An abrasive separator reclaimer is the part of a blast cabinet that sorts abrasive media from the particulate byproducts of the abrasive blasting process. This feature helps improve the return on investment in abrasive. Most of the time, abrasive can be recycled many times if used and separated appropriately. Separators that don’t work, send good abrasive to the dust collector each time it exits the nozzle.
Why is an Abrasive Separator Reclaimer Important?
What makes an abrasive separator reclaimer so important to users is the cost savings associated with recycling abrasive as many times as possible.
Think about oil recycling in your car. It takes only 12 to 18 seconds to recycle 5 quarts of oil once. Cleaning the oil and making it last by recycling the oil is important!
The same concept applies to recycling abrasive. Abrasives have a normal recycling rate that depends on the blasting application. So, all abrasive eventually degrades into dust. Removing the fine dust though high cabinet air changes results in great cabinet visibility. This only happens if the separator is efficient. The separator reclaimer sorts abrasive into two categories. Abrasive that can still be used goes into a hopper or abrasive storage area. The spent abrasive media and particulate matter goes into the dust collector.
Most blast cabinet abrasive can be cleaned and reused – but there are some exceptions. Single-use abrasive media never gets recycled, for example.
Why is Cleaning Abrasive so Important?
Going back to our car engine oil analogy, many abrasives can be used over and over to clean parts. Ensuring that your blasting cabinet has an efficient abrasive separator reclaimer is the most economical way to reduce your abrasive media costs.
Another important benefit is cabinet visibility. A good abrasive separator reclaimer design will remove the dust particles from the cabinet and increase user visibility having high cabinet air changes. The better an operator can see, the more efficiently they can process parts. High cabinet visibility, created by high cabinet air changes, can cost the user 3 to 5 times the abrasive cost by simply having a poorly designed separator reclaimer unable to recycle with high efficiency.
The ideal separator reclaimer keeps only the usable abrasive inside the cabinet for recycling, and the dust and cleaned part coatings goes into the dust collector. Always understand one abrasive separator design can’t be right for all applications.
Invest in an Abrasive Separator Reclaimer
An abrasive separator reclaimer is a crucial feature on industrial blasting cabinets. It can directly increase visibility, machine lifespan, and return on investment for most blasting media. At Media Blast and Abrasive Inc. we understand how crucial a separator reclaimer can be to an abrasive blasting operation. We’d love to help you find the right machine for your needs, and save you the hassle of replacing an ill-suited model. Our team is ready to answer your questions.