Glass beads provide one of the most gentle touches on the blasted surfaces. Unlike other abrasive materials, glass beads are an economical solution for cleaning and shot peening of surfaces, and are manufactured in rounded shape from lead-free recycled glass. It is an ecological material that does not cause human health problems because it does not contain free silica, it is chemically inert and can be reused up to 30 times, depending on the processes and the surfaces being operated.
Glass beads are available in several sizes. The larger particles produce a deeper textured finish, while the smaller particles produce an extremely bright and smooth surface. Further, the particles of the glass beads can be produces in much smaller sizes than other metal shots, therefore, being ideal for cleaning and peening metal parts with complex geometries and fine angles, without damaging their shape or removing parts of the base material.
Being a non-ferrous and stable material, glass beads do not contaminate the blasted surfaces, being successfully used for stainless steel, aluminum, stone, cement, wood, glass fiberglass, plastic. As blasting material, glass beads can be used for light deburring and cleaning, effectively removing rust, corrosion, dust and dirt deposits without scratching or damaging the surfaces when used with both air or water based propellant equipment.
Shot peening with glass beads has major advantages for the treated surfaces as it increases the fatigue properties of metal parts and resistance to stress corrosion cracking. Glass beads are an abrasive with medium hardness (approximately 6 on the Mohs scale) and relatively low weight, therefore producing a significant layer of compression residual stress at the surface while leaving a smooth metal finish.
In automotive industry, glass beads are used for removing rust and paint on the car bodies. Having such a delicate action, they are also used to clean and sanitize fine medical devices in the pharmaceutical industry. In the aviation industry, glass beads are used to clean and shot peening specific parts, such as propellers and aircraft engine blades.
Another area in which glass beads are successfully used is road marking. The paint used in road marking embeds glass beads with retro-reflective properties of the vehicle's headlight beam, ensuring better visibility of the road marks during night and day and greater safety for car drivers. Glass beads can be mixed with paint prior to road marking, but can be added later over the newly fresh paint.
GritSablare.ro provides several types of high quality glass beads, which can be used in any type of cleaning, deburring or shot peeing operations. Our engineers provide full support and assistance in choosing the best solutions for cleaning and shot peening any type of surface. A fair price - quality ratio and timely delivery of the ordered products are important premises for a beneficial and advantageous business relationship on medium and long term for all the parties involved.