What material is more efficient to clean or polish the surface of metal parts?
Here we tell you some details and differences about the abrasives known as "Steel Abrasive" and "Silica Sand"!
The surface treatment of metal parts is essential for future conditioning or work in the workshop. And the abrasives mentioned above can help you give them that perfect finish you need, but which of the two is better to optimize efficiency, speed, quality and cost?
To make the best decision, you must take into account elements such as size, shape, hardness and fragility.
For example, starting with the "Silica Sand", which due to its extreme fragility and thanks to the fact that it is projected by high production equipment, can only be used once since up to 80% of the material turns into dust.
However, it should be noted that, being a natural abrasive, it is much easier to obtain and at a very low cost. On the other hand, this must be subjected to an analysis to detect some contaminants that, due to its origin (dunes, rivers, quarries), may bring.
Another of the processes to be treated with the "Silica Sand" is that it must be sifted to remove the fines that do not perform a good sandblasting job on the surface and the coarse ones that would clog the equipment.
Finally, it is important to mention that safety requirements must be extreme, because thanks to its composition, when it is finely split, it leaves free silica causing an irreversible disease called silicosis.
On the other hand we have the "Steel Shot", this is obtained through a fusion process with controlled chemical compositions. The first result of this manufacturing is the so-called "Spherical Steel Shot", which, when split, forms the steel grit which is used to replace the use of sand.
One of its great advantages is that it can be sprayed from 700 to 5,000 times depending on the diameter, type and hardness of the abrasive used, thus being highly environmentally friendly.
These quenched and tempered steel particles do not leave any type of contamination in the material to be treated, therefore contributing to a lower investment in dust collection systems. And because it does not absorb moisture, it is not necessary to dry it beforehand.
The result of this type of abrasive is a totally uniform surface thanks to the fact that they are particles of similar granulometry.
In short, we can say that the best choice is "Steel Shot", which offers better quality results, is highly productive and reduces maintenance costs, quote it in drums or in boxes on our website.
And you, what do you think of the advantages of this abrasive? Leave us your opinion below.
