When an abrasive blast machine isn’t cleaning as quickly as it used to, media flow becomes inconsistent, or cycle times start creeping up, it’s easy to assume there’s a larger equipment problem.
Often, the cause is much simpler.
Wear parts, media condition, air supply and routine adjustments can all have a noticeable impact on blasting performance. Knowing what to check can help identify small issues before they lead to unnecessary downtime.
Here are seven places to start.
1. Check Your Blast Nozzle for Wear
Blast nozzles are wear components. As abrasive passes through the nozzle, the bore gradually enlarges.
That change may not be obvious from the outside, but nozzle wear can affect blast performance and compressed-air consumption.
Inspect the nozzle regularly and compare the bore to its original specification. If you’re unsure which replacement nozzle your machine requires, having your machine model and serial number available can help Guyson Customer Service identify the correct component. Guyson offers ceramic, tungsten carbide and boron carbide nozzle options for various blast gun configurations.
2. Inspect the Air Jet
On a suction-blast system, the relationship between the air jet and blast nozzle is critical to drawing media into the gun.
A worn, damaged or incorrectly positioned air jet can affect media pickup and overall blast performance.
Guyson Model 900 gun assemblies are available with several air-jet sizes, so it’s important that the air jet and nozzle combination matches the application and equipment configuration.
3. Look at Your Blast Hose
Media hoses take a lot of abuse.
Abrasive traveling through the hose can gradually wear the interior, particularly around bends and areas where media repeatedly impacts the hose wall.
Check for soft spots, cracking, leaks, restrictions or excessive wear. A damaged media hose can contribute to inconsistent media delivery and should be replaced before it fails completely.
4. Check the Blast Media
Sometimes the machine isn’t the problem at all.
Blast media changes as it cycles through a system. Depending on the media type and application, particles can break down, become contaminated or change size distribution over time.
That can affect cutting action, surface finish and how effectively the reclaim system separates reusable media from fines.
If blast results have changed, consider whether anything about the media has changed too — including type, mesh size, operating mix or contamination level.
5. Inspect the Media Reclaim System
A properly functioning reclaim system helps separate reusable abrasive from dust, fines and contaminants.
If too many fines remain in circulation, blast performance and consistency can suffer. If usable abrasive is being removed from the system, media consumption can increase.
Changes in media type can also affect how a reclaim system performs, so reclaim settings should be evaluated when switching abrasives.
6. Don’t Overlook Air Supply
Compressed air is one of the most important parts of an air-blast process.
Before troubleshooting the machine itself, verify that the system is receiving the required air pressure and volume and check for leaks or restrictions in the air supply.
Remember that nozzle wear can also change air demand. A worn nozzle with an enlarged bore may require more compressed air than it did when new.
7. Replace the Worn Component — Not Necessarily the Entire Assembly
One advantage of Guyson blast gun assemblies is their serviceability.
Individual components can be replaced rather than automatically replacing the complete gun assembly. Guyson also designs its gun assemblies so air jets and nozzles can be rotated, which can extend their service life by three to four times.
That means routine inspection and maintenance can help control operating costs while keeping the blasting process consistent.
Need Help Identifying a Guyson Part?
Sometimes you know there’s a problem but don’t know exactly which component you need.
That’s where Guyson Customer Service can help.
Having your machine model and serial number available makes it easier for the team to identify the correct replacement components for your equipment. Guyson supports air-blast, wet-blast, wheel-blast and parts-washing equipment with factory-direct replacement parts and technical support.
