Glass bead blasting

 What do you understand by glass bead blasting?

 

 

 

 

Glass bead blasting is similar to the method of sandblasting, but little glass beads are blasting material. The processed surface is less susceptive to dirt, because the surface is less roughed by the glass beads than sand. Glass bead blasting is also called shot blasting or shot peening and delineate an area of application which is subsumed according to DIN 8200 to the topic of blasting.

Glass bead blasting is a widespread method for surface treatment. Here little glass beads are hurled on the processed surface with high speed by means of air blast or wheel blast machines or injektor blasting cabinets.

Because of the high air pressure (till 10 bar, normal 2-5 bar) and the high speed the blasting material is accelerated extern.

Thus a solidification and an elastic and plastic deformation, which results to a compressive stress, are atteined by shot blasting.

In the Case of glass bead blasting the generating of compressive stress is relevant to increase the fatigue strenght of the workpiece. The upgraded corrosion resistance and the magnification of the processing surface, which is import for e.g. the agglutination of components, are reasons for using glass bead blasting.

 

 

 

How looks the surface of the blasted work piece?

 

 

 

By the use of glass bead blasting a plastic deformation is obtained which affords a wanted residual stress and so raises the fatigue strenght strikingly. The surface is less napped than through sand blasting and corundum. The more filigree the glass beads are the finer is the structure of the surface right up to a polished appearance.

This satin aspect survives the whole lifetime. Different granulations of beads achieve different gloss effects and passivations after blasting (Aluminium: anodizing/stainless steel: nitric acid) increases the corrosion resistance. Moreover the surface is cleaned of all adhesive foreign objects wheareas the mass remains unchanged. The surface is solidified and the product lifetime is prolonged.

Glass bead blasting also called lapping is qualified for cleaning, tarnishing and polishing.