Vapour blasting is a process that goes by many names including, wet blasting, hydroblasting, vapour honing and liquid honing.

They all rely on the same principle. A suitable media is mixed with water, normally inside the cabinet, and is then pumped to the blasting nozzle where compressed air is supplied to propel the slurry onto the work piece, much they way a sandblasting cabinet works.

The media is normally glass bead, however many different types of media can be used such as aluminium oxide, ceramic bead and baking soda (super-saturated).

The pump is normally a rotodynamic, centrifugal pump capable of pumping high amounts of solids with a special impellor design. Suitable pumps are usually polyurethane or high chromium alloys for the most demanding applications.

The main advantage of vapour blasting is the effect that the water has on the surface finish. It acts to cushion and lubricate the media effectively eliminating the abrasiveness of the media and allowing it to clean and polish rather than abrade.

Vapour blasting is generally used to clean and restore aged parts, mainly from motorbikes and cars. It can also be used to clean plastic and rubber parts. The process allows the operator to clean very intricate parts back to their former glory in a very short period of time, without damaging the part or eroding the parent material. It can also be used to give a nice even finish on new parts, commonly used to debur and finish CNC machined parts.

Vapour blasting is considered a final finish, meaning that aluminium parts are generally left uncoated after processing. It is not designed as a preparation for paint as it does not ‘’key’’ the surface.

If you have any questions or would like to chat about the process, please feel free to contact us and we will be happy to help!