If you’ve ever wondered how to remove a layer of coating from a surface without damaging the surrounding area, sandblasting Melbourne is the answer you are looking for. It is also known as abrasive blasting. Getting surfaces ready for protective and decorative coatings requires this crucial step, yet it is often overlooked for some reason.
Blasting Media in a Variety of Forms
For the last several decades, the phrase “sandblasting” has taken on new meanings in the industry as a process for applying surface treatments. In Melbourne’s South Eastern Suburbs, conventional sandblasting is still in use, but it’s done so in accordance with the state’s health and safety requirements. One of these health requirements sprung up in 2002 as a result of concerns about silicosis and cancer among employees and others in the immediate vicinity of the workplace. Since then, the use of silica sand, river sand, beach sand, and other white sand containing over 1% crystalline silica has been prohibited by law.
Because of the health concerns, the term sandblasting Melbourne has come to mean blasting surfaces at high pressure with safer materials like garnet, glass beads, soda, steel grit, crushed glass, aluminium oxide, metal slag (with low levels of chromium and lead), steel shots, and granulated plastic.
There are many different types of non-sand blasting media that can be used to remove rust, burnishing, etching, paint, and other surface impurities from industrial equipment, structures, and buildings. To be more precise with the terminology, ‘abrasive blasting’ is the more accurate phrase to describe this range of non-sand media—although, this article may use the term ‘sandblasting’ which can be taken interchangeably as ‘abrasive blasting’.
Beneficial Way To Remove Debris And Coating Off A Surface
Using abrasive blasting to remove mill scale, debris, and grime is a common surface treatment method used in Melbourne and most parts of the world because of its ability to remove existing paint and surface rust from metal surfaces. Not only does this process remove all the old paint and other surface elements, but it also cleans and creates a profile that is ideal for adherence to a new coat of paint and other coatings.
Blasting is typically all that is required to clean a surface before applying a finish, making it a very cost-effective method of surface preparation. With sandblasting Melbourne, the multi-step operations of sanding, degreasing, descaling, pickling, or even the usage of wire brushes can all be eliminated in certain applications. As for the time and cost economy, as much as 75% of the time and money can be saved by sandblasting instead of hand-cleaning.
Sandblasting Melbourne is also an environmentally friendly surface pre-treatment method considering its wide range of cost-effective abrasive materials that are readily accessible for a number of applications and can also be recycled for the next operation.
A Surface Preparation Method For Many Applications
There are several applications for the use of abrasive blasting methods. It is useful for a wide range of surface treatments regardless of the substance or texture. The final finish appearance is affected by a number of variables, including the kind of abrasive material used, its hardness and size, the blasting machine’s stream speed, and the manner of application. This is why it is critical to choose the correct abrasive for the job.
This is a list of the most commonly used abrasives for different purposes:
- 100% silica-free crushed glass. Cleansing surfaces using this kind of abrasive is an affordable and effective option to consider. You can work with it quickly and it has an etching effect that can range from mild to strong.
- Plastic. This kind of abrasive includes melamine, acrylic, urea, and other soft plastic that are often utilised in aerospace applications. Compared to crushed glass, plastic abrasives are not as fast to work with, but they can provide a stripping effect without etching.
- Garnet. When it comes to media types, garnet is the most versatile and can be used for a variety of purposes and even repurposes. It gets the work done swiftly and efficiently while generating very little dust. Although garnet is often feared to be extremely abrasive and hence harmful to the worker's health, this isn't always the case. As long as the right size, pressure, and application technique are applied, garnet is a safe medium for most purposes.
- Glass beads. For eliminating light burrs from surfaces, descaling, and texturizing, using glass beads is a great option for abrasives. Glass beads can provide a bright and smooth, matte-type satin finish by eliminating the flash from die-cast surfaces. Using glass beads also means less strain on the machine's components.
When eliminating hazardous contaminants like lead paint, other methods such as vapour abrasive blasting or wet blasting may be preferable to dry blasting. In this technique, abrasive material is mixed with water under high pressure before being injected into the airstream for a controlled, efficient method of prepping a surface.
Easy Scalability of Sandblasting Process
When it comes to sandblasting Melbourne, one of the most significant benefits is that it can be employed on a variety of substrates. Whether it’s a bolt on a piece of machinery or a massive steel building, blasting can be used effectively on both. For best results, it is best to make sure to use the proper abrasive medium for the task, follow proper techniques, and set up an efficient workflow.
Where Sandblasting Can Be Used
There are a number of applications that can benefit from sandblasting. However, the following are the most common ones:
- Cleaning up weathered steel surfaces, removing old coatings, rust, and other impurities
- Cleaning surfaces prior to applying paint, bonding or powder-coating finish
- Prepping the surface for painting, bonding, or powder-coating
- Applying matte finishes to a wide range of materials via etching
- Texturing the surfaces of tooling and moulds to achieve the desired effect on stamped or moulded items
Australian contractors that specialise in sandblasting Melbourne and coating systems can also provide blast-only services, depending on the specific needs of the project. There may also be an option for a priming service before the final coat of paint is applied. With us, you can have all of the above and more to choose from.
Sandblasting Contractor in Melbourne
Choosing a Melbourne abrasive blasting contractor that adheres to the highest health, safety, and environmental regulations is essential when it comes to ensuring the safety of its workers and the preservation of the environment. We understand this and we are committed to this.
Our high-quality surface treatments and solutions are used in the maritime, defence, automotive, mining, construction, rail & transportation, and oil & gas sectors, among others, to achieve the best possible results.