How to choose sandblasting materials according to part shape? Comprehensive Guide

Oktober 8, 2024

Common part shapes and requirements

• Flat and large-area parts

This type of part is very common in many fields such as automobile manufacturing, the construction industry, and home appliance production. Specific examples include automobile body panels, metal casings of home appliances, glass curtain walls for buildings, etc. For these parts, it is particularly important to keep the surface smooth and flat, because they are usually used as the external display part of the product, which directly affects the product’s aesthetics and market recognition.

For such parts, the sandblasting process usually requires rapid processing of large surfaces. In this case, aluminum oxide blasting media are an ideal choice because aluminum oxide particles are hard and have strong cutting forces, which can quickly remove large areas of oxides and impurities while maintaining a uniform surface. In addition, different particle sizes of aluminum oxide can also be used to adjust the surface roughness to meet different process requirements.

Some flat parts require high surface smoothness in addition to removing impurities during processing, especially glass or stainless steel surfaces. In this case, ceramic beads blasting media can be used, which has rounded particles and can polish the surface while removing dirt.

• Round and cylindrical parts

Cylindrical parts are widely used in machinery manufacturing, petrochemicals, pipeline engineering, and other fields. For example, parts such as drive shafts, hydraulic cylinders, and pipe joints are common in high-end manufacturing industries such as automobiles, aviation, and aerospace. The difficulty in sandblasting such parts is that the uniformity of the entire surface treatment needs to be ensured, especially in the transition area of ​​the circular cross-section.

For the surface treatment of round parts, ceramic beads blasting media are more ideal choice. This medium has good toughness and wear resistance, and can also provide a uniform grinding effect. It will not damage the surface of the part due to the hard particles. It is suitable for processing round parts, especially some precision cylindrical parts, such as aircraft engine turbine shafts, which usually need to minimize wear during processing.

In some cases, the surface of cylindrical parts needs to achieve a very high finish. At this time, ultrafine aluminum oxide blast media can be used in combination, especially when processing areas that require precise control.

• Complex geometric shapes and polyhedral parts

Complex geometric parts are very common in the manufacturing industry, especially engine housings, turbine blades, electronic equipment housings, etc. Take the engine housing as an example. It usually has a polyhedral structure with multiple recesses and corners. For such parts, it is easy to produce dead corners when sandblasting. If it is not handled properly, some areas will not be handled properly, affecting the overall surface quality of the parts.

To solve this problem, zirconia blasting beads are recommended. The high density and hardness of zirconia oxide ensure that it has a strong impact when removing residues, and can clean some corners and small gaps. Its high hardness makes it particularly suitable for surface treatment of high-strength alloy parts.

In some cases where gentler treatment is required, such as fine edge treatment, polystyrene deflashing beads can be used in combination. This material is relatively gentle and can effectively remove fine burrs on parts without damaging the surface of the parts.

• Small, precision parts

Small, precision parts are very common in the fields of electronic products, medical devices, and instrument manufacturing. For example, electronic component solder joints, micro gears in medical equipment, etc. These parts are usually small in size and require very high precision, so the hardness and impact of the abrasive must be strictly controlled during the sandblasting process to prevent damage to the shape and size of the parts.

Nylon polyamide deburring media are ideal materials for processing such parts. Nylon is relatively soft and will not cause damage to precision parts. It also has good antistatic properties and is suitable for processing electronic components that are easily affected by static electricity. To ensure that precision parts will not overheat or deform during processing, cryogenic deflashing media are a good choice. Low-temperature treatment can avoid the deformation of parts caused by high temperatures or changes in material properties, ensuring the integrity of precision parts.

Special cases: Combination of two or more sandblasting materials

In practical applications, some parts are not only complex in shape, but may also be composed of multiple different materials, or the surface treatment requirements are very strict. In this case, it is often necessary to combine two or more blasting materials. Here are a few typical examples of combined use:

Mixed treatment of polyhedral parts

Take the casting of an automobile engine as an example. The exterior of the engine is usually a polyhedral structure, and the surface needs to be cleaned evenly. However, due to the large differences in the shapes of different parts of the engine, a single blasting material cannot effectively treat all areas. In this case, zirconia blasting beads can be used to remove burrs and residues on most of the surface, and then ultrafine aluminum oxide blast media can be used for secondary treatment of some more delicate areas to ensure a consistent surface finish across the entire part.

Processing of composite parts

A typical example of composite parts is aviation components, which are usually composed of a mixture of metals and non-metals. Different materials react differently to the medium during the blasting process, and a combination of multiple sandblasting materials is required. For example, metal parts can be polished with ceramic beads, while non-metal parts can be treated with polystyrene deburring beads. This ensures that each material can receive the appropriate surface treatment.

Parts with high-precision requirements

High-precision parts, such as medical device components, require not only a flawless surface but also ensure that their precision will not be affected during the processing. In this case, low-temperature deflashing media is usually used for preliminary treatment to remove surface impurities, and then nylon polyamide media are used for more refined surface treatment to ensure the accuracy and surface finish of the parts.

Analysis of the characteristics of different sandblasting materials

When selecting sandblasting materials, it is important to understand their physical and chemical properties. The choice of sandblasting materials not only affects the surface treatment effect of parts but also affects the efficiency, cost, and difficulty of subsequent treatment. Here, we will explore the sandblasting materials mentioned above in-depth and explain their unique advantages and applicable scenarios.

1. Ultrafeines Aluminiumoxid-Strahlmittel

Aluminum oxide is one of the most commonly used sandblasting materials. Due to its high hardness, strong compressive strength, and good chemical stability, it is widely used in the surface treatment of various metal and non-metal parts. The Mohs hardness of aluminum oxide is close to 9, second only to diamond and silicon carbide, so it can effectively remove oxide scale, paint, rust, and other contaminants on the surface of parts.

• Anwendbare Szenarien: Suitable for rough machining of hard material surfaces (such as steel and cast iron), especially for occasions where surface roughness needs to be improved. Common applications include surface grinding of mechanical parts and pretreatment before coating.
• Vorteile: Aluminum oxide sandblasting particles are uniform and can maintain a relatively consistent surface treatment effect. It has high durability and reusability, especially suitable for processing environments where sandblasting materials need to be reused. The high hardness of aluminum oxide enables it to quickly remove stubborn dirt and shorten processing time.
• Note: Due to its high hardness, aluminum oxide is not suitable for processing precision parts or fragile materials. In addition, aluminum oxide is highly abrasive and may leave tiny scratches on some materials, so it is necessary to evaluate it according to specific processing needs when selecting it.

3. Keramik-Korn-Strahlperlen

Ceramic grit blasting beads are non-metallic sandblasting materials made by crushing high-temperature molten ceramic materials. Its hardness and toughness are between aluminum oxide and ceramic beads. It is widely used in workpieces with high requirements for surface cleanliness and roughness.

• Anwendbare Szenarien: Ceramic grit blasting beads are mostly used for surface treatment of materials such as metals, plastics, and glass, especially in operations such as casting cleaning, weld removal, and surface roughening. It can clean defects such as oxides and burrs on the surface of parts while increasing the surface roughness to improve the adhesion of subsequent coatings.
• Vorteile: Ceramic particles have moderate density and hardness, so they can effectively remove impurities without damaging the surface of the workpiece. Compared with aluminum oxide, the surface treatment effect of ceramic particles is softer and will not cause excessive surface damage to the workpiece. It also has high chemical corrosion resistance and is suitable for sandblasting operations in high-temperature or corrosive environments.
• Note: Although the performance of ceramic particles is relatively balanced, its grinding force is not as good as aluminum oxide, and it is suitable for surface treatment of medium hardness materials. For workpieces that require high-intensity grinding, it may be necessary to combine it with harder materials such as aluminum oxide.

4. Zirkoniumdioxid Strahlperlen

Zirconia Beads are a high-density sandblasting material made by sintering zirconium oxide powder. Their hardness and strength are better than conventional ceramic beads, and they are especially suitable for processing some parts with high strength and high wear resistance requirements.

• Anwendbare Szenarien: Zirconia Beads are particularly suitable for surface treatment of high-strength alloys, titanium alloys, stainless steel and other materials. In the aerospace, automotive manufacturing and electronics industries, zirconia beads are widely used for surface strengthening, deflashing and finishing of parts.
• Vorteile: The high hardness and high impact force of zirconia blasting beads enable them to quickly remove stubborn dirt or oxide layers on the surface of parts, while also increasing the fatigue resistance of the surface without damaging the parts. Its excellent impact resistance also makes it an ideal choice for processing complex structures and high-precision parts.
• Notes: Due to the high cost of zirconia beads, they are mostly used for high-value, high-precision parts processing. For some low-value workpieces, the use of zirconia beads may increase the overall production cost, so a balance needs to be struck between cost and effect.

5. Nylon Polyamid Entgratungsmittel

Nylon Polyamide Media are flexible, low-density sandblasting materials, mainly used for deflashing precision parts. Nylon Polyamide has good impact resistance and will not cause secondary damage to the workpiece. It is particularly suitable for processing brittle materials and workpieces with high surface treatment requirements.

• Anwendbare Szenarien: Commonly used in surface deflashing and cleaning of delicate parts such as electronic components, precision instruments, and medical equipment. Its low hardness makes it suitable for processing easily damaged materials such as plastics, resins, aluminum alloys, etc.
• Vorteile: Nylon Polyamide sandblasting media have good elasticity and can effectively protect the precision structure of parts during processing. Its low wear ensures that the surface of the part will not be scratched or damaged while removing burrs, which is particularly suitable for surface treatment of electronic components with high requirements.
• Note: Nylon Polyamide has poor wear resistance and is suitable for single use or light deburring. Therefore, the media may need to be replaced frequently during mass production, increasing the overall material cost.

6. Polystyrol-Entgratungsperlen

Polystyrene Deflashing Beads are lightweight, flexible deflashing media that is mainly used to remove burrs from precision plastic parts and light metal parts. The characteristics of polystyrene make it very suitable for industries that have strict requirements on the surface of the workpiece, such as medical, electronic and precision instrument manufacturing.

• Anwendbare Szenarien: Polystyrene deflashing beads are mostly used to remove burrs from plastic parts and small defects on the surface of injection molded parts and die-cast parts. It performs particularly well when processing lightweight materials such as plastic and aluminum parts, and is suitable for parts with high surface finish requirements such as medical equipment, household appliances and electronic components.
• Vorteile: Polystyrene deflashing beads are very suitable for low-temperature deflashing processes and can effectively remove burrs on the surface of parts without damaging the material in low-temperature environments. Because of its relatively soft material, the use of this medium can prevent scratches or surface damage to the workpiece during the deflashing process.
• Note: Due to the low density of polystyrene material, it may not be as effective as other high-hardness materials in some heavy-duty deflashing environments. Therefore, it may be necessary to use it in combination with other media in cleaning or deflashing operations that require higher intensity.

7. Kryogenes Entgratungsmedium

Cryogenic Deflashing Media are special media designed for cryogenic deflashing processes that can quickly remove burrs after the parts are frozen to the brittle temperature. The media are stable in low-temperature environments and is widely used in deflashing operations of high-precision and fragile materials.

• Anwendbare Szenarien: Cryogenic deflashing media are suitable for precision parts with extremely high surface quality requirements such as rubber parts, plastic parts, medical devices, aviation and automotive parts. Because the material becomes brittle during the freezing process, burrs can be easily removed without causing damage to the workpiece itself. It is also particularly suitable for processing parts with complex geometries and parts that are difficult to deburr using traditional methods.
• Vorteile: The cryogenic deflashing process is very gentle and can protect the part surface to the greatest extent while ensuring high deflashing accuracy. The media are also highly adaptable and can effectively process a variety of materials and workpieces with complex shapes. Compared with traditional deflashing methods, cryogenic deflashing technology has higher precision and efficiency and is particularly suitable for industries with strict production requirements such as medical, aviation, and automotive manufacturing.
• Note: Although cryogenic deflashing media perform well in precision machining, the overall cost is relatively high due to its high equipment requirements. Therefore, this media is more suitable for use in mass production or on special occasions with extremely high-quality requirements.

Selecting sandblasting materials according to the shape of parts is a complex and experience-intensive task. The correct choice of sandblasting materials can not only ensure the surface treatment effect of parts, but also improve production efficiency and reduce unnecessary material waste. When processing some complex or high-precision parts, combining multiple sandblasting materials can often achieve more ideal results.

In short, the core of sandblasting technology lies in flexibility and precision. When selecting sandblasting materials, manufacturers should comprehensively consider the shape, material and processing requirements of the parts to ensure that each link can achieve the best processing effect.