Sandblasting chamber: types of equipment and applied abrasives

The sandblasting chamber as the basis of its work has the principle of treating an object with an abrasive jet with compressed air (under high pressure). The technology of this plan appeared in the USA in the seventies of the 19th century, when one military drew attention to the fact that under the influence of wind the sand left scratches on the glass so that it gradually became opaque. This natural phenomenon formed the basis of the patent.

What materials are used in "sandblasters"?

The sandblasting chamber works today not only with the use of sand. The number of abrasive materials includes: silicon carbide, shot, plastics, electrocorundum, etc. It is used when it is necessary to clean the internal or external surfaces from scale, paint or corrosion, fuel oil or bitumen. In addition, "sandblasting" is used for degreasing and processing of materials before painting, which gives an opportunity to obtain prolonged service life of paint and varnish coatings.

Types of cameras

The sandblasting chamber can be pressurized or injected. The first option is different in that it is used for large-sized products. Such devices have reservoirs for abrasive materials in the amount of 75-900 liters, which allows not to suspend the work process for loading the abrasive, two specialists can work with them simultaneously (on some models). Pressurized "sandblasters" are often used in ship repair facilities, they are quite large in size (in height about one and a half to two meters) and weight (from a centner to a quarter of a ton). With the help of such equipment it is possible to process tens of square meters of surface in one hour.

The sandblasting chamber of the injector type is simpler in design, has dimensions less than a meter and volumes of about 20-30 liters. These are usually used in car repair shops for stripping metals for painting, for artificial aging of trees or glass matting. Unlike pressure mechanisms, the injector options work on a shallow, light abrasive, i.e., the processing of products, for example, with the help of them is not possible.

Works inside the camera

In addition, the sandblasting chamber can be habitable type. This means that inside the camera there is an employee in protective clothing (including equipment for self-contained breathing and air supply), which carries out the work. Such devices allow processing large parts in a short time with a significant saving in abrasive consumption. As consumables in these "sandblasters" cast iron or steel shot is used, so they are also called shot blasting chambers.

The sandblasting chamber consumes a certain amount of compressed air: from 1.3 to 5.63 m ³ per minute for pressure articles and up to 1.2 m ³ for injector options. At the same time, a pressure of 3.5 to 7 kilograms per square centimeter is created on the surface to be treated. Work with "sandblasters" belongs to the category of increased danger, since there are high pressures and a high speed of abrasive particles when cleaning surfaces. Therefore, camera operators should be trained in the specialty "sandblaster" and strictly observe safety procedures.