Considerations of Vapour Blasting
DIMENSIONS OF PARTS
We can accommodate parts up to ~1.2 metres cubed.
METAL CONDITION
Vapour Blasting is essentially a metal refinishing process. Although it does an amazing job of removing low to medium levels of corrosion, it is not a process for moving very heavy oxidation. Therefore, the cleaner the parts are when they come to us, the cheaper the job will be for you.
We have a dry-blasting facility. In some cases, we will use a dry-blasting process (typically garnet) first, finishing with the Vapour Blaster.
CONTAMINANTS
Similarly, pre removal of silicon, paint, grease or oil on parts will mean less time degreasing / decontaminating at our end.
MASKING
There are some situations where masking of parts will be required (e.g., the process will remove soft zinc from bolts, studs etc.) We discuss these requirements on a case-by-case basis.
POST VAPOUR BLASTING
Ferrous metals – Vapour Blasting does an amazing job on Fe metals. However, during the process, the metal is obviously exposed to concentrated water and air. We use a corrosion retardant however, by the nature of Fe, ‘flash corrosion’ will occur within a relatively short period post blasting. Thought should therefore be given to how you will ultimately protect these ferrous metal parts from corrosion and timing of application.
Alloys – Keep in mind that the Vapour Blasting process actually ‘micro-peens’ the surface of metals and therefore, alloys typically oxidise at a slower rate than previous. However, depending on application and preference, we can recommend various products that will prolong/enhance your finished article. We stock and resell some of our preferred products.