Abrasive Blasting
Abrasive blasting uses high pressure to apply abrasive media to a workpiece to remove rust and surface contaminants, smooth and debur parts, and prepare surfaces for finishing. Blasting media has a granular, sand-like texture to remove coatings and material as it hits the surface. Blasting cabinets are fully enclosed to contain media dust and debris to keep work areas clean and reduce the risk of airborne contaminants. Portable abrasive blasters are used on large surfaces, such as vehicles, ships, and building structures. Blasting guns and nozzles control the flow and direction of the blast media. Abrasive blasting dust collectors attach to blast cabinets to maintain good visibility within the cabinet by removing remove airborne dust and blast media. Hoods are worn when using portable blasters to protect the face and neck and limit dust from reaching the worker.