Vapor Blasting – What is it?
Vapor blasting is the combination of mixing water with abrasive which forms a slurry. This slurry is mixed into a fluid and evenly mixed as a liquid in the bottom of the hopper. We normally refer this as the sump. The liquid is pumped up to the blasting gun and compressed air accelerate the mixture propelling it towards the part. Depending on the vapor blasting application air pressures can range from 20 PSI- 150PSI but 70-80 PSI being the sweet spot for most applications. Check out the video if you haven’t already done so to see other applications that vapor blasting is used for. Continue reading to learn more about vapor blasting and this revolutionary process.
Applications for wet blasting
- Automotive/ Motorcycle – Vapour blasting has been the primary process for cleaning motorcycle and engine components since early 2012 when we first released content on cleaning these parts. If you’re looking to provide the best OEM finishes on the factory original parts then look no further. With the lack of abrasive embedment in the part and the smoothing nature of the blast its no wonder why vapor abrasive blasting is the process of choice for this application. During the tear down and rebuilding of these parts you will encounter many challenges and different materials needing to be cleaned such as rubber, plastic, brass, aluminum, and magnesium. Since vapor honing equipment mixes water with abrasives this helps provide a washing and blasting process all in one. The water cushions the abrasive making tradition dry blasting outdated due to its damaging effects.
- Industrial Uses- There are hundreds of applications for aqua blasting used in the industrial world from coating prep, to finishing cnc parts, to general part cleaning. Each industrial application is unique for the revolutionary wet blasting process and all can be valuable for your operation in cutting operating costs with your current part cleaning needs.
- Outdoor Blasting- Larger outdoor projects also benefit from liquid honing as well. There are many brands of wet blasting pressure pots and all have their place. Some of the main uses for outdoor blasting could include removing graffiti, boat hull cleaning, bridge coating removal. The biggest benefit like all vapor honing machines offer is the lack of dust surrounding the work area. This is helpful for the person blasting but also the environment specifically if the project being blasted has harmful coatings or paint on them.
- CNC Machining- One of the best blasting process is wet abrasive blasting to remove cnc machine tool marks and prep for coatings such as anodize. With the ability to do smoothing, de burring, and surface prep in one process this offers incredible time savings and also cost savings. The biggest benefits of the wet blasting system is the reduction in operating costs compared to sand blasting machines. It is said that a vapor honing machines will outlast dry blasting machines 8-10 times longer. Also, this goes for the consumables as well such as the abrasive used for blasting. Since abrasive is the largest consumable in any blasting operation this is a huge cost saver for your business.
