DUSTLESS BLASTING EQUIPMENT
DUSTLESS OR LESS DUST?
ESCA Blast offers an extensive line of high quality, professional grade dustless blasting equipment for purchase or rent.
The mist created during any type of dustless blaster or dustless blasting equipment is similar to what you see when pressure washing. However, some spent abrasive or fine particulate can still be found in this mist formation – it is unavoidable. How far the spent abrasive travels before it falls out of the mist cloud depends on several variables, but mostly it is dependent on the pressure you are blasting at and the type of abrasive you are using. The lower the pressure, the less your abrasive breaks up into fine dust particulate – larger “non-dusty” particle sizes are heavier and will, therefore, drop to the ground quicker.
The type of blast media you use also makes a difference – harder and denser blast media drops to the ground quicker than finer and softer media. For instance, Crushed Glass and JETMAG will not travel far before falling out, but calcium carbonate and baking soda will go further because they are lighter and softer than traditional sandblast media. Crushed glass works well for wet blasting, but it still travels in the mist cloud – it is just not as noticeable because of its translucent appearance.
No matter what, using water while blasting greatly reduces your dust factor and in many cases will be the only containment you need.
BENEFITS OF DUSTLESS BLASTING
Dust gets reduced A LOT – up to 92% less dust compared to traditional dry blasting. Be careful – not all dustless blasting equipment are created equal and most will reduce less dust than our machines.
Heat and friction disappear! No more warping, stretching or surface damage to worry about! You can now blast soft and thin metals with a hard abrasive to achieve a paint-ready finish without any additional manual sanding.
Our advanced dustless blasting technology means more efficiency. Our dustless blasters use up to 25% less media and water compared to other OEM’s – this also means less waste disposal.
DRAWBACKS OF DUSTLESS BLASTING
Not a Dust-FREE process, regardless of who’s equipment you use and what other companies may claim. Particulate is still being expelled from the nozzle, so containment & cleanup is still neccessary.
Because dustless blasting relies on water to effectively suppress dust, it’s not ideal for use in below-freezing conditions. For cold weather environments, alternative blasting methods may be more suitable to ensure optimal results and equipment longevity.
Reclaiming used media can be challenging because the wet mixture often contains contaminants that are difficult to sift out. These impurities in the spent media complicates the reclamation process.
WHAT IS DUSTLESS BLASTING?
It’s called wet abrasive blasting, vapor blasting, and even dustless blasting. But what is this process, and is it right for your surface preparation project?
Wet abrasive blasting is a time-tested method of removing coatings, residues, contaminants, and corrosion from a variety of surfaces. It is similar to traditional dry sand blasting except that it uses water to moisten the abrasive material.
ESCA Blast strives to help our clients understand all the options available to them when it comes to blasting. We have a team of experts on staff ready to help you. One of our experts even wrote an article to help you understand what dustless blasting is and see if it’s right for your next project.
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Preventing Rust while Dustless Blasting
HoldTight 102 is an eco-friendly solution that prevents flash rust while dustless blasting. It is also a great additive for rinsing after soda blasting or dustless blasting as it effectively removes salts & other contaminates.
As a rust inhibitor or as a salt remover, Hold Tight 102 is easy to work with and operator safe. It is soluble in water, non-hazardous, non-flammable, phosphate free and biodegradable. With no rain and temperatures above 40°F, rusting will be prevented for approximately 48 hours. Colorless and leaving no residue, surface salts (including chlorides) are undetectable after use. It has been approved by the FDA for food grade service under 21 Code of Federal Regulations 178.3400.