One issue that can affect your project is hiring inappropriate contractors who give low quotations to keep costs within their desired budget. Below are some factors that may influence the outcome and will assist you in making the right contractor selection.

The desired timelines for the project

How quickly you want the finished products can affect the cost and the process that is selected during sandblasting. For example, the fabricator handling your order can decide to use higher blast pressures to complete the order quickly. Such high pressures can shorten the life of the blast media. Consequently, you may end up being charged a higher rate to cover the cost of the shortened blast media life.

Product purity

The industry in which the sandblasted products will be used can also influence the process and cost of blasting those products. For example, the equipment that will be used in the food or pharmaceutical industries needs to have a high degree of purity to avoid contaminating the products that will be processed or stored using the sandblasted components. The fabricator will, therefore, take special care to select blast media, such as ceramic, which reduces contamination. Such blast media may increase the cost of the project in case that blast media is more expensive than other options that would have been used if such a high degree of purity was not required.

Substrate material

The sandblasting process is also influenced by the material from which the components to be blasted were made. This is because one blast media may be suitable for one material and not another. For example, stainless steel blast media is better suited to blasting non-ferrous metals. Consequently, it may be selected for your products even if cheaper blast media is available.

Surface condition

The surface condition of your products will also influence the parameters of the blasting process. For example, aluminum oxide may be the blast media of choice in case you just need your products to be blasted in preparation for powder coating. However, silicon carbide may be selected in case the blasting process is intended to remove tough scale from the surface of your products.

As such, the cost and the specific parameters that are selected when sandblasting your products will depend on the particular requirements of your project. It is therefore vital for you to discuss your needs with a sandblasting expert so that they can offer guidance on how to attain your objectives cost-effectively.

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