What Is Sandblasting?

Sandblasting is a process that roughens and cleans a surface by forcing sand particles across it at high speed using compressed air. There are two kinds of blasting machines: “vacuum” or “suction” systems and “pressure” systems. There are also two basic types of machine: blasting cabinets and portable blasting systems.

A blasting system consists of four basic components: an air supply, a blasting cabinet, a dust collector and the blasting media. The air supply is usually bottled gas or an air compressor. The blasting cabinet holds the object being blasted, while the dust collector removes dust from the cabinet. The materials used in blasting, whether sand or not, are called blasting media.

Sandblasting can remove paint, rust and residues from material oxidation quickly and efficiently. It can also be used to change the condition of a metal surface, for example by removing scratches or casting marks. As a cleaning method, sandblasting has long been in widespread use.