Pros and Cons of Dry Blasting
Dry blasting, also known as abrasive blasting, grit blasting or spindle blasting, is a surface pre-treatment that removes rust and surface contaminants from a metal component prior to powder coating or adding another protective coating. The key to dry blasting is that the finish is produced by the force of media impact, it is similar to Wet Blasting but it does not use water or liquid, only air through a Venturi Nozzle.
Like wet blasting, there are also different voices for dry blasting. In this article, we will introduce the Pros and Cons of Dry Blasting.
Pros of Dry Blasting
1. Efficiency
Dry blasting is directly towards components through the blast nozzle of the gun, the blast media stream can be propelled at a very high velocity onto the workpiece without any restrictions, resulting in faster cleaning rates and/or better surface preparation on most substrates.
2. Strong surface cleaning
Dry blasting Cleans by the impact of the media, it is highly abrasive which allows it able to remove stubborn paint, heavy rust, mill scale, corrosion, and other contaminants from metal surfaces. The resultant debris can be much easier to remove as waste.
3. Will not cause any metals to rust
As there is no water involved with dry blasting, it is ideally suited for materials that are unable to get wet.
4. Wide range of blast materials
Dry blasting can handle pretty much any type of blast media without the risk of rust or corrosion.
5. Cost-effective
As it doesn’t involve additional equipment or the containment and disposal of water and wet waste, dry blasting is comparatively less costly than wet blasting.
6. Versatility
Dry blasting requires less equipment and preparation and can be conducted in a wider range of locations. It is suitable for a wide range of applications from high-volume production, to surface preparation, and occasional maintenance of equipment and tools.
Cons of Dry Blasting
1. Dust Release
The fine, abrasive dust released from dry abrasive blasting can cause harm to the operative or adjacent working parties if inhaled, or to a local dust-sensitive plant. Therefore dust collectors or extra environmental precautions are required.
2. Fire / Explosion Risk
Static build-up during the dry abrasive blasting process can create ‘hot sparks’ which can cause an explosion or fire in flammable environments. This needs to be managed by the use of equipment shutdown, gas detectors, and permits.
3. More media consumption
Dry blasting involves no water, which means it requires more abrasive. The media consumption of dry blasting is around 50% more than wet blasting.
4. Rough finish
Like the illustrations shown before, the finish of dry blasting is produced by sheer force of media impact, which will leave deformation on the surface of the workpiece and make them rough. So it is not suitable when you need a fine and uniform finish.
Final Thoughts
If you want to obtain perfect finishing results and need to significantly protect an open environment or adjacent dust-sensitive plant, then wet blasting is a good choice for you. However, in most other applications where adequate environmental controls, containment, and equipment are more than suitable for dry abrasive blasting.
