How sponge blasting media is effective in Industrial blasting services?

Industries need an efficient and reliable way of cleaning and preparing surfaces. As there are huge machines on which the work is carried on they need to be maintained to have continuous work done without any break. Industries work on various metals like steel and aluminum. You have to prepare many types of surfaces including both hard and soft ones. Sponge blasting media is now preferably used over sandblasting in industrial blasting services because of its unique properties and advantages. As sponge blasting is a low dust and low noise medium, every kind of industry feels free to use it for their painting purposes and surface preparations.

In sponge blasting media, polyurethane small pieces of sponge are used that have an abrasive present in them. These abrasives are expelled from the nozzle of the sponge blasting machine at moderate pressure. When the sponge comes in contact with the paint or concrete to be removed, the abrasive comes out and cleans the paint or concrete while absorbing the contaminants inside it. Like this, the process is safe for both the worker doing it and the environment.

Sponge-blasting media is ideal for situations where paint has to be removed from bricks inside offices. This will not allow the particles to go on the floor and other areas of the office making those areas accessible to work. This method is great for preparing steel in tight spaces, closed environments and small spaces where vision is important.

In industrial blasting services, there is a high risk of the environment getting contaminated and it’s hard for the workers to work. So sponge blasting media has been introduced as it has a variety of benefits over traditional sandblasting.

Sponge-blasting media has been serving various kinds of industries for a long time:

• Marine
• Construction
• Petrochemical industry
• Utilities and power generation
• Rail industry
• Infrastructure
• Oil and gas pipeline depainting
• Inspection projects
• Nuclear decontamination
• General industrial coating
• Rust removal
• Water and waste-water plants
• Food processing
• Pulp and paper mills
• NDT etc. inspection prep

The properties of sponge blasting media that make it an ideal choice for industrial blasting services:

• It emits less dust:

It is preferred over sandblasting, as the dust particles are absorbed by the sponge instantly. The absorption of dust particles by the soft sponge eliminated 98% of dust from the surrounding environment making it clear for the workers to work easily and causing fewer health issues. Suppression of maximum dust particles helps in lowering harmful rebound during blasting. Others surrounding the process going on are not affected.

• The environment is dust-free:

This is a good way for workers to work easily and safely. Another reason for the safe environment is that sponge blasting media can be recycled and used multiple times which will reduce waste.

• Types of sponge:

There is a variety of sponges ideal for every type of use. They have various grades with different levels of abrasive. They are used according to the type of surface and environment. The range goes from aggressive to lighter ones according to the material of the surface that can handle the level. Sponge blasting can be used on wood, concrete, metals and even delicate substrates. The technique is widely used in removing paint, rust and other coatings from various surfaces. This makes it the perfect choice to be used in industrial blasting services.

• Perfect for surface preparation:

The abrasiveness of the media chosen plus the softness of the sponge makes the surface preparation easier giving the material a smooth clean surface with no damage. This helps in the adhesion of new coatings that can last for a longer time. The softness of the sponge makes it an ideal choice to be used on even delicate surfaces.

• For cleaning purposes:

Sponge media is very good for removing grease, oil and grime from machines and structures. It can safely remove dangerous substances from surfaces. On impact with the surface, the sponge opens and let the abrasive come out. The abrasive cleans the surface and the contaminants are sucked up by the sponge causing less or no pollution in the air.

• Effective and efficient:

The quick cleaning and reduced downtime due to dust control make it an efficient procedure and cost-effective. As the sponge can be recycled and reused the cost of materials can also be maintained.

Types of sponges used in industrial blasting services:

• ECO 30:

One of the sponges that are widely used in industrial blasting services is ECO 30. This sponge is reusable and is specially designed to give high performance and is a cost-effective sponge abrasive that gives the required profile. Sponge blasting media ECO 30 comes in an 18kg bag having 50+ microns and is effective for multilayer coatings, including mill scale, rust and paint.

• Silver 60 sponge media:

This sponge media is the second commonly used sponge used in industries for paint removal and surface preparation. Preferably, a slightly sharp-edged profile is suggested to be used for the coating to be applied. Sponges with Aluminum oxide with 60 grit are used for blasting and profiling metals, concrete and other materials.

Machines used in industrial blasting services:

All the machines for industrial blasting have a well-designed and reliable one-piece, remote control dead man system with a silencer that is for operator’s safety and comfort. This feature of the machine reduces labor and abrasive costs thus increasing productivity. Along with Steel grit valves and expendable media valves, there is also a moisture trap that helps in eliminating wet air or condensation. Sponge blasting machines are designed in such a way that they can use a comprehensive range of accessories including nozzles, wet blast attachments, internal pipe cleaning devices, closed circuit blasting heads and much more.

Other machines that are used are:

• Vacuum blasting
• Floor blasting equipment
• Wet blasting equipment
• Eductomatic
• Sponge blasting equipment

• Conclusion:

Considering the special features of sponge blasting media, it is an obvious choice for use in industrial blasting services. As it is an efficient procedure and environmentally friendly, it is an ideal choice to be used in industries. It is safe for both the worker and the environment. As there is a lot of chaos and pollution problems in industrial work, using sponge blasting media is an excellent and intelligent choice to be used. The surfaces can be easily prepared, with the good adhesion of paint that will last for a longer period. Also, there are a lot of problems of rust and grease in industrial work. So sponge blasting media will work for the best result. It will be ideal for use in industries as cleaning time will be saved and you can utilize that time on something else.