Automotive Applications - for dry and wet / vapour blasting

To understand what dry and wet / vapour blasting is please see our blog: Blast Surface Preparation and Finishing - What Is It And Why Should We Consider Using It?

Another major industry that justifiably employ dry and wet /vapour blast processes:

Automotive industry

1. Transport – lorry chassis, railway engine, coach and truck chassis, wheel set and axle preparation prior to non-destructive testing (NDT) crack inspection:  all require surface preparation by descaling and preparation for corrosion control and coating applications.
2. Bearing industry- ball and roller bearings, cages, plumber blocks etc, require descaling after casting, forging or heat treatment
   • Taper roller bearings
   • Spherical rollers
   • self-aligning bearings
   • Deep groove ball bearings
   • Barrel roller bearings
   • Angular contact ball
   • Thrust bearings
   • Cylindrical roller
   • spindle bearings
3. Suspension arms require descaling after casting, forging, or milling and before machining.
4. Bushes require descaling after casting, forging or hot forming; surface preparation of cold formed tube for rubber to metal bonding.
5. Spring manufacturers; leaf, coil, valve springs, descaling and stress relieving, surface preparation
6. Suspension components and shock absorber components; steel pressings, forming, fabrications and sintered pistons require surface preparation.
7. Brake components, new pad backings, new cast disc pads require a surface profile to enable the brake lining to adhere well.  Aftermarket brake shoe relining, callipers, slave cylinders, hydraulic components, air/ vacuum component pumps, valves and chambers require to be remanufactured to the highest standard and to do so the old paint, rust, oxidisation and road particulates need to be removed before test, inspection and re-manufacture can take place.
8. Automotive wheel manufacturers – steel and alloy – wheel refurbishes require a fine, clean textured surface onto which the powder coating can be applied when re-manufactured/re-applied after the removal of the old oxidised/chipped and painted surface.
9. Water pumps - new castings and remanufacturing applications - new diecast or sand cast aluminium pump housings and impellors are normally commercially blast surface finished before machining the bearing and flange faces.  The aftermarket remanufacturing industry re-blast these components to remove scale oxidisation and clean the surfaces before repair and re-assembly to as new original standards.
10. Automotive lighting and auto electrical component manufacturers including mould cleaning, alternator and starter components, wire clips and fasteners.   New diecastings require aesthetic finishing, machining and coatings ap plied. The diecasting mould requires maintenance and the surface of the mould can be wet blasted to remove old built-up release agent and deposits from the surface to improve the surface of the component and minimise any split line. Blast finishing can also improve the life of the mould itself by checking any surface fatigue cracks due to heat variations.
11. Battery manufacturers - mould cleaning.
12. Engine component manufacturers  and re-manufacturers require to clean as many serviceable components as possible without the loss of tolerances.
13. Petrol or diesel injectors, injection components mechanical and electrical component applications – machined, sintered, hardened components require descaling, deflashing, cleaning, and the removal of any loose sinter material form the surface.
14. Cylinder heads, manifolds, pistons & rings, con-rods, gudgeon pins, circlips, valves, valve guides and collets, valve springs and hardened valve seats.  This range of components require descaling, deflashing, cleaning, and the removal of any loose material form the surface. Cylinder heads require decoring and cosmetic finishing after casting and fettling. Hot end exhaust manifolds normally cast but could be fabricated require descaling and cosmetic finishing, Pistons can be cast, some machined from stock and require to be deflashed or descaled. Con-rods are normally forged and require descaling and sometimes stress relieved/peened. Gudgeon pins are forged, turned and require descaling. In fact, all these items mentioned require similar or the same blast applications.
15. Camshafts are mainly cast, some forged and require descaling.  Cam shaft bearing blocks require descaling after heat treatment and backings for white metal bearings require to be descaled and surface textured for the white metal to adhere to.
16. Newly forged crankshafts - Descaling application.
17. Engine blocks, oil and water galley applications - de-coring after casting. Spun cast steel cylinders – removal of powder oxide used as release agent.Clutch, manual gear box component and automatic transmission manufactures, including gears splines and shift selectors to descale after heat treatment, cleaning and used to surface prepare without loss of tolerance in the automotive remanufacture after market.
18. Clutch, manual gear box component and automatic transmission manufacturers, including gears splines and shift selectors to descale after heat treatment, cleaning and used to surface prepare without loss of tolerance in the automotive remanufacture after market.
19. Drive shaft – steered bearing units – after forging and after machining and heat treatment, universal joints, and rear transmission/differential units.
20. Turbo charger new component hot end, cold end, bearing housing, hot end and cold end turbine compressors and remanufacturing industries
21. Locking and lock components, diecast, deflash and surface preparation.
22. Automotive door components, handles and hinges. Manual and electric window mechanisms are diecast, forged or fabricated; there are many components most of which require a blast deflash, clean and surface finish before machining, descaling after welding, heat treatment, casting, or forgings.
23. Pedal block controls are fabrication / pressings, and hydraulic/ pneumatic fittings are normally forgings or hot pressings in metal, some plastic or composite materials and as such applications require to be finished as appropriate.
24. Seat, seat adjustment and seat belt components require to be deburred and many descaled and prepared after heat treatment, ready for coatings and/or a moulding application.  Your vehicle seat material is likely to be blow moulded into the cushion and the mould requires to be cleaned and maintained. The seat frame is fabricated and requires a surface cleaning and texture application for the good adherence of paint or applied coatings. Seat belt mountings and mechanisms are built of pressings, which require surface finishing.
25. Dash board fascias mouldings, gear knobs and other control features whether it be metal, plastic or composite are surface prepared for the adhesion of an aesthetic finish, or the cleaning of the mould in which these components are formed.

Other industries that justifiably employ dry and wet blast processes:

• Aerospace
• Base Metal and Fabrication
• Production
• Manufacturing
• Maintaining and Cleaning
• Utilities

Post written by

Haydn Kitchen

Shot Blasting Technical Manager