The manufacturing industry is home to several practices that a layman has never seen or heard of despite them being a part of our everyday lives in one way or another. Sandblasting is one such concept that is prevalent in most construction and manufacturing sites that one would know little about.
Sandblasting is essentially a technique in which abrasive techniques are used to remove mill scale or other material from an uneven surface, or rust from a metal component. The ultimate aim of this technique is to achieve an even texture on the surface is sandblasted, and given below are four benefits of the technique:
1. It Prepares Surfaces For Coating
While this may not be an issue recurring for steel products, the manufacturing processes for products involving other metals may require scruffing the metal’s surface before coating it for finishing and protection. Whenever an external coating or a paint job is done after sandblasting the surface, the outer surface tends to have a smoother finish and lasts longer due to increased adhesion. This is essential because sandblasting rids a metal surface from any impurities or uneven ground, and hence the quality of the overall product is improved.
2. It Is Quick And Handy
Sandblasting is a quick handy technique when it comes to finishing work for most metal products. Sandblasting machinery and sand blast rooms have limited the entire procedure to a one-man job while reducing the amount of time and effort that goes into each finished product. Any steps that involve extensive material preparations such as scrubbing and using harsh chemicals are skipped, and the only step that is to be performed includes the actual sandblasting part.
3. It Does Not Promote Waste
Sandblasting itself doesn’t involve much waste once the process is complete, and the little waste that is generated can be reused. For instance, the material left behind after sandblasting be used as grit and repurposed, or can be reused such as glass beads. As opposed to manual scuffing using sandpaper that promotes added waste in addition to consuming more time, sandblasting is a greener alternative. Another related benefit is that sandblasting occurs in a ventilated booth and hence the workers involved do not inhale any toxic chemicals.
4. It Is Cost-Effective
Once you set up a sandblasting room and gain access to relevant tools and protective clothing, you would not have any other related costs. Sandblasting is cost-effective in the sense that it only has a one-time cost followed by little to no costs and years’ worth of use. Additionally, sandblasting is cost-effective because it does not promote waste, and any little waste that is generated can be used for recycling. All of these benefits contribute to making sandblasting a cost-effective procedure.
Conclusion
Sandblasting is an important step at most construction and manufacturing sites, and hence if you don’t already know, the above-mentioned benefits are likely to get you updated on the importance and relevance of the said technique.
