Metallurgy is a fascinating field, but as the professionals know, there’s much more to metallurgy than simply creating metal parts and machines. The steps that follow are just as important, because some steps in the process—like heat treating and abrasive blasting—are needed to reinforce and protect metal objects. This is pretty interesting stuff. But at this point, you should find out more about abrasive blasting after heat treatments in Gastonia, NC. Here’s some information to give you a better understanding.
Reasons for heat treating metal
Did you know that, as time goes on, soft metals might harden and hard metal might soften, and that metals may also rust or corrode? These factors and others can cause equipment to fail, leaving you unable to do your job or preventing you from finishing a side project.
Heat treating metal machines and parts plays a huge role in keeping your equipment, tools and machines in good condition. The process can restore degraded or damaged metal objects back to top condition so you can get back to work fast and not question its ability to last.
While heat treating is beneficial, metal that is heated and cooled over and over can become discolored and succumb to carbon buildup. This means that heat treated metal is not likely to function optimally, and nor will its surface look nice. The good news is that abrasive blasting can restore your treated metal parts and machines back to a more uniform surface color and texture, as well as improve the item’s functionality.
Abrasive blasting
Here’s how abrasive blasting works: It involves spraying abrasive materials—like sand, water or fine particles of glass—using high powered equipment. The equipment sprays the abrasive material on the metal piece, which helps to smooth rough surfaces, adds texture to flat surfaces, gives shape to surfaces or strips away contaminates. This task can be done by hand, but is very time-consuming. When you hire a professional for abrasive blasting services, they will likely do the work in a blast room to contain blasting particles and ensure easier cleanup.
Abrasive blasting has been praised for its ability to clean, resurface or shape metal without damaging the surface, and for being able to get into hard-to-reach areas. It’s also a relatively fast process when compared to doing it by hand.
Blasting equipment
There’s a variety of blasting equipment used by professionals and hobbyists alike, but the most sought-after machines are the ones that come with a dust collector. Having a dust collector makes for quick cleanup, but it also keeps potentially harmful materials from floating freely in the air. This feature better ensures the safety of metal workers and others nearby.
Although you now know there are advantages to abrasive blasting after heat treatments in Gastonia, NC, you probably still have a few questions weighing on your mind before you can decide where to take your metal tools and machines for service. Feel free to contact the skilled and knowledgeable team at J.F. Heat Treating Inc. to learn more!