Glass bead is one of a variety of medias that you can blast with. Like any blast media it has a variety of benefits and drawbacks. This guide will cover important things to know about glass bead blasting including the benefits and drawbacks, equipment considerations for glass bead blasting, and more.
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Glass beads can be safe compared to other blast medias. In particular, glass bead blast media can be a good alternative to silica sand depending on your application, which while silica sand is still legal it is becoming more regulated and is recognized as a source of a variety of health problems including silicosis. For more on silica sand and sandblasting check out this in depth guide. Additional benefits of glass bead blasting include that you can use them for a few cycles before they no longer clean a surface. It is common for glass bead media to last 4 – 6 cycles before needing to be replaced. Finally, glass beads can be used in a suction or pressure blast cabinet. This makes it versatile and can help offer a blast cleaning media that keeps your blast cabinet costs down (suction feed cabinets are more affordable than pressure feed).
Its not as fast as other medias at cleaning and doesn’t last as long as harder blast medias like steel. Since glass is not as hard compared to steel grit, steel shot, and even coal slag it doesn’t clean as fast as these blast medias. Additionally, glass beads do not leave a profile, which can be problematic if you need a profile for your paint to adhere. Finally, compared to steel grit or shot and aluminum oxide glass bead blast media is only reusable a few times compared to numerous times with steel blast medias.
Knowing the benefits of glass beads, it is also good to know the common uses for glass bead blasting. Glass bead blasting is well suited for use in sandblast cabinets where blast media will be recovered. It is effective at cleaning a surface without leaving much of a blast profile. This makes it ideal for cleaning paint or coatings off a part as well as removal of rust. If a profile is needed though blast media like steel grit or aluminum oxide can be required as glass bead typically doesn’t profile when blasting
While glass bead blast media comes in a variety of sizes ranging from 40 – 325 mesh sizes there are mesh sizes that are more common. Common mesh sizes for glass bead blasting include 50-70, 60 -80, 70-100, 120 – 200. The fastest cleaning glass bead is typically 60-100 mesh. The right size blast media will ultimately depend on your individual application.
Glass bead is meant to be reused and so will require specific equipment. Glass bead is typically used in asandblast cabinet. Specifically, since it is not a very heavy blast media it works well in a suction feed sandblast cabinet. Using glass bead with a standard sandblast pot is not very common but you can used crush glass with a standard sandblast pot.
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In general the higher pressure you use the greater impact and faster you will be able to blast. However, it can also create changes in your product surface. Between suction and pressure blasting, pressure is faster but again can create changes in the surface (if blast time or pressure is not well controlled). It is always a good idea to start at a low blast pressure and gradually increase to determine the blast pressure that is best suited for your needs. The maximum blast pressure for glass bead blasting is typically 80 psi for suction blast cabinets and up to 40 PSI for pressure blasting. Using these reference numbers you should be able to slowly determine the right blast pressure and time that will work well for your use.
Glass beads come from a lead-free, soda-lime glass shaped into spherical objects. Glass bead blasting is environmentally friendly. You can recycle them up to 30 times. Compared to other abrasive blasting techniques, glass beads blasting is gentler since the beads are softer on the parts’ surface.
While bead blasting offers several advantages to the manufacturing space, there are a few downsides to consider. Here, we will be going through the different benefits and drawbacks of the glass beads blasting process.
Bead blasting helps to achieve uniform surface finishes without affecting the part’s dimensions. Also, it works perfectly with a wide range of materials, making it suitable for various industries. Manufacturers use bead blast surface finish to enhance the durability of components.
This finishing process is flexible, and it fits into an extensive array of manufacturing processes. For instance, smaller beads help with lighter processes that require finely detailed works. On the other hand, medium-size beads are the best choice when dealing with metal materials like stainless steel and aluminum. They are popular for their ability to hide defects on components surfaces. Larger beads are perfect for deburring and cleaning rough surfaces on metal castings and automotive parts.
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