The
glass microspheres
have a multitude of applications in the industrial sector. We see their application in the automotive or railway industry but they are also commonly used in galvanizing plants, in polishing plants or on steel machinery.
Automotive Industry
– Non-reflective and decorative matte finishes, e.g. windshield wipers, lamp holders, window frames, mirror frames, steering wheel and dashboard decoration, bumpers.
– Deburring of precision castings and sintered parts, e.g., for gears
– Preparation for welding electrical cables, especially resistance wires with very tight tolerances. For this work the only possible method is glass bead blasting, as there should be no base metal removal.
– Cleaning of foundry molds.
– Shot blasting to prevent corrosion and to extend the service life of parts exposed to stress.
– Cleaning of engine parts, e.g. valves during overhaul process.
– Treatment processes after quenching and tempering.
RailwayIndustry
– Elimination of oxidation of electric motors
– Removal of coatings
– Removal of insulation residues
– Removal of carbon deposits from brushes
– Elimination of severe corrosion
– Cleaning of air brakes and clutch parts
– Cleaning of hydraulic components
– Sandblasting of the exterior bodywork of the wagons
Combustion and galvanizing plants
– Surface preparation for galvanic, chemical and mechanical coatings based on copper, zinc, nickel or cadmium among others, instead of brushing, pickling, etching or washing. Blasting provides a clean metallic surface, substantial time savings compared to other processes, and better adhesion of the coating.
– Surface preparation for a solid grip of dull chrome plating .
Polishing and heat treatment plants and tool manufacturing plants
– Post quenching and tempering treatment.
– Removal of salt and rust crusts after hardening processes.
– Preparation for polishing, burnishing, galvanizing, dull chrome plating.
Stainless steelmachines, tools, tanks and pipes
– Uniform, matte surface finish and solid grip.
– Welding seam stripping with simultaneous stress relieving.
– Cleaning of rust from weld seams instead of using chemical products.
The glass microspheres have applications in multiple sectors. However, beyond the railway and automotive industries, microspheres are also used to treat glass or in industries as disparate at first glance as aeronautics and medicine.
Glasscontainer plants
– Cleaning of molds, removal of oxide layers without metal loss. The finest engravings are retained and the life cycle of the molds is substantially increased.
Flat glass plants
– Cleaning of the rollers and calenders of oxide films, mostly under the use of a brushing and blasting head with abrasive recirculation. Spectacular time and cost savings compared to hand brushing.
Aircraftindustry
– Cleaning of jet engines and turbine blades, intake pipes and manifolds, aircraft engines, cylinder heads.
– Elimination of wing corrosion, opening of stress cracks.
– Shot blasting of all engine and landing gear parts and wing elements exposed to stress.
Tire factories, rubber boot factories, and other rubber manufacturers
– Cleaning of molds, e.g., tires, boots, battery boxes, without removal of base material.
Gearmanufacturing plants
– Deburring of precision castings and sintered parts or gears.
– Cleaning of foundry molds.
– Shot blasting to prevent corrosion and mechanical stress cracking, with the objective of prolonging the life cycle of all parts exposed to stress.
– Post-tempering and tempering treatment.
– Removal of salt scales and salt crusts after hardening processes.
– Preparation for polishing, burnishing or galvanizing processes.
Metal foundries
– Glass bead blasting
glass beads
is the most delicate process for the removal of corrosion on die castings and gravity die castings. Significantly increases the life cycle of dies and molds.
– Polishing of non-ferrous metals
Medical and FoodIndustry
– Cleaning of oven molds
– Surface finish (uniform with dull matte finish)
– Welding bead stripping with simultaneous elimination of internal stresses.
Petroleumrefineries and petrochemical industry
– Cleaning of pump components, compressors, valves, pump shafts, fans, plungers, heat exchanger tubes and distillation tower elements, electrical parts, instrument parts and other accessories.
Papermills
– Revision of printing control instrument sensors.
– Elimination of corrosion caused by chlorides at contact points.
Aeronauticalsubcontractor industry
– Deburring in the manufacture of housings for electronic components, metal wing accessories, stainless steel discs.
Bulbmanufacturing
– To coat the inner surface of the bulbs with a thin layer of aluminum, the bulbs are filled with glass microspheres and aluminum powder.
– Fuses filled with glass microspheres to prevent fires and explosions when light bulbs melt.
Shipyards and Navy
– Repair and maintenance of boiler components.
– Cleaning of water tanks, radar masts, ammunition heads, weapon components, rocket launching tubes to remove corrosion.
Cutting tool factories: the automotive and mechanical engineeringindustry
– Cleaning of drills, reamers, broaches, milling cutters, etc.
– Removal of thin burrs from the cutting wires by shot blasting, where the resistance is increased.
– Cleaning of cutting erosion on treated metal tools.
Precision mechanics and optics, watchmaking industry
– Deburring and preparation for galvanic treatment of mechanical parts, measuring devices, etc. A clean surface, free of metallic skins improves adhesion. A non-reflective satin surface is created that allows for a solid grip of the treatment.
Manufacturing of steel and aluminum pots and pans
– Surface finishing, removal of machining marks, preparation for Teflon® coating and enameling.
