Media blasting or "texturing," is often a necessary method of priming materials before the coating process begins.  The preamble to coating is often a challenging multi-step process. Vivid provides its partners with all the necessary expertise and hardware to fully prepare the product for a successful coating process.

 

Each product has its own sensitive characteristic that requires specific equipment and skill. Our abrasive blasting equipment propels a high pressure stream of media against materials to smoothen a rough surface, roughen a smooth surface, shape a surface, or remove surface contaminants.  At Vivid we offer different combinations of techniques and materials that are suitable for each products individual pre-coating needs.

 

Vacuum Blasting

 

Using vacuum blasting equipment has a huge advantage because the unconsumed media is vacuumed off immediately, separated from the airflow, and recycled into the initial process.  This works in a large closed-circuit system in which the blasting agent can be recycled numerous times depending on the operating conditions.

 

Dry Blasting

 

Dry blasting is when compressed air is used to propel a media at a surface to clean, smoothen, or to roughen the material for a coating. Vivid offers many types of media for this process depending on the material's specific needs and sensitivity. This method often provides an excellent surface for bonding and plating.  Dry blasting thoroughly cleans irregular surfaces without using damaging chemicals.

 

Siphon Blast System

 

The siphon blast system uses compressed air to create a vacuum in the blast gun chamber.  The suction process uses negative pressure to pull abrasive into the blast gun where the compressed air directs the media through a nozzle onto the materials surface. This process usually takes place within a blast cabinet, a closed loop system in which an operator blasts from outside of the cabinet using glove holes to handle the workpiece and a foot pedal to control the amount of pressure directed at the product.

 

Carbon Dioxide Blasting

 

Carbon dioxide blasting is a valuable alternative to its chemical counterparts. The main advantage of using carbon dioxide is that it dissipates when striking the material in a less harmful manner than other methods.  Another positive point of the process is that generates less waste than others because solvents aren't used.  This method is effective in precision cleaning and leaves no residue on the surface.

 

Micro-abrasive Blasting 

 

Micro-abrasive Blasting delivers a fine stream of dry media using a small nozzle (0.25mm to 1.5mm diameter) to improve accuracy in order precisely apply the high velocity media to a small piece of material or a small section of the material.

 

Chilled Iron Grit Blasting

 

Chilled iron grit is an extremely hard material that retains its angular particle shape and doesn't become rounded even after multiple uses. This media has many functions but is most commonly used as a priming procedure for thermal spraying.

 

Crushed Slag Blasting

 

Excess slag from other company's welding projects is brought here to be reused for blasting in preparation for thermal coatings.  Crushed slag is very effective for one time use but it breaks down to dust easily and is usually never recycled.

 

Ceramic Grit Blasting

 

A ceramic media is used most when purity is an issue for the product's material or for weaker materials like plastics and thin metals.  Ceramic blasting avoid iron contamination issues that crushed slag and chilled iron grits can have.