is applied, it will cause issues down the road. Over time, this could require the surface to be recleaned, which is expensive or may even lead to material failure.
Abrasive Blasting for Surface Prep
As you can see from the information here, abrasive blasting offers several benefits when it comes to prepping the surface of a material before a new coating is applied. If you don’t have the tools and equipment to handle this yourself, hire the professionals. They can ensure the work is done properly and that it provides the desired results. Being informed is the best way to understand what abrasive blasting offers and why it may be the right method for your project.