The sandblasting chamber as the basis of its work has the principle of treating an object with an abrasive jet using compressed air (under high pressure). The technology of this plan appeared in the USA in the 70s of the 19th century, when one military officer noticed 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 sandblasting?
The sandblasting chamber today works not only with the use of sand. The abrasive materials include: silicon carbide, shot, plastics, electrocorundum and others. It is used when it is necessary to clean the scale, paint or corrosion, fuel oil or bitumen, internal or external surfaces. In addition, "sandblasting" is used for degreasing and processing materials before painting, which makes it possible to obtain a prolonged service life of coatings.
Types of cameras
The sandblasting chamber may be pressure or injection. The first option is different in that it is used for large-sized products. Such devices have tanks for abrasive materials in the amount of 75-900 liters, which allows not to suspend the workflow for reloading the abrasive, two specialists can work with them at the same time (on some models). Pressure “sandblasting” is often operated at ship repair facilities, they are quite large in size (height about one and a half to two meters) and weight (from a centner to a quarter ton). Using such equipment, you can process tens of square meters of surface in one hour.
The sandblasting chamber of the injection type is simpler in design, has dimensions less than a meter and volumes of about 20-30 liters. These are usually used in workshops for stripping metals for painting, for the artificial aging of wood or frosting glass. In contrast to pressure mechanisms, injection options work on a small, light abrasive, i.e. processing products, for example, by shot using them is impossible.
Work inside the camera
In addition, the sandblasting chamber may be of a habitable type. This means that inside the cell there is an employee in protective clothing (including equipment for autonomous breathing and air supply), who is carrying out work. Such devices allow you to process large parts in a short time with significant savings in abrasive consumption. Cast iron or steel shot is used as consumables in these "sandblasting machines"; therefore, 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 injection 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 "sandblasting" belongs to the category of increased danger, because there are high pressures and high speed of abrasive particles when cleaning surfaces. Therefore, camera operators must be trained in the specialty of "sandblasting" and strictly observe safety precautions.