How to Select the Appropriate Abrasive Type and Grit Size for Sandblasting Robots Based on Different Surface Treatment Requirements?
Publish Time: 2025-11-10
In modern manufacturing, surface treatment is a key process for improving product corrosion resistance, adhesion, and aesthetics. Sandblasting, as one of the most widely used processes, is undergoing a profound transformation from manual operation to automation and intelligence. Sandblasting robots not only enable 24-hour continuous operation, significantly improving production efficiency, but also significantly enhance operational safety—avoiding long-term exposure of workers to the dangerous environment of high dust, high noise, and high-speed abrasive splashes. However, to fully utilize the effectiveness of sandblasting robots, the key lies in scientifically selecting the appropriate abrasive type and grit size based on different surface treatment requirements.1. Abrasive Type: Matching Material and Treatment ObjectivesAbrasives used in sandblasting are diverse, mainly including metallic, mineral, ceramic, and environmentally friendly non-metallic materials. Different materials have significantly different effects on the workpiece surface. For example, for rust removal or strengthening of steel structural components, high-hardness, high-impact steel shot or grit is often chosen. This effectively removes oxide scale and improves the fatigue strength of the metal through shot peening. For soft or easily scratched materials such as aluminum alloys and stainless steel, gentler glass beads or plastic shot are used to avoid surface damage. When deburring precision parts or cleaning electronic components, lightweight organic abrasives are more suitable, being effective without damaging the substrate. Sandblasting robots, through a preset process parameter library, can automatically match the optimal abrasive type based on the workpiece material, surface condition, and subsequent processes, achieving "material-specific abrasive application."2. Particle Size Selection: Precise Control of Surface RoughnessThe particle size of the abrasive directly affects the surface roughness after sandblasting, thus affecting coating adhesion and appearance quality. Particle size is usually expressed in mesh or micrometers; the higher the value, the finer the particles. Coarse-grained sandblasting is suitable for heavy-duty rust removal, thick oxide layer removal, or pretreatment of anti-corrosion coatings requiring high anchor pattern depth; medium-grained sandblasting balances efficiency and surface uniformity, and is widely used for general steel structure and casting cleaning; while fine-grained sandblasting is used for finishing, mirror pretreatment, or applications requiring high surface finish. The sandblasting robot is equipped with an intelligent control system that dynamically adjusts nozzle pressure, movement speed, and sand flow rate based on workpiece information from CAD models or visual recognition systems, and precisely controls the final surface morphology by combining preset grain size-roughness mapping relationships. For example, in the pretreatment of wind turbine towers for anti-corrosion, the system can automatically select 60-mesh steel sand to ensure that the Ra value remains stable within the ideal range of 50–75μm.3. 24-Hour Continuous Operation and Enhanced SafetyTraditional manual sandblasting relies on operational experience, is labor-intensive, operates in harsh environments, and struggles to guarantee consistency. The sandblasting robot integrates an automatic sand supply, recycling, dust removal, and sand circulation system, coupled with a closed-loop control algorithm, enabling truly unmanned operation around the clock. Meanwhile, the fully enclosed sandblasting chamber and negative pressure dust removal device effectively isolate dust and noise, significantly reducing occupational health risks. More importantly, by monitoring the wear and particle size distribution of the sand in real time, the robot can automatically warn of the need for replacement or replenishment of new sand, preventing a decline in treatment effectiveness due to abrasive passivation. Some high-end systems even incorporate AI image recognition for online quality inspection of the treated surface, forming an intelligent closed loop of "sandblasting—inspection—feedback—optimization."The surface treatment sandblasting robot is not merely automated equipment, but a comprehensive solution integrating materials science, process engineering, and intelligent control. By scientifically selecting the type and particle size of sand, and relying on its 24/7 uninterrupted, high-precision, and high-safety operation capabilities, companies can not only significantly improve product quality consistency but also achieve green manufacturing and inherent safety.
