Sandblasting is a process in which sand and other types of abrasives are sprayed on components with great force using compressed air to clean them. This process is very important as it removes surface oxidants that form on metal components in heat treatment, cleans components by removing chemical residues, and cleans molds and other types of machinery. Sand blasting is commonly used for: deburring, surface texturing, finishing, frosting / etching, degreasing, roughening, deflashing, stripping coatings, and descaling, etc.
Sandblasting equipment consists of a secure enclosure that has thick, dust proof walls. The inner walls are made of metal plates, so that grits that are deflected from the components bounce back. Components are placed on the table which may be a fixed or rotating type.
Some types of sandblasting machines consist of twin tables and while one table which has components loaded on it is inside of the machine, the other table is on the outside of it. Parts can be then placed on the outside table which saves loading times. A timing device is used to run the sand blasting for a fixed duration and the blasting operation stops after the allotted time has passed. A conveyor belt inside of the machine re-circulates the grit. Suitable failsafe mechanisms are built in to safe guard the operator.
A pot is a container which holds and discharges the material used in sandblasting. There are two types of pots, which are pressure-pots and siphon system pots. Siphon systems siphon the sand from the pot by a connecting hose it is then mixed with air and blasted out of a nozzle onto the surface. All pots need air compressors to work with.
Special grit that is made of a variety of materials and grit sizes is used as the medium for blasting. Some common materials that are used are: black silicon carbide, brown aluminum oxide, white aluminum oxide, crushed glass, aluminum oxide and glass bead mix, glass beads, black walnut shells and blasting garnet. The sandblasting process commonly used on metals, woods, plastics and glass. When you are operating sandblasting equipment you should make sure that you have proper ventilation and are wearing protective clothing and eyewear.