What are Blast Cabinets
Blast Media Cabinets
What are they & how are they used
Blast media cabinets use compressed air to blast various types of blast media onto a workpiece through a nozzle to either clean them or prepare them for subsequent finishing operations. As the cabinets are fully enclosed, they contain the blast media, protecting the machine operator and the immediate working environment from dangerous airborne particles whilst also allowing for the filtering and recycling of the blast media.
Types of Blast Cabinets
There are two main types used in industry:
Type
How It Works
Best Used For
Suction Cabinet
Air creates a vacuum that pulls the abrasive into the stream
Light cleaning, maintenance, and delicate parts
Pressure Cabinet
Abrasive is stored in a pressurised tank and fired directly
Heavy-duty cleaning, rust removal, and high-volume production
A third type, the wet blast cabinet, mixes water with the abrasive to reduce dust levels which is useful when working with hazardous materials or when an improved surface finish is required.
Industrial Uses
Cleaning and Rust Removal — The removal of rust, grease, scale or other contaminants from parts that have been exposed to a variety of environmental conditions during service or storage.
Surface Preparation — Surface conditioning of parts which are subject to subsequent coating operations to allow for correct adherence of the coatings or surface treatments.
Deburring — The deburring of components after machining or fabrication operations to remove burrs and sharp edges.
Surface Finishing — Altering the surface profile of a component or item such as a satin sheen on stainless steel or a uniform matte finish on aluminium.
Shot Peening — In the aerospace and automotive industries, parts are blasted with small steel shot to strengthen the metal and make it more resistant to cracking under repeated stress.