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Maintenance Tips | Media Blast & Abrasives, Inc.
Sandcarver maintenance isn’t as straight forward as most people think. Everyone knows nozzles wear out and window protectors can become etched over time. This is why all of our CrystalBlast® models have nozzles, windows and hoses that are designed to be replaced without the need for special tools. The vast majority of sandcarver maintenance, roughly 80%, is related to the dust collector.
ProTip: 90% of users think the dust collector cleaning cycle is all you pay attention to for service. This is dead wrong.
CrystalBlast cabinets have the largest standard filter storage area surface of any Sandcarving Cabinet. The filter surface area determines how long you can operate the cabinet before it needs to be cleaned and how much dust it can store in order to keep the dust collector blower moving air. If you don’t keep the filter clean, the separator reclaimer can’t remove the dust and the operator can’t see the fine detail in the carvings.
Since the vast majority of sandcarver maintenance is related to the dust collector, it’s important to know how to clean the filters. This process is one of many important features that should be considered when purchasing a machine.
The CrystalBlast Elite 2.0 has 3 ways to clean the filters: Pneumatic Vibrator, Air Pulse and both together. This is far superior to many cabinets which require the user to shake out filter bags or clean screens. Remember the Elite 2.0 model has 110 square feet and the Summit has 220 square feet of filter surface standard with the ability to optionally double the filter area of each.
Real World Example: How many times would you need to clean a 15-square feet of filter bags compared to one Summit cabinet filter, which has a filter area of 220-square feet? The answer is almost 15 times for every single Summit 3-minute cleaning cycle. Buying a gas driven car with only a one gallon gas tank is a good comparison.
All dust collectors must be kept clean to maintain cabinet visibility, keep the separator reclaimer operating properly and store all the waste being removed from the parts.
Regardless of material – paper, polyester, HEPA or cartridge filter – your filter should be changed yearly. This is because humidity in the air and oil in compressed air eventually hardens any filter and compromises the material’s pores.
Another often-ignored maintenance task is changing out the abrasive media.
Just like changing oil in the car, users need to change all the abrasive inside a mediablaster® when it is worn out. You never really want to add a few pounds of new abrasive to many pounds of old because you never have new sharp abrasive the right mesh size in any quantity. This can really slow down part production, that can cost you labor dollars.
Sandcarver maintenance cannot be stressed enough. Be sure to maintain the filters based on daily machine operation and filter area size, but don’t go more than a year between filter replacements. Sandcarvers that use new technology can save you labor dollars by reducing maintenance time and eliminating barriers to regular service.
CrystalBlast®, by Media Blast®, makes the Sandcarving machine model right for any Sandcarving application. Media Blast & Abrasive has been manufacturing sandblasting cabinets since the 1970s. We make more than ten different machine categories, eight abrasive delivery types, sixty different machine models and 180 different individual cabinets. In addition to a long list of standard features, Media Blast offers a comprehensive list of standard features, and more than 80 optional features for increased productivity, durability, and operator safety. If you’re not sure what cabinet is the right fit for your needs, give us a call or visit our Buying Guide.