E-Archive

VOL. 26 January ISSUE YEAR 2025

Articles

in Vol. 26 - January Issue - Year 2025
Why Wet Blasting Is Seen as a Preferred Surface Treatment Solution for Multiple Industries and How Automation Is Helping Free up Skilled Staff from Time Intensive Processes

Aerospace Disc Before vs After

Aerospace Disc Before vs After

RST Processing

RST Processing

Aquablast 1215 Automatic

Aquablast 1215 Automatic

Vixen Surface Treatments’ wet blasting, also known as vapor blasting, is a surface treatment process that uses a mix of water, abrasive media, and compressed air to clean, degrease, or prepare surfaces.

Vixen design and manufacture 100% in house and have their well-known Aquablast range of manual and automated wet blasting equipment as well as washing, degreasing and ultrasonic solutions. 

The Vixen wet blasting process itself is different from dry blasting and other surface treatment methods in many ways, but in particular wet blasting sets itself apart due to the flow over the surface of components rather than being a purely impact process. 

As the media is suspended within a carrier (water) it flows over the surface giving the process its unique controllability which gives the uniform and consistent results whilst it also offers several distinct advantages that make it a preferred solution across industries:

1. Superior Surface Finishing

The water acts as a cushion, reducing the aggressiveness of the abrasive particles. This creates a smooth, uniform surface finishing without damaging the underlying material.

Ideal for delicate or precision parts, such as engine components, moulds, or aerospace parts.

2. Dust-Free Operation

Unlike dry blasting, the water in wet blasting eliminates airborne dust, improving visibility and making the process cleaner and safer for operators.

Compliant with health and safety regulations, especially in industries with strict cleanliness standards.

3. Reduced Abrasive Consumption

Water recycles the abrasive media within the blasting process, extending its service life and reducing material waste.

4. Simultaneous Cleaning and Degreasing

Wet blasting can clean and degrease surfaces simultaneously, saving time and reducing the need for additional cleaning steps.

5. Enhanced Surface Adhesion

The process keeps surfaces free from contaminants like oil or grease, improving adhesion for coatings, paints, or treatments applied afterward.

6. Non-Aggressive on Substrates

Wet blasting is gentle on soft metals (e.g., aluminium, brass) and delicate parts, preventing warping, distortion, or pitting often associated with aggressive dry blasting.

7. Heat-Free Process

Water minimizes frictional heat, protecting parts from thermal damage or warping—critical for heat-sensitive components.

8. Reduced Environmental Impact

Lower dust and waste make wet blasting more environmentally friendly than dry blasting.

9. Versatility

Applicable a wide range of materials, including metals, plastics, glass, and ceramics.

Suitable for cleaning, deburring, surface preparation, or cosmetic finishing.


Applications & industries

Wet blasting is commonly used in industries list below. Aerospace MRO is a focused industry below. 


Aerospace: Structures, coating prep, Cleaning, Bonding preparation

Aerospace MRO: Cleaning turbine blades and engine components.

Vixen Aerospace and MRO wet blasting solutions include manual and automated equipment. These are successfully in operation at many facilities across the world and in dense MRO areas such as Miami (Fort Lauderdale) in the USA.

The Vixen Aquablast range can be an excellent manual cabinet or fully automated or robotic solution, but in MRO shops, an entry-level automated solution or semi-automated solution usually works best for investment levels and floor space requirements. 


The Aquablast 1215 Automatic is an entry-level automated solution that gives flexibility to the MRO industry. It reduces the usual time spent by an operator processing parts in manual cabinets as it has an increased number of processing nozzles, an automated turntable and filtration, which makes the process consistent and repeatable. This in turn removes the need for rework on parts not processed consistently and stops and parts from being scrapped plus frees up valuable skilled staff to perform other operations. 

The operator can load components and press start and walk away to perform other tasks whilst components such as disks with fir tree slots are cleaned. This process also introduces the inherent wet blast benefits such as no dust, clean process and reduced running costs. 

Other Vixen wet blasting applications and industries continued… 

Aluminium Extrusion: Cleaning dies and reducing or removing the time spent in die shops.

Automotive: Deburring, surface preparation.

Bandsaw Blades: Deburring, edge honing tipped blades, surface prep for coating. 

Cleaning: Cleaning and finishing without pre washing. 

Composites: Surface prep for bonding, lacquering and painting. 

Cutting tools Inserts & RST: Deburring, edge honing, pre-coat prep & post coat peening


Deburring: Reducing labour-intensive manual processes and improving uniformity

Manufacturing: Preparing moulds or dies for reuse.

Medical: Implants, tooling, devices

Stamping and Drawn enclosures: Surface prep and finishing for uniformity, consistency & peening.

Restoration: Cleaning vintage or delicate parts without damaging details.

Surface roughness: Achieving consistent, repeatable and controllable results for surface roughness requirements.


Conclusion

Wet blasting offers superior results, cost-efficiency, and versatility while maintaining a clean, environmentally friendly process. These benefits make it the go-to solution for industries requiring high-quality, consistent surface treatment.

At Vixen, you can have components process for free using the vixen sample processing service and consultation available at the Vixen test centres. Visit the website to view locations. 

For Information: 

Vixen Surface Treatments Ltd 73 Jay Avenue, Teesside Industrial Estate, Thornaby, Stockton on Tees, TS17 9LZ, UK

Tel. +1642.769333

E-mail: chris.owen@vixen.co.uk

www.vixenaquablast.com