Why High Pressure Wet Blasting Is The Future
Innovation is more than just a new idea; it’s a catalyst for efficiency, superior results, and brighter prospects. At Vapor Honing Technologies, we’re dedicated to revolutionizing the wet blasting industry by introducing the next era of surface treatment.
What Is Wet Blasting:
Wet blasting is a cutting-edge surface treatment method that combines the power of abrasive materials, water, and compressed air to achieve remarkable results. Though this process is quite similar to sandblasting in theory, the results differ drastically in practice. With wet blasting, the abrasive is cushioned by the water as it interacts with the surface. This creates a clean by flow nature, meaning your parts are left with a much smoother and more desirable looking finish, otherwise known as the #VaporFinish!
This cleaning and polishing effect is perfect for softer materials such as aluminum, brass, and plastic. It also ensures that sealing surfaces are not damaged as surface material is not removed during blasting!
All this being said, wet blasting is also an excellent option for coating prep and contaminant/coating removal. By using more aggressive abrasives, such as aluminum oxide and crushed glass, a Vapor Honing machine can easily remove paint, corrosion, and anodizing. With these same medias, it is also possible to roughen the surface of your part, making it more accepting of coatings or other post processes.
For a further explanation of Vapor Honing, click here.
The Advantages of Wet Blasting:
- Dust-Free Operation: Wet blasting eliminates dust, creating a cleaner and safer working environment.
- Surface Protection: It is gentle on surfaces, making it suitable for both delicate and hard materials.
- Abrasive Longevity: Wet blasting extends the lifespan of abrasive materials by 3x, reducing costs.
- Health and Safety: Minimizes health risks associated with airborne dust and abrasive exposure.
- Versatility: Effective for stripping, cleaning, and polishing various materials, hard or soft.
- Precision Control: Allows for precise adjustment of pressure and abrasive mixtures for different tasks.
- Heat Warping: The introduction of water decreases heat generation as well as sparking on parts, protecting your parts and you.
- Achievable Surface Roughness: Vapor Honing can achieve lower and higher RA values than all other competing surface treatment processes due to the plethora of media mixtures.
Typical Wet Blasting Specifications:
- 20 – 30 CFM
- 60 – 120 PSI
- 10 MM Nozzle Tip
Wet Blasting is commonly referred to as Vapor Honing and Vapor Blasting. They all refer to the same process, and all terms may be used in our blogs.
High Pressure Wet Blasting
Pro’s of HPWB:
- Faster processing
- Retain wide abrasive choice
- Applicable to more processes
- Can be more aggressive
- Micro-Shot peening
- Drastically less air consumption
- Still safe on most parts
- Can combine Hydro & Vapor blasting
Con’s of HPWB:
- Must be careful with delicate parts
- Can cause accelerated abrasive wear
Understanding the advantages of high-pressure wet blasting becomes clear when considering its impact on various industries. Take CNC part manufacturing, for instance, as mentioned in our video: it can reduce processing time by two-thirds while maintaining the desired finish. But this isn’t exclusive to CNC manufacturers; it benefits all types of production. If you’re seeking to boost processing speed, high-pressure vapor blasting might be the answer.
This same approach applies beyond production settings. Whether you run a parts cleaning shop or employ Vapor Honing for cleaning, prepping, and polishing parts, this method significantly accelerates your operations.
