Blast Cleaning
We offer a wide range of blast cleaning processes using a variety of blast media as detailed below. Blast cleaning is a generic term used for abrasive blasting to either clean or remove coatings from a substrate.
In relation to steel there are various cleaning standards and specification of which a summary is below for ease of understanding. Depending upon whether an angular or spherical grit is used will determine the roughness of the blasted finish as angular grit will give you a rough profile where spherical media will give you a smooth profile. This is further explained in the testing section.
Cleaning standards which are best known are SA standards- ISO 8501 in blasting which can be easily converted to other standards world over.
SA 1 LIGHT BLAST CLEANING SA 2 THOROUGH BLAST CLEAN SA 2.5 VERY THOROUGH BLAST CLEAN (NEAR WHITE METAL) SA 3 - VISUALLY WHITE METAL
The standards have photographic representation to gauge the cleanliness standard.
Please note that cleanliness standards do not denote the outcome of the profile.
Depending upon which blast media is chosen ie Grade in conjunction with correct pressures will determine the outcome of the surface profile.
Typical profile used for carbon steel is between 70 - 100 unit microns.
Typical profile used for alloys is between 30 - 50 unit microns
For further information please see TESTING & INSPECTION link.
Grit blasting - Carbon
The main blast bay uses steel grit which is recycled and cleaned ready for re use on all carbon parts.
This gives excellent cleaning rates to standard and correct profile required for all major specifications.
Grit blasting - Carbon and alloys
On surfaces which steel grit can impair the finish or on stainless, duplex and other alloys we use Garnet which is a non metallic abrasive.
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Stainless or Aluminium
On surfaces which are either thin wall thickness, removing of burn marks to ensure an even surface then glass beads are used
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Slurry blasting
On certain structures and substrates we use slurry blast , water injection blast machined which reduce debris , reduce media usage.
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Shot peening
On bearing surfaces or where case hardening is required to a specification then steel shot is used which peens the surface to reduce fatigue or stress relief.
