Additionally there are many modern manufactured products made from concrete or engineered stone composites that can be enhanced by appropriate blast finishing to appear aged and distressed or to have a desired surface finish or texture created upon them, giving the appearance of a potentially more expensive option. New concrete paving slabs, kerb stones, driveway sets, roof tiles, garden ornaments and sculptures can also be subjected to sand blasting to ‘distress’ or artificially age items to make them look older or weathered. This can make them appropriate for use in those building projects or housing refurbishments where new concrete items would look out of place. Blasting can also bring instant aging to modern garden ornaments and facilitate faster organic growth on the more pitted surface.

A typical blast system for a potential user to consider would be the Euroblast 10PF (Pressure Fed) (Internal cabinet sizes: Width 1480mm x Depth 1480mm x Height 1145mm) side loading cabinet with a G55-16 pressure pot, cyclone reclamator and C800 dust collector. The use of a pressure pot allows faster cleaning times, typically 2-4 times over suction fed blast guns, by forcing a dense flow of media through the blast system to the gun at high impact velocities. This produces a fast cleaning action with great effect and, if the appropriate media choice is made, with no damage to the surface substrate.

For safety and clear visibility, particularly when working with stone, tile and other loose surface debris, there is a need for effective media reclamation and dust extraction. The reclamator performs the important task of separating out the used but good media, from the dust and fines - which are passed through to the dust collector, such as the Guyson C800.

Dust collectors should be matched to the operational capacity of the blast cabinet, taking account of the volume of air pumped into the system, the chamber dimensions, workflow, media type and breakdown rate. The Guyson C800 is equipped with twin-pleated micronic paper filter cartridges for effective cleaning. A fan draws the dust-laden air from the cyclone, the airflow being controlled by a butterfly valve. Initial pre- separation of the heavier particles takes place as the inlet air stream is deflected downwards towards the collection bin, the lighter particles being retained on the surface of filter cartridges, which are cleaned by an auto-pulse air cleaning system. The waste is collected in a floor level collection bin fitted with a polythene bag liner which, when full, is then sealed and disposed of responsibly.

To facilitate ease of component handling, the Euroblast cabinet is often specified with a side loading turntable. These can be fitted with heavy duty rollers or be cantilevered enabling heavy or bulky components such as large flagstones, to be slid effortlessly into position. Alternatively, very heavy or bulky components may also be winched into the larger blast chambers via a roof slot, allowing hoist chains to deliver components directly into the centre of the cabinet.

Prospective users of Guyson International manual or automated blast systems are encouraged to submit sample components for free feasibility testing to the company’s extensive development workshop in Skipton, North Yorkshire.