Effective Abrasive Blast Room Recovery Systems

In Booth NC-141, International Surface Technologies (Laval, QC) will showcase ISTblast recovery systems that are perfect for large abrasive blast rooms. Depending on a shop’s surface treatment requirements, a complete turn-key solution can be provided that includes a new room or provides the necessary equipment and technical support to guide a shop in manufacturing their own room – an option that makes it possible to save substantially on construction expenses.

With minimal to no maintenance required, an ISTblast Screw Conveyor System provides an efficient indoor surface treatment environment, independent of outdoor weather conditions, that protects operators against harmful sandblasting dust. It features the safest, most effective surface treatment process and recycles glass bead, aluminum oxide, steel shot, steel grit and more. Shops can achieve substantial abrasive consumption savings through recycling rates of 95 percent and more. ISTblast mechanical recovery systems come complete with enclosure, bucket elevator, air-wash abrasive cleaner, media storage hopper and cartridge dust collector, blast pot and four-stage air breathing system.

Bucket elevator recovery systems are most commonly used for shot blasting or shot peening and can be configured with one or two blast pots, or as a stand-alone unit to use with an existing sand blast pot. A vibrating screen is available as an option. Bucket elevators process up to 200 cu ft per hour of dense and coarse media, such as steel grit and steel shot. Hopper and bucket elevator recovery systems can be flush mounted for easy loading by placing the bucket elevator and hopper in a small pit.

The reclaim floor system is determined by the type of abrasive being used (screw conveyor vs. vacuum reclaim), production requirements and budget. Full reclaim floors are more costly but provide continuous automatic recycling of abrasive. Partial reclaims and corner boxes require the operator to sweep the abrasive to the reclaim system. If parts are handled by forklifts, the reclaim system must accommodate heavy floor loading. Partial floors are available in single screw module H-shape or U-shape designs that can be expanded to handle workpieces of almost any size.

The U-shaped partial reclaim system adds two longitudinal metered screw conveyors along each side wall of the blast room and positions the cross screw along the back wall of the blast room. The position of the screw conveyors allows the abrasive delivered from the blasting nozzle, which is either blown or rebounded off the workpiece, to strike the side and back walls of the blast room and fall into the reclaim system. A U-shaped floor design will automatically reclaim 40 percent to 70 percent of the blast media. The remaining abrasive on the floor is pushed into the screw conveyors at the end of the work shift. This design is typically used in an “in-out” room configuration where heavy workpieces and/or material handling devices can drive into the room. It is best suited for medium to high production shot blasting or shot peening.

The H-shaped partial reclaim system adds two longitudinal metered screw conveyor assemblies along each side wall of the blast room. The position of the screw conveyor assemblies allows the abrasive delivered from the blasting nozzle, which is either blown or rebounded off the work piece, to strike the side walls and fall into the screw conveyors, reclaiming approximately 40 percent to 70 percent of the blast media. The remaining abrasive on the floor is pushed into the screw conveyors at the end of the work shift. The screw conveyors are protected from an overload by metering shed plates. The H-shaped design is typically utilized in a flow-thru room configuration where heavy workpieces or material handling devices can drive into the room and position the workpiece on the steel-covered concrete floor located between the screw conveyors. It is best suited for medium to high production shot blasting or shot peening.

A four-stage filtration system for the operator’s breathable air fed hood removes moisture, oil vapors, gaseous hydro carbons, dirt rust scale and other potentially dangerous contaminants to provide clean compressed breathing quality air. An onboard carbon monoxide monitor constantly samples the supplied air for compliance with OSHA standards.

International Surface Technologies, 4160 Industrial Boulevard, Laval, QC H7L 6H1 Canada, 514-793-6678, www.istblast.com.