After twelve years of manufacturing dry air blast cleaning equipment and aqueous degreasing equipment, Vixen decided the time was right to move into the production of wet blast machines.

Managing Director Aidan Mallon explains the reasons for this major move, "I started in the surface treatment  industry nearly 20 years ago and the wetblast machines built by some manufacturers today are almost identical to those manufactured in the early 1980s. A good enough reason I believe to shake the market place up a little with a new product ergonomically designed for 2002 and at the right price. Our new Aquablast machines were launched in May this year with over six months spent developing the machine from prototype to what is offered today."

The better option where a good door sealing is paramount

The English company were already experts in manufacturing in stainless steel due to their heavy involvement with degreasing equipment. Stainless steel offered total flexibility for the new machine in that the design and build process presented no special difficulties and in any event, it was felt a heavy stainless steel construction would be a great improvement to the economy fibreglass wetblast machines, currently imported from China!
Larger industrial fibre glass machines are still available today but inherent door sealing problems are usually the first operator complaints.

Serviceability was a major factor in the Aquablast. By its very nature all blast cleaning is almost a self destruct  process – one in which parts need to be easily replaced. In the opinion of the English manufacturer some older wet blast machines were so over-engineered that it was almost impossible to service them in house.

This is not the case with the Aquablast which is built with a wear resistant submersible polyurethane pump assembly with quick coupled electrics and blast hose connections to allow the whole pump and motor unit to be removed for bench servicing. The real benefit is that the unit can be removed without any need to drain the machine and the operation takes only a few minutes.
The blast gun is also made in polyurethane and accepts silicone carbide or boron carbide nozzles when using aluminium oxide abrasive.
Another important feature is a 12 volt window wiper and rinse system which operates in conjunction with the on/off foot control pedal.

The full package ready to go

The Aquablast machine comes fully rubber lined internally and is complete with sedimentation filter box. As with all Vixen products carriage and operator training are just part of the standard machine package.

For Information:
Vixen Surface Treatments LTD
Stockton on Tees
TS17 9LZ
England
Tel: +44 (0) 1642 769 333
Fax 1642 769 441
E-mail: info@vixen.co.uk
www.vixen.co.uk