Optimise Your Abrasive Blasting - 3. How Air Pressure and Air Flow Affect Your Blast

When it comes to dry abrasive blasting, the efficiency of your blasting setup is often measured by how much area you can cover in a given time, and the amount of abrasive you use to do it.
In this video series we will be showing you how you can optimise your blasting setup to save time and dramatically reduce the overall cost of your job, without sacrificing quality or safety.
In this part we will be exploring how air pressure and air flow affect your blasting setup.
0:00 - Introduction
1:00 - Abrasive Media Valve Setting
2:49 - The Remaining Variables
3:23 - Air Pressure and Air Flow
6:29 - Elcometer Blasting Simulation Software
7:27 - Next Time
The setting of your abrasive media valve is vital for getting an optimum mix of air and abrasive. Not enough abrasive in the air stream means it will take longer to blast the same area, wasting time and compressor fuel. While too much abrasive can slow the air stream down and reduce the abrasive’s impact energy on the surface making it less effective, not to mention using unnecessary abrasive requiring additional clean-up, which increases project costs.
That’s why it’s vital to get the right balance, so you can maintain nozzle pressure and abrasive speed, whilst having enough abrasive to efficiently blast the surface.
Due to the different designs and manufacturers of abrasive media valves, and depending on the nozzle pressure you’re blasting at, and the abrasive you’re using, there is no single ideal setting for your media valve, and typically needs adjusting as you are blasting.
The remaining settings; the compressor pressure setting, the often misunderstood compressor air capacity (typically measured in CFM or l/s), and your choice of blast nozzle; are all linked, and changing one setting affects your choices of the others. Getting the best combination of these settings is vital for ensuring you get a higher pressure at the nozzle, which as mentioned before, ensures a faster abrasive speed, resulting in a more effective, cost-efficient blast. But what is the best combination?
To find out, let’s set up a typical blasting scenario...
In this video series we will be showing you how you can optimise your blasting. To do that, we will cover what an abrasive blast system is and what it is trying to do, discover the variables that affect the efficiency of your blasting process, how to reduce dynamic pressure losses, explore the difference between air pressure and air flow and how it affects your blasting setup; and show how changing your setup can dramatically affect the overall cost of your job, as well as how we’ve proved it.
For more information on the Elcometer Blast Machines, Valves, ancillary equipment, Personal Protection Equipment, and our complete range of spare and replacement parts - please contact Elcometer at [e-mail] or visit our website: blast.elcometer.com/
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Click here to download the video script in English: downloads.elcometer.com/PDFs/...
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[@johnbasford2529]

interesting concept, higher cfm larger nozzle operation. looking forward to part 4 in the series, surely more cfm means more fuel = more cost?

[@johnbasford2529]

of course if you guys have a solution to speed up blasting time at no extra cost thats ground breaking; the biggest bottle neck on any larger infrastructure project is the blaster not the painter, so if paint teams can get on jobs quicker asset return to service will be quicker. and if it saves money as the contractor i will be quids in!

[@ElcometerBlastEquipment]

Thank you for your comment.
In part 4 we look at exactly that - if running a higher cfm compressor at a higher pressure increases your fuel costs enough to increase your overall project costs. We don't want to spoil it but the findings are very interesting!

[@andybulldog79]

My blast cabinet (pressure pot) blows air great however after the initial startup no/little media is shot out of the nossle resulting in an ineffective machine. Any advice?

[@ElcometerBlastEquipment]

Thank you for your comment.
We need a little bit more information in order to help you with your question - what size and rating is your compressor, what pressure are you running the compressor at, which Elcometer ABM are you using, what is your grit valve setting, how long is the blast hose, and what size nozzle are you using?
All of these answers will help us work out what the issue is.
Please contact [e-mail] or visit www.elcometer.com/contact-us to find your local Elcometer distributor.