The Future of Abrasive Blasting

Abrasive blasting is an extremely useful procedure in a series of applications and industries. Whether a material needs to be cleaned, deburred, prepared for powder-coating, de-rusted, shot-peened, or otherwise just have its paint removed, abrasive blasting is the process for the job.

First developed in the 1930s, the abrasive blasting process has continued to change and improve in the decades since.

What does the future of abrasive blasting hold? Only time will tell — but these current trends provide new opportunities for what may come next.

Today’s safety and technology trends set the stage for tomorrow’s advancements. These current trends show how the abrasive blasting process may adapt in the future.

1. DUSTLESS BLASTING

Dustless blasting is a unique and innovative process used for stripping paint and cleaning an array of surfaces. In fact, it can remove almost any coating from any surface. The dustless alternative removes old coats quickly, leaving a smooth, clean surface in its wake. Abrasive and water are mixed inside a blast tank. During the blasting process, the abrasive is encapsulated by the water, and the coating present is removed. Rather than the dust of the coating being airborne, the abrasive is trapped and falls to the ground. This keeps all nearby surfaces free from any mess. Dustless blasting ramps up the speed of the process, allowing for improved efficiency while also enhancing the quality of the final result. This method leads to lower costs and production time — and workers can enjoy better air quality. Dustless blasting may just be the mainstream of abrasive blasting in the future.

2. EMPHASIS ON SAFETY

There is no doubt that safety has become an increasing concern across the world, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The current trend of improved safety has led to increased precautions when using abrasive blasting machinery and blast cabinets. These steps emphasize cleaning and disinfecting every surface that’s been touched. This trend is expected to continue increasing in the near future following the current global health crisis.

3. TIME AND COST-EFFICIENCY

Efficiency remains a top priority for users, influencing the way we design, buy, use and blast machinery. Today's technology enables wet blasting abrasives to be used for almost any surface preparation project. With more and more alternative materials - such as glass sand and sodium bicarbonate - industry experts are trying out ways to achieve the same results at a quicker, more cost-effective pace.

FINAL THOUGHTS

In short, environmental-friendly, safety, and efficiency are the mainstream for abrasive blasting in the future. That’s also why dustless blasting and full-automatic blasting are more and more popular nowadays.