Abrasive Water Blasting: A Clean Method to Remove Impurities

 The method has been used since 1870 and involves blasting with abrasive water. With this method, dust and waste or hazardous materials are removed while simultaneously degreasing with synchronous blasting (asbestos or other impurities). It effectively decontaminates because it poses no threat to surfaces or structures. The apparatus used for this, which varies in size and pressure, is an abrasive water blaster.

To accomplish the following, abrasive material is forcibly propelled against a surface under intense pressure during abrasive water blasting:

• Smoothing a bumpy surface
• roughening a smooth one
• Surface shaping 
• Elimination of surface impurities

All conventional blasting formats, including walk-in booths, hand cabinets, automated production equipment, and portable blasting machines with entire loss, can be used for Abrasive Water Blasting Equipment. The process's speed is determined by necessity. Because water works as a buffer, the surface that has been cleaned using this method is not harmed. Thus, abrasive water blasting has two benefits: first, it slows down media breakdown, and second, it keeps foreign objects from adhering to the surface. Water blasting is preferred before coating or bonding procedures because it achieves a far higher level of cleanliness than dry blasting.

Different Wet Blasting Methods

There are currently a variety of wet blasting methods accessible for selection. 

• Wet abrasive blasting 
• high-pressure water blasting 
• high-pressure water and abrasive blasting 
• and air and water abrasive blasting are only a few of them.

The method of blasting that is chosen depends on the application and the necessity.

Details of Abrasive Water Blasting Equipment

The majority of wet blast equipment is cabinet mounted and easily modifiable. Conveyors, auxiliary strippers, and wash-rinse-dry stations can all be removed. The following components typically make up the blasting device:

• horizontal wheel
• Horizontal plane turntable 
• shuttle with rail or car extensions
• chain or belt conveyors
• self-contained turning mechanisms for shafts and tubular sections 
• combination tumbling-cabinet machines are just a few examples of the equipment mentioned.

What Happens During Abrasive Blasting?

With the use of a high-velocity air propulsion system, Abrasive Water-Blasting Equipment propels a slurry toward a surface. The slurry is a mixture of finely ground abrasives and chemically treated water. involves the propulsion of a slurry towards a surface by high-velocity compressed air. At a pressure equivalent to that fed to a blast hose, compressed air is injected into a vessel. In order to feed the abrasive mixture into an air line, the pressure is equalised. Between a hopper and a mixing chamber is a full flow valve for controlling the flow of abrasives.

Uses for wet abrasive blasting

Wet abrasive blasting has the following uses:

• Burr removal from substrates
• surface preparation for hard chromium coatings
• bonding composites 
• bonding composites 
• and coatings for tines and other tools are all examples of surface preparation
• Rebuilding airplane engines Etching glass for aesthetic or practical purposes
• Automobile overhaul and engine repair
• peening surfaces for a bright, clean look
• clean plastic injection molds
• Cleaning the holes in printed circuit boards

Wet Abrasive Blasting Advantages

The list of advantages of abrasive blasting is extensive, however, the following are the main advantages of wet abrasive blasting:

• Extremely fine media can be used
• but media impregnation into the substrate is not possible. 
• Deeply cleaning irregular surfaces 
• Eliminating the need for hand sanding
• Avoiding the use of toxic chemicals 
• Reducing dust 
• Recycling media/slurry in a closed cabinet 
• No heat warping of thin parts 
• Satin-looking final finish
• Excellent plating and bonding surfaces
• Holding tight tolerances

 Contact Aqua Miser at (843) 760-3000.