Monday, September 1, 2014

When Hiring Services Of Sandblasting Los Angeles Should Be At The Top Of The List

By Mattie MacDonald


Sandblasting also known as abrasive blasting is the process of propelling high pressure streams of abrasive material against surfaces. This process is done to achieve one or more of the four purposes. The main applications are smoothening rough surfaces, roughening smooth surfaces, removing surface contaminants, and shaping surfaces. The use of the method is determined by the amount of pressure in the abrasive. For elegantly done sandblasting Los Angeles should be the first place to visit.

Propulsion of abrasives is done in two primary ways. In the first mechanism, pressurized fluid, that is, water or air is used. The second option makes use of a centrifugal wheel to propel the material. The first ever application of the technique was in the year 1870. During the same year, a patent was also filed by Benjamin Chew. Sand formed the main abrasive used at the time of invention. The use of sand has however dropped due to health concerns associated wit it.

Increased applications of sandblasting made it possible for variations to be introduced. Currently there are several types in use for different purposes. The major types are, wet abrasive, bead, wheel, dry ice, automated, bristle, hydro, and micro-abrasive blasting. Some of the methods are named according to the nature of abrasive media they use. Each type of blasting is uniquely suited for a specific application.

In wet abrasive sandblasting, water or other liquids are added into the abrasives before they are used. Normally fine-textured media is used. Material of media used can be anything including stone, wood, steel, plastic, and glass. Most surface contaminants are effectively eliminated using this method. Grease, radioactive material, oil, graffiti, dust, old paint, mold, and asbestos are among contaminants that can be removed well. Cleaning agents and water added in the process is part of the reason why the method is very effective.

When compared with dry media blasting, wet abrasive blasting has far too many advantages. First, any among the device formats currently available can be used to perform it. Main device formats available are walk-in booths, hand cabinets, automated production machinery, and total loss portable units. The length of time required to complete it is the same as that for conventional dry media sandblasting.

The major advantage associated with blasting using wet media is that the surface is protected from much damage. The fluid in the abrasive creates a lubricating cushion between the substrate to be processed and the abrasive. This minimizes the impact of force with which the material is propelled. Additionally, impregnation of foreign materials into the substrate does not occur and media breakdown is kept lowest.

Dry media processing results in dust clinging onto the surface because of static energy. This does not happen in wet blasting because the surface is discharged of all static energy by the liquid. Since there is no surface contamination resulting from use of wet media, different abrasive materials can be used in the same machine.

Use of wet materials results into high levels of cleanliness in surfaces. This makes it preferable for use in preparing surfaces for bonding or coating operations. The bond strength that results after cleaning surfaces with this method is normally very high.




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