The Pros and Cons of Glass Beads Offered by Glass Bead Blasting Media Suppliers

Glass bead supplied by glass bead blasting media suppliers is one of the types of media used for blasting surfaces. As with any blast media, it has its pros and cons. Below, we cover some important information about glass bead blasting, such as the equipment considerations for this type of blasting media, along with the benefits and disadvantages associated with its use.

Pros of Glass Bead Blasting

Glass beads are particularly safe compared to some other types of blast media. Specifically, glass beads are a good option in lieu of silica depending on the application. Other benefits include that they last for several cycles of use before requiring replacement. Also, glass beads may be used in a pressure or suction blast cabinet. They are versatile in this respect and can help minimize the costs of blasting your cabinets. Pressure feed cabinets are more expensive than suction feed cabinets.

Cons of Glass Bead Blasting

One drawback is that glass bead blasting is not as quick at cleaning and does not last as long as some other hard blast media such as steel, for example. Glass does not have the level of hardness that steel shot, steel grit, or even coal slag has and therefore cleans at a slower pace than those media. Also, if you need a profile, for instance for your paint to adhere to, glass beads will not leave one for you. In addition, glass bead blast media supplied by glass bead blasting media suppliers is only reusable a few times compared to shot, steel grit, and aluminum oxide.

Common Applications

Some of the common uses for glass bead blasting include sandblast cabinets in which the blast media can be recovered. It is also useful for cleaning a surface without leaving behind a blast profile. This makes it highly suitable for cleaning paint and coatings or removing dust.

When considering whether to use glass bead blasting offered by glass bead blasting media suppliers, consider the surface, the desired effect of the blasting, and whether glass beads will be the most efficient media to get the job done right.