A Fascinating Process

Blasting with glass microspheres is a modern and efficient cleaning process. They have unique advantages that set them apart from other granular materials and open an almost unlimited field of application, often surprising. The perfect results obtained when cleaning parts with high dimensional responsibility and the speed and economy with which they are obtained, make the small spheres an effective blasting material.

An important characteristic peculiar to the process is that, besides the cleaning action, the same operation results in a satin surface finish of great beauty and uniformity. In some cases, deburring operations may also be simultaneous. In others, peening side effects may be of significant importance in extending part life.

Numerous Non-Abrasive Advantages

The spherical shape, coupled with the hardness and density of glass, removes contamination and quickly finishes surfaces without destroying without destroying the tolerances of treated parts. Under perfectly controllable conditions, it is always possible to ensure that no significantly measurable material is removed, whatever the nature of the blasted metal.

No Contamination

Glass, being virtually inert, does not react chemically with treated materials. Adequate density and toughness fracture resistance – associated with the softness of the spherical shape. Prevent fouling on surfaces.

Uniform and Specifiable Operations

Form regularity, regular physical and chemical properties and grading regularity are peculiar characteristics of glass spheres and guarantee impressive uniformity to the services performed. Proper equipment can always accurately reproduce previously obtained results.

Low Operating Cost

Several factors contribute to the BLASTIBRÁS process being simple and economical: lightweight, advanced design equipment with minimal maintenance, unskilled labor, low consumption of glass beads, speed and efficiency with which operations are completed, among others. Resistance to dust formation

Glass beads are always associated with very little dust formation. Its shape and hardness offer great resistance to fragmentation. Its non-abrasive characteristics allow Blastibrás to design more elaborate equipment that continuously and permanently separates the balls from the removed and even broken fouling, returning to the process clean material with a similar particle size.

Possibility of Automation

The self-abrasion on the equipment itself is impressively reduced, allowing for the design of lightweight but durable material and gun handling devices as well as continuous ball recovery processes. glass. Few blasting granular materials offer so much automation possibilities, but none combine the advantage of such a long service life.

Worthy Applications

From the numerous advantages peculiar to glass spheres as blasting material, important applications arise as a non-industrial cleaning process in both production and maintenance.

Automotive Maintenance

Decarbonization and general cleaning of cylinder heads, blocks, valves, crankshafts, carburetors, spark plugs, wheels and many other engine and body components.

Railway Maintenance

In addition to the cleaning of motor parts, it is important to apply the balls in the recovery of electric motors, dynamos, circuit breaker contacts, etc.

Ship Maintenance

It is an indispensable tool in the face of severe corrosion problems in higher precision parts. In addition to removing oxides and protective coatings, it prepares paint anchor surfaces. A good example is radar antenna recovery.

Aeronautical Maintenance

It is the industry that has developed the most applications for the process not only in engines, but also in turbines, propellers, landing gear and numerous parts of aircraft cells.

Molds in general

In addition to the non-abrasive cleaning of glass, rubber, bakelite, shell-molding plates, forged dies, among others, the side effects of peening increase their useful visa. . A good example is the use of glass balls for tire mold cleaning, both steel and aluminum, a solution internationally adopted by most manufacturers.

Water Meter Cleaning

Registers, valves, fittings, piping etc.

Inspection

The clean quality and uniformity of the surface finish facilitates visual, chemical or metrological inspection.

Electric Motors

Rotors, housings, brushes of both motors and electric generators. In collectors, after welding and machining, the treatment is indicated not only for cleaning but also for improved frictional wear resistance and electrical conductivity.

Electronics

Elimination of insulating varnishes on wires or variable resistances. Cleaning of printed circuits for solder adhesion and later for removal of residues.

Heat Treatment

Removal of heat treatment residues with color uniformity. Removal of weld scale.

Textile Industry

Cleaning tongs and rollers on dyeing pads. In wire guides for removal of heat treatment waste and preparation for hard chrome coatings.

Stainless Steel

Because they do not contaminate treated surfaces, glass beads are the most suitable material for cleaning and finishing stainless steel.

These are just some of the more common applications, but they are quite illustrative of the process characteristics. With glass microspheres, blasting can be applied efficiently and economically for cleaning precision parts.