Companies still using Aluminium Oxide in their blasting operations are facing a number of challenging issues. While rising prices and unpredictable deliveries are a significant cause for concern, the good news is that there is an alternative with good availability and stable pricing that offers better value and reduced costs.

The instability of Aluminium Oxide supply has been widely reported, and many forecasters are now predicting future shortages, which will probably drive prices even higher and make delivery lead times longer. Many users are also seeking ways to reduce the cost of waste from their blasting operations, improve the working environment for their operators, and enhance the quality of the workpieces they blast for their customers.

Amagrit – the sustainable alternative to Aluminium Oxide

In recent years, there has been a significant shift away from Aluminium Oxide as a blasting medium to stainless steel abrasives such as AMAGRIT from Ervin (shown below). Amagrit is an angular, martensitic stainless steel abrasive made from recycled materials at the manufacturing plant in Sprockhövel, Germany.

Good availability and stable prices

There is a robust supply chain ensuring good availability of Amagrit for Ervin customers, and the use of recycled materials in the manufacturing process also creates a more sustainable abrasive solution.

Local manufacturing helps maintain Amagrit price stability for Ervin customers, and in use, Amagrit consistently lasts thirty times longer than Aluminium Oxide in a blasting operation, significantly reducing consumption and overall blasting costs.

Reduced waste disposal

The reduced consumption also results in significantly less waste to dispose of and pay for, saving Amagrit customers money and improving their sustainability. Typically, the highly durable Amagrit can be reused in blasting operations over 800 times, compared with just 10 times for Aluminium Oxide due to its very high breakdown rate.

Improved working environment and blasting quality

In addition to reducing waste and abrasive consumption, using Amagrit instead of Aluminium Oxide results in a massive reduction of dust in the blasting room, improving the working environment for the blasting operators. The reduced dust levels also make it easier for operators to clean accurately, reducing the risk of over-blasting or rework.

This image shows the typical difference between using Amagrit (shown on the left) and expendable mineral abrasives such as Aluminium Oxide (shown on the right).

Increased dust from abrasive breakdown also diminishes the performance of dust filters and other consumables such as nozzles, hoses, and tank parts.

Better value

Ervin laboratory tests and data from field trials collected over many years consistently show that, while Amagrit does cost more per tonne, the reduced consumption, waste disposal, and consumable costs deliver an overall operating cost between 10 and 30 times lower than Aluminium Oxide. The field trials also demonstrated better repeatability and consistency of surface profile from metallic abrasives compared to mineral abrasives.

Rust-free surfaces

The surfaces of workpieces blasted with Ervin Amagrit are rust-free. Even on steel substrates, the surfaces can remain rust-free for up to 72 hours after blasting, providing a valuable time buffer between blasting and coating or painting.

One company that switched to using Amagrit is Gföllner, a manufacturer of complex container structures. The challenging environmental conditions in which these containers are often used mean that surface preparation and corrosion protection are critical. Using mineral abrasives was creating high levels of dust in the air-blasting operations, making it difficult for operators to perform their roles and generating large quantities of hazardous waste.

After testing Amagrit, it quickly became clear that the required surface profiles and cleanliness could be achieved with significantly less dust and waste, while productivity improved.

For Information: 

Ervin Germany GmbH

Rudower Chaussee 48 

12489 Berlin, Germany

Tel. +49.30.400 37846

E-mail: info@ervin.eu, www.ervin.eu