Sandblasting is a process by which the exterior or surface portion of a material is eroded via an abrasion generated by a jet of sand and air. Sandblasting is mainly used for the surface treatment of metals.
In the field of mechanical engineering, sandblasting is typically carried out as an intermediate production process, and is only rarely performed as a final operation.
At the end of the operation, the material underlying the removed layer is completely revealed and its roughness depends upon the sandblasting pressure and the size of grit utilized, but is nevertheless quite accentuated when compared to the typical values obtained via mechanical processing.
Sandblasting is therefore one of the preferred procedures for preparing workpieces to be painted.
Sandblasting is typically carried out upon steel, cast iron and metal alloys in general, but is also performed upon other materials, including wood, ceramics, stone and marble, whether for industrial, mechanical or construction use.
