Blasting when used as a technical term in the manufacturing industry can be taken or understood quite literally. Blasting involves the use of material substances or more specifically, abrasives, to continuously bombard or blast a specific piece pf steel or any metal product. However, this process is not aimed at destroying the piece of metal or steel being “blasted”.
On the contrary, blasting is a vital part of the manufacturing process, whose importance cannot be overestimated. It is an essential step in successfully and correctly finishing a steel ort metal product. This is because proper and correct coating or colouring would prove to be more challenging without carrying out the blasting process. On that note, what exactly is blasting? We will consider the types of blasting and how exactly does blasting work?
Types of Blasting
There are two major types of blasting.
- Wet blasting
- Dry blasting
First of the note that both dry and wet blasting is similar in their methods of operation. However, wet blasting simply involves the use of water or any other liquid and soap (when needed). This is unique because it allows simultaneous blasting and washing of the steel or metal product. However, the speed of the procedure is not generally as fast as the typical dry blasting.
Dry blasting, on the other hand, involves the use of abrasives (as mentioned earlier) to bombard the surface of steel and metal products. This continual bombardment would eventually lead to the shedding of a very thin layer of the surface. This shedding is vital because it is accompanied by the expulsion of impurities. These impurities could have lodged into spaces on the surface of the material. A typical example is dust particles. However, other unwanted particles of other metals could be involved, especially in a factory or industry setting.
Several materials could be used as abrasives in dry blasting. This gives rise to a variety of the options available for dry blasting. These abrasives and their methods include:
- Sand particles hence we have sandblasting
- Glass beads giving rise to bead blasting
- Wheel blasting makes use of a spinning wheel and many more.
The machine used for shot blasting (which is a type of dry blasting) is the shot blasting machine. It is also referred to as the blaster or the wheel blasting equipment or machine. Blasting is automatic using this machine and faster for industrial purposes.
Industrial Uses of Blasting
- Cleaning of steel surfaces in steel fabrication.
- Foundry casting and
- The building of ship in shipyards.
Types of Shot Blast Machine
- Shot blast equipment for pipes, tubes, rods and bar series.
- Typical blaster spinner hanger through tunnels along overhead rails.
- Standard series of shot blasters.
Importance of Blasting
Blasting is extremely important first because it gives the material texture. This makes it easier for the coating or coloring to stick. This is especially true of wheel blasts
Additionally, its cleaning ability increases the lifespan of the duration of use of the steel or metal product. So we have metal products of higher standards that last longer.
