When it comes to coating products nothing is more important than surface preparation. One of the best ways to prep a surface for coating is by media blasting. Depending on the application there are many ways to prep a surface using media blasting. Some things you want to consider are type of media, substrate roughness, substrate cleanliness, and substrate hardness. Whether you are applying a thermal coat, powder coat, or anodized coat roughing up the surface is key to ensuring a good bond.
Media selection can play a big factor in how rough the surface will become after blasting, one of the most common media used for surface preparation is Aluminum Oxide. Aluminum Oxide whether brown, white, or pink is a good media for surface preparation because it is hard, angular, and available in a variety of sizes. Media size is important because the larger the particle size the higher the surface roughness. Also another thing to consider is substrate hardness, the material hardness will dictate the blast pressure when media blasting. If you blast with too high of a pressure on a soft material your part could start to breakdown and become deformed. After the part is blasted and prepped you want to make sure that the part or surfaces to be coated are clean.
Dry blasting can leave dust on some parts and this can jeopardize the coatings bond, this makes part cleanliness important when coating. An alternative to dry blasting is wet blasting; this process varies from dry blast in that it uses a media and water slurry to blast parts. The water and media work to etch and scrub the surface of the substrate creating a clean and prepped surface. Although it is less aggressive than dry blasting wet blasting usually results in a clean part which can in some cases eliminate a cleaning process saving time and money. Both dry and wet blast systems are great processes for surface prep and if used accordingly they can ensure a good long-lasting coat.
