Shot blasting dust extraction
Every blast room and wheel blast machine needs a dust collector. Ours come from the same group that builds Tilghman and SBE blast equipment, so we know what the machine needs.
Why extraction matters in blasting
Blasting breaks abrasive down and strips rust, scale and old paint from the work. Without good extraction that dust hangs in the air, so the operator cannot see the surface and breathes in what comes off it. It also mixes back into the abrasive and dulls the finish.
- Visibility. Enough air movement through the room clears the dust cloud, so the operator can see what has been blasted.
- Clean abrasive. On wheel blast machines and recovery systems, the air-wash separator depends on the dust collector to pull out fines. Weak extraction means dirty abrasive and a poor finish.
- Operator health. Old coatings may contain lead or chromates. The dust must be captured, not just moved around.
- Equipment life. Dust that escapes wears bearings, motors and anything else nearby.
Blast rooms and booths
For a blast room we design the airflow pattern first, usually cross-draft or down-draft, so dust moves away from the operator and towards the extraction. Air enters through inlet louvres or filters and leaves through extraction points at the far end or in the floor. The room size and the airflow pattern set the airflow, and the airflow sizes the collector.
Wheel blast machines
Wheel blast machines need extraction at the blast cabinet and at the abrasive separator. We size the collector to the machine and set the airflow so the separator removes fines without pulling good abrasive into the collector.
What we usually fit
- Cartridge collectors for light and medium-duty blast rooms with dry dust.
- Baghouses for large rooms, heavy duty and multi-shift work.
- A settling chamber or cyclone ahead of the filters where abrasive fines are heavy.
- Inlet baffles to stop abrasive particles hitting the filters directly.
Need the blast equipment too?
Blast rooms, booths and wheelabrators come from our group companies Tilghman Rotoblast and Shotblast Equipment. We can supply the complete package.
FAQ
How much airflow does a blast room need?
It depends on the room's cross-section and the airflow pattern. A cross-draft room is sized on air velocity across the room's width and height. We calculate it from your room drawings or a site visit.
Can you upgrade extraction on an old blast booth?
Yes. For a mining equipment supplier in Gauteng we combined several smaller collectors to bring an old blast booth in line with current health and safety requirements.
Do you supply collectors for other makes of blast machine?
Yes. We size the collector to the machine's airflow requirement, whatever make it is.
Send us your dust problem
Tell us what you are extracting, roughly how much air, and where the unit will stand. We will come back with a sizing and a quote. A site visit is free in Gauteng.