Abrasive Mixing Valve: The abrasive mixing valve is used to meter the amount of abrasive entering the abrasive delivery hose. A properly adjusted abrasive mixing valve will eliminate all abrasive delivery surge and also allow re-adjustment when changing abrasive sizes. Machines without mixing valves or machines without quality mixing valves will never be capable of the fine adjustment required for the wide variety of abrasive sizes in the industry today.

Abrasive Separator: See Separator Reclaimer

Ambient Air Dryer: Moisture in the compressed air supply causes abrasive flow problems and dust collector filter problems. MBA’s unique inline ambient air dryer requires no floor space and mounts directly onto the blast cabinet.

Barrel Reclaim Separator []: This option is available with the pneumatic abrasive conveyor in lieu of the high efficiency cyclone separator reclaimer used with the finer abrasive. It is used for applications that require conveying the abrasive outside the blast cabinet when the abrasive size is large, 60-120 mesh. This option produces a longer lasting separator style when used with larger cutting abrasives.

Bar Grating []: Grating material is used because of its ability to span large unsupported distances in large abrasive blasting cabinets or is often used when high wear abrasive applications are present.

Batch Loads []: Term used to describe small parts processing without operator contact. Batch loads are processed using a rotating basket or barrel assembly. Random part mixing coupled with directional blast permit part processing in a given time period without the need for a machine operator.

Blow-Down Controls: The addition of Blow-Down Controls allows the quick depressurization of the blasting pressure pot permitting pot re-fill. The smaller the blasting pot the more advantageous the blow-down controls.

Blow-Off Gun Assembly: All production cabinets manufactured by Media Blast include inside cabinet blow-off gun assembly. This feature is also available as an option on the Light Duty and General Purpose blasting cabinets.

Boron Carbide: A material used for blast nozzles when a cutting abrasive is used. Boron Carbide will outlast tungsten carbide 4-6 times with only double the cost.

Cartridge Filter []: Unlike other filtering materials used in dust collector, “cloth”, the filter cartridge has a certified almost HEPA quality. Cloth filters consist of woven material that stretch during the cleaning process reducing the filter efficiency. Filter cartridges also produce greater filter collection surface in a smaller required filter area. Replacement time and cost is greatly reduced when purchasing a machine using filter type cartridges.

Clearview Window []: Oversized operator’s view window.

Contained Dust Discharge Assembly []: MBA expands upon its popular hopper style dust collector by offering a contained dust discharge assembly (standard with HEPA filtration). This assembly incorporates a slide gate on the bottom of the dust collector hopper. When the slide gate is opened, the dust is released through a duct and into a dust collection vessel. If the dust collection vessel is lined with a bag, the vessel top can be removed and disposed without the operator ever being exposed to the dust. This option is recommended for operations blasting with hazardous abrasives or on materials that may release hazardous material dust. Slide gates and taller hopper heights are available to accommodate drum waste disposal. Dust collection systems that allow the use of a full size steel drum are also available.

Cutting Abrasive Package []: Should be included on machines operating with high wear or cutting abrasives types. Consists of window protector, boron nozzle, white polyethylene cabinet wear plate, heavy-duty bar work grates and steel hopper wear plate. Some machine models already include some of these items.

Cyclone []: A pneumatic centrifuge used to separate and retain abrasive sizes 150 mesh and smaller. Cyclone Separators also help keep the abrasive dry and introduce air into the abrasive to permit more uniform abrasive delivery of finer sizes.

Directional Blasting: A term used to describe abrasive blast machinery equipped with handheld or fixture held blast guns. Allows certain part areas to be processed while preventing other areas from being processed. Always operated using compressed air to convey the abrasive media to the part surface.

Direct Pressure []: Direct Pressure machines use a pressure vessel to pneumatically push the blast media through a single abrasive hose and out the blast nozzle. Direct Pressure machine are capable of operation with heavy abrasive, steel shot or steel grit, in addition to most other abrasive blast types and sizes.

Double Skinned, No Spill Door with Heavy Duty Appliance Style Latch []: MBA uses a heavy duty latch attached to a double wall, 14 gauge steel door. An MBA door will not warp or flex. MBA may build the only blast cabinets that do not leak abrasive when the doors are opened.

Downdraft: Term used to describe the direction and speed of air flow. Commonly used to describe the speed of air just above the work surface of a pollution control workbench.

Dual Feed Pressure Pot []: This pressure pot assembly, 2.8 cubic foot capacity, allows continuous operation of the pressure pot assembly during part processing. This feature consists of two integrated pressure vessels on a timed circuit that allows collection pot refill during machine operation and also blast pot refill during machine operation. Includes all required solenoids and timers, also includes the special pressurized abrasive flow control valve for proper operation and abrasive flow adjustment. Adjustable timers permit proper circuit setting for nozzle orifice size used during blasting process.

Ergonomic Sit Down System []: This option is available as a bolt-on padded shelf that attaches to the CrystalBlast and PrecisionBlast Micro Direct Pressure Blast Machines. It is also available as a system that can be incorporated into a complete Custom blast cabinet; the custom option includes a different window slope and the window is lowered to improve visibility into the blast cabinet. The blast cabinet hopper has been redesigned so that the operator can sit comfortably while blasting. An adjustable armrest and shrouded foot pedal completes the package.

Exhaust Blower: The machine exhaust blower is used to create cabinet visibility and is necessary for efficient operation of abrasive separator reclaimers. Separator reclaimers remove unwanted dust and spent abrasive from the cabinet. To establish the number of cabinet air changes per minute made possible by the exhaust blower, take the cabinet blast chamber area in cubic feet and divide it into the exhaust blower cfm rating. Never count the machine hopper when calculating the cabinet volume.

Exhaust Silencer []: The Exhaust Silencer is used to reduce the noise level created by any class III dust collector exhaust blower. Larger blowers used to creating better cabinet visibility also create noise levels unacceptable for continuous machine operation.

Expanded Cabinet Heights []: MBA offers two cabinet heights on the most popular cabinet sizes (3636, 4836). The standard height production blast cabinet has a 30” working height and a view window angle of 40º. This allows ergonomic blasting of smaller parts without putting your nose against the view window. Our expanded height cabinet offers 36” of working height with a view window angle of 17º. This window angle is more efficient for taller parts that won’t fit in the standard height cabinet. If the normal cabinet heights will not suffice, MBA offers extended heights as an optional feature.

Expanded Two Cartridge Dust Collector Upgrade []: This option provides more filter surface area (440 sq. ft.) when dusty abrasives are used or when the cabinet usage is three + hours per day.

Filter Cycle Cleaning Gauge []: This feature is standard on all MBA production cabinets and an option or unavailable on the other manufacturers’ cabinets. Clean filters are an important part of the maintenance process. Neglect will result in significant repair costs and lower productivity (due to poor visibility), so it is critical to know when to change the filters. The MBA filter cycle cleaning gauge helps remind the operator when critical maintenance is due.

Fine or Ultra Fine Abrasive: Any material pneumatically propelled through a blast nozzle is commonly known as abrasive or blasting media. Fine and Ultra Fine abrasive measures 150-325 mesh in abrasive particle size.

Foot Operated Blast Valve []: Foot operated blast control allows the machine operator maximum mobility inside the blast cabinet by permitting control of the blast cycle using on-off foot operated pedal. This is important when operating inside smaller cabinet sizes. This also creates a smaller more compact blast gun size. Trigger controlled guns are large and troublesome when installed inside a blast cabinet.

Frictional Heat []: Dry abrasive blasting generates surface heat on the part being processed. This frictional heat can damage thin parts or parts made of certain materials such as plastics or composites. Frictional heat increases when the compressed air being used is increased and this is the single most important factor that reduces part-processing time when using larger gun sizes.

General Purpose: A term used to describe a “hybrid” between light duty and production machinery. The cabinet is large, but the dust collector capacity is limited. General Purpose or non-production machines are ideal for infrequent use on larger parts.

Glass Window Protector: Commonly called “Window Protectors” are used to protect the operator view window during machine operation using cutting abrasives. Cutting abrasive are capable of window etch and using a sealed secondary window assembly located inside the machine to protects the normal view window from etch. Using softer material, plastic sheets, is undesirable due to the soft nature of the protector.

Gun Holding Fixture []: Enables the operator to hold and manipulate the part to be blasted with both hands because the nozzle is fixed in position. This option is recommended for operations that blast small or difficult to hold parts.

HEPA Filter []: This filter should be installed when hazardous materials are being blasted (e.g. chromium, cadmium, nickel, zinc, lead, asbestos, or radioactive materials).

HEPA is an acronym for High Efficiency Particulate Air Filter, which was used in U.S. military specifications beginning around World War II.

Hopper Bottom Dust Collector []: For ease of cleaning always look for machinery using a hopper bottom dust collector. All Production type machines manufactured by Media Blast are equipped with dust collector dust storage hoppers. This also allows removal of collected dust into plastic storage bags preventing unwanted dust escape during machine service.

Light Duty Blaster: Light duty describes machinery used on a non-daily basis. One feature missing from light duty machinery is the production style dust collector with large filter surface area. Light duty machines are the least costly to purchase and usually have cabinets measuring 24 inches by 24, 30 or 36 inches. These cabinets are generally of spot welded construction, however all Media Blast machines are 100% welded construction. Most light duty machines operate with no more than 20 cfm of compressed air.

Long Wear Abrasive Hose: A hose material used when high wear cutting abrasives are being used. This type of hose eliminates the frictional wear created on normal abrasive hoses.

Maintenance Meter or Hour Meter []: This feature can simplify the maintenance of your new MBA blast cabinet. Use the non-resetable hour meter to create a logbook indicating basic machine maintenance schedules including abrasive changeout.

Magnahelic Gauge []: The magnahelic gauge monitors the condition of the dust collector filters (or HEPA filters) by monitoring the differential pressure between the clean and dirty side of the filter. The magnahelic gauges are available with or without setpoint indicators and with and without indicator light. The setpoint indicator can triggers a red light when the factory preset differential pressure has been reached indicating that it is time to change the filters.

Magnetic Separator: Often used to remove undesirable metals from plastic abrasive during operation.

Manual Reverse Pulse: Description of an assembly used to reverse the airflow direction inside a machine dust collector to allow the removal of collected dust from the filter surface.

Micron: Unit of measurement, 25 microns equals .0012 or 1/25,000 of an inch.

Mobile Workcarts and Track []: For large, heavy and awkward objects that need to be blasted, the mobile work carts and track allow the objects to easily be loaded and unloaded from the cabinet. This eliminates the need for potentially dangerous clamshell style cabinets. All mobile workcarts are equipped standard with internal cabinet track, locking turntables and 300 pound capacity. Various lengths of external track extensions and powered operation are available.

Pneumatic Conveyor []: A pneumatic conveyor is a device used to convey abrasive pneumatically during operation of the blast cabinet. Used with the cyclone separator for separation of fine and ultra-fine abrasive. Also used during operations with larger cabinet or multiple cabinets requiring standard operator heights. Commonly includes abrasive conveyor ducts.

Polyester Filter: Filter cartridge that is washable. Also used for applications to permit faster cartridge cleaning.

Pressure Pot []: Used with direct pressure blast machines to pneumatically push the abrasive. Pressure pots will produce a fastest abrasive velocity, the most concentrated abrasive patterns and also operate with the heaviest of abrasives.

Production: Production blasting machinery is machinery used on a daily basis. The defining factor in production machinery is the dust collector. Production machines require large amounts of dust collector filter surface area. The greater the surface area, the greater the capacity for storing collected dust during operation. Dust collectors with dust storage hoppers are easier to clean and therefore cleaner to operate. Production cabinets are usually of heavier, 100% welded construction, with the greatest variation of cabinet sizing.

QwikStrip Nozzle: Long high velocity nozzle used to maintain high abrasive velocity, high impact velocity and dense abrasive particle concentration. Longer than usual nozzles and possible for use on direct pressure machines only.

Raised Operator Platform []: Raising the operator height and supplying the operator platform allows placement of the pressure pot below the machine hopper and produces a better machine hopper slope for hopper to pot feed. This allows a larger cabinet without the need to supply a pneumatic conveyor that greatly increases the operating cost of the machine.

Replaceable Hopper: MBA has the only truly modular blast cabinet. If the hopper wears out after many years of use, it can easily be replaced because it is not welded to the cabinet. If a client’s blasting requirements change, MBA’s production blast cabinets can be easily converted from one style to another simply by changing the hopper or adding accessories. For example, a production siphon cyclone cabinet can easily be converted to a pressure cyclone, a siphon or a pressure blast cabinet. While many manufacturers can convert between siphon cyclone and pressure cyclone, no other manufacturer can measure up to MBA’s flexibility. MBA is the only manufacturer that offers an advertised optional system that allows the user to automatically dispose of the abrasive after one cycle or use the system as a normal abrasive blast system that automatically recycles the abrasive.

Random Part Mix: Method used to describe part mix during tumble blast. The faster the random part mix, the faster the tumble cycle and the greater the machine production.

Reverse Pulse or Timed Reverse Pulse Cleaning []: A device used to clean the dust collector filter surface using a pulse of compressed air. This type of assembly is advised when high humidity conditions exist. Can be automatic or manual pulse, multiple or single cartridge application.

Roll Up Side Access Doors []: In years past some side access doors were vertical lift doors. Today’s technology allows construction of the side access door as a contained roll-up door assembly. This permits the addition of powered gearmotor assembly and rubber inside door lining. Closing the door inside the machine hopper is an advantage when using this type of access door.

Rubber Dipped Baskets and Barrels []: Tumble Basket and Barrel machines require the parts to be rotated inside the barrel assembly. The parts offer the required protection for the baskets and barrels during the blasting process. Often the steel basket or barrel requires rubber dipping to prevent part damage during the process when the parts rub against the steel barrel surface.

Safety Door Interlocks: Standard on all production blast cabinets and optional on all light duty cabinet styles. A safety door interlock shuts off the air to the blast nozzle while the door is open or if the door is opened while blasting is in progress.

Safety Plate View Window: Glass view windows are best because unlike Plexiglas or plastic, which attracts abrasive dust via static electricity, glass is a more durable static free material. Safety plate glass is one of the safest material because unlike tempered glass safety glass it has 2 piece of glass bonded together with a single clear plastic sheet between.

Separator Reclaimer: Separator Reclaimer or Abrasive Separator Reclaimer prevents the loss of usable abrasive when the exhaust blower exchanges inside for outside cabinet air creating the negative cabinet air pressure. Abrasive separator reclaimers are pneumatic centrifuges capable of separating usable abrasive from dust and unwanted, worn abrasive. This device allows usable abrasive to circulate over and over inside the abrasive cabinet while removing unwanted dust a spent abrasive. Abrasive separator reclaimers are available in different efficiency ranges, which should be matched to the abrasive size in use. Some separators operate with media sizes 0-150 mesh and others are intended for finer material of 180 –400 mesh. In addition, separator reclaimers are available in different cfm ratings, with larger separators for larger exhaust blowers.

Shrouded Foot Pedal Assembly []: An OSHA approved shrouded foot pedal assembly is available as an option to MBA’s standard foot treadle. To accommodate the shrouded foot pedal assembly, the front leg brace is moved 8” back from the front of the cabinet.

Single Power Source []: Machines with fractional motors operate from 120-volt power source. Machines with increased motor horse power,1 hp and above, are available with electrical box, transformer for low-voltage operator control, magnetic starter, heater and low-voltage fuse protection. This option allows supply voltage and phase choice by the customer.

Siphon Blast: A term used to describe the type of abrasive delivery system used on an abrasive blasting cabinet. A siphon machine uses an injection gun to create suction on the abrasive supply hose. The abrasive hose then conveys the abrasive, using suction or siphon, to the gun where the compressed air hose is used to accelerate the abrasive. All siphon type machines include two hoses on the abrasive blast gun assembly. Siphon machines are the most common type of blast machine. All siphon gun assemblies include an air jet used to create the siphoning effect and also establish the amount of compressed air required to operate the machine.

Sight Window: Unlike the operator view window the sight window is used to permit outside light entering inside the cabinet. Commonly used on wet blast machine to allow outside light installation.

Soda: Soda or baking soda is a blast abrasive used to for one shot applications that require disposal of abrasive due to part contamination. Also used to prevent part damage during the cleaning process.

Soda Delivery System []: Optional Direct Pressure system used to deliver soda in the Blizzard model blast cabinet.

Static Discharge Kit: Static electricity is generated when two dissimilar materials are rubbed together. This is a condition that is exaggerated by climate. The static ground kit prevents the cabinet from acting as a condenser when the abrasive comes into contact with the steel cabinet walls, this prevents the static charge build up inside the cabinet.

Table Top Velocity: The air speed of the blower cfm moved through any area measured in square feet or percentage. Blower cfm divided by surface area in sq. ft. equals velocity in feet per minute.

Timed Window Wash: Clearwater rinsing assembly, timed, to provide a momentary pulse jet of clean water against the operator view window…all water used is removed from the cabinet to prevent reduced slurry concentrations. May be used for cabinet water make-up.

Track Extensions: See Mobile Workcart and Track

Tumble Barrel or Basket []: While most applications today using cabinets require operator directional blasting, some parts because of their size and quantity can be finished in batch loads using a machine equipped with a rotation device usually described as a tumble barrel. The term barrel usually signifies a horizontally mounted barrel with the rotation axis horizontal. Tumble barrel machines process parts up to 5 inches in length.

Tumble basket machines usually describe an open top basket mounted with the rotation axis at 45 degrees from horizontal. Basket machines allow processing of longer parts and usually require hand unloading of the parts being processed. Tumble barrel machines are self-unloading because of the horizontal rotation axis of the barrel permits jog rotation and unload.

Tumble Basket: See Tumble Barrel Above

Turntable []: Heavy or awkward parts are more easily moved inside a blast cabinet with a turntable. The turntable can increase productivity significantly. Choose from manual or powered turntable models available in many sizes (up to 48” diameter) with standard capacity of 500 pounds (heavier capacities available). The turntable tops all ride on double sealed bearings. All MBA turntables are slotted for installing fixtures and are equipped to lock in position if desired.

Vaccuum Cleanup Assembly []: MBA is the only manufacturer in the industry that offers this unique option. MBA converts the dust collector into a shop vacuum capable of cleaning up the work area around or cleaning the abrasive out of the blast cabinet. This option requires the dual cartridge dust collector and the 1,160 cfm exhaust blower.

Wet Blaster: While most applications today require dry blasting, some remain that are truly jobs for wet machinery. The frictional heat generated by dry machines can destroy some parts. Using the wet type of equipment can eliminate the frictional heat generated during part processing. Another plus with wet machinery is the ability to produce a chemically clean part surface with minimal surface remove. Using 4000 to 5000 mesh abrasive is not an option when using a dry type machine but operation of this abrasive size is possible when using a wet type blast cabinet.

Window Molding Tool Kit: Media Blast uses positive sealing window molding to produce a 100% sealed view window installation. Using the window molding tool kit allows easy installation of the operator view window if replacement is required.

Window Protector Assembly []: Commonly called “Window Protectors” are used to protect the operator view window during machine operation with cutting abrasives. Cutting abrasive are capable of window etch and using a sealed secondary window assembly located inside the machine protects the normal view window from etch. Using softer material, plastic sheets, is undesirable due to the soft nature of the protector.