What is Vapor Abrasive Blasting?

Vapor abrasive blasting (also known as wet abrasive blasting) removes coatings, contaminants, corrosion and residues from hard surfaces and provides surface preperation for other coatings to be applied. Vapor abrasive blasting is similar to dry blasting, except that the blast media is moistened prior to impacting the surface, reducing dust significantly and also reducing the amount of water used when compared to traditional wet blasting. Vapor abrasive blasting is also referred to as “dustless blasting”, however true “dustless blasting” does not exist. Some might claim that their products are “dustless” or “dust-free,” but the reality is there is no such thing. Using a wet abrasive blasting machine will cut down on the plume of dust you get from dry blasting, but you’re also left with a puddle of water. Make sure you understand the facts around dustless blasting.Wet abrasive blasting works when water and abrasive are combined in a pot under water pressure and then precisely metered into the airflow. When wet abrasive impacts a surface, the additional water weighs the particles down and creates a “dustless” effect. The Graco EcoQuip series utilizes vapor abrasive blasting. Since EcoQuip 2 uses less water than slurry or other water-based technologies, pools of water aren’t left behind so there is less need to worry about toxic runoff. With Graco’s EcoQuip 2 Vapor Abrasive blast equipment, you will see up to 92% dust suppression over dry blasting without the wet, slurry mess you get from traditional wet abrasive blasters.

• Vapor Abrasive Blasting vs Water Injection vs Dry Blasting
  • The advantages of using an abrasive blaster over dry sand blasting are numerous, but the top benefit is you’ll eliminate up to 92% of airborne dust, while also saving on cleanup and disposal costs. And compared to slurry blasting (aka wet blasting), you’ll use far less media and water. More importantly, you won’t damage substrates when blasting with Graco’s Vapor Abrasive blasters, which also makes them ideal for restoring historically significant structures and buildings.

• Applications
  • Blast Cleaning – Dirt, mold, paint and coatings
  • Graffiti Removal – Graffiti from building surfaces
  • Marine Maintenance – Barnacles, biofilm, corrosion and coatings
  • Restoration – Corrosion, grime, coatings and surface dirt
• Surface Preparation – Use EcoQuip 2 to prepare steel surfaces to be free of grease, dirt, dust, mill scale, rust and paint

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