Tips
Tips for acquiring, operating and maintaining Blast Cleaning Machines.

 Thank you very much for visiting us! Here are a few of the things to remember when buying a Blast Machine and tips to keep the equipment at 100% of its efficiency.

If you have tips to share, contact us and we will be happy to post them here.


  • When you receive quotes make the manufacturers salesmen provide all the relevant information, well dimensioned proposal drawing, sequence of operation, sizes and capacities of components. The Blast Machine is not as complicated as a car, if a car manufacturer can provide this information, the Blast Machine supplier should too.


  • Demand from the equipment manufacturer a machine manual with instructions and detailed lists of spare parts before the delivery of the machine. Spare parts should be well identified on assembly drawings and should have parts numbers.


  • Have your service mechanics and the machine operators be part of the installation of your new machine.


  • The Steel Structures Painting Council (SSPC) for surface cleaning quality has set standards. Most comon are:

    •      1 - Commercial blast cleaning - parts should be two-thirds free of all visible residues.
         2 - Near white metal blast cleaning - parts should be 95 percent free of all visible residues.
         3 - White metal blast cleaning - parts should be free of all visible rust, mill scale, paint
             and foreign matter.

  • The recirculation of the shot should be oversized by 20 to 30%. You could in the future upgrade the blast wheels without changing the screw conveyors, elevator and the separator.


  • Automatic abrasive adder is necessary on most Blast Machines.


  • Mild steel should never be used in the cabinet of a Blast Machine.


  • Manganese steel is non-magnetic, you should have a magnet with you when inspecting the machine during manufacturing. The entire cabinet and vestibules up to seals should be made of manganese steel.


  • Angle of repose, varies inversely with size and density of fragments and directly with their surface roughness. For shot it is 38 degrees and for grit it is 45 degrees but only when the abrasive is clean, dry and free of oil.


  • Abrasive speed as thrown by the blades of blast wheel ranges from 250 Ft/sec to 300 Ft/s and it is from 275 to 330 Km/h. It all depends on the RPM of the blast wheel's motor and the length of the blades. Would you know what is the optimal speed for your application?


  • Inspect your blast wheels and the interior of the cabinet daily.


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