Assessing The Efficiency Of Your Finishing Process
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Knowing When To Choose Tumbling vs. Vibratory Finishing For Your Workpiece
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Abrasive blasting is a common method of parts finishing used in industrial manufacturing processes. This process involves blasting a media rapidly across the workpieces being finished in order to remove dirt and anomalies from them. While sand was originally the only kind of media used, which is how this process came to be known as sandblasting, there are many different kinds of media that are used today. The different kinds of media depend on the kind of workpiece that is being blasted, meaning that choosing the right abrasive medium for your workpiece is key to being efficient at this process.
Soft and Hard Abrasive Mediums
Glass beadsis one of the most common forms of abrasive media because they are not as aggressive as other kinds. This allows them to be used without risk of damaging the workpieces and leads to a brighter finish. Glass beads are also able to be used multiple times, making them one of the more cost-effective medias you can choose. If you are looking for a harder, stronger medium, aluminum oxide is the way to go. This kind of media is best suited when a strong blast is needed and therefore is often used to remove paint and coating. Plastic and silicon carbides are also hard abrasive mediums used to remove mold lines and are flexible in their size and shape.
Other Abrasive Mediums
Steel shot and grit are hardy abrasive mediums that stand out among the others due to their highly cost-effective nature. Steel is highly recyclable, so you will need to change out the media much less frequently and, when you do, it can be recycled for more steel. Walnut shells are a natural kind of blasting media that are best suited to polishing soft metals, fiberglass, wood, plastic, and stone. Finally, corn cob is a granular abrasive material that is ideal for a gritty deburring and burnished cleaning.
Ultimately, the type of abrasive blasting media that you will use in your facility will depend on the type of workpiece being finished. If you are unsure about exactly which kind would be best suited for your operations, we at Mikro Industrial Finishing would be happy to help you determine and acquire the perfect blasting medium for you. To learn more and to consult with us today, please call us at (860) 875-6357.
