Venturing into the automotive industry means having to invest in a wide selection of industrial equipment. From vehicle lifts to engine hoists, you could be wondering how best to limit your purchases to essential machinery so that you can have some capital remaining for day to day operations. Fortunately, you do not have to outfit your new industrial business with every type of equipment that you come across. Instead, you could opt to hire supplementary services as needed. And one such service is sandblasting. Although commonly associated with the construction industry, you should know that sandblasting is just as widely employed in automotive applications too. If you remain unconvinced, check out the following beginner's guide to sandblasting for their automotive business.

Is sandblasting the same as sanding?

Although some people may use the words sandblasting and sanding interchangeably, you should know that this is grossly incorrect. While both techniques entail abrasive processes, they are not the same and one cannot be substituted for the other. Sanding, in essence, refers to the use of sandpaper to polish a surface. Since it is carried out manually, it is only viable for small surface areas. Sandblasting, on the other hand, is the pressurised deployment of abrasive particles onto a surface to strip away the top layer. Hence, sandblasting is an automated process rather than manual, which makes it ideally suited when working on extensive surfaces.

Which automotive applications would benefit from sandblasting?

The main reason why sandblasting is a commonly employed technique in a variety of industries is the fact that it can be utilised for a range of applications. To begin with, if you are planning on repainting the body of a vehicle, you can hire sandblasting services to strip away the original manufacturer's paint, which presents you with a clean slate to work on.

In addition to this, if you are restoring a car that has succumbed to corrosion, you can hire sandblasting surfaces to eliminate rust from the compromised metal parts. It is also worth noting that sandblasting will be the best technique to employ when looking to get rid of oil stains, grime and other forms of gunk that could have coated the surfaces of automotive components. 

Is sand the only medium used in sandblasting?

Although the term sandblasting may make it seem like grains of sand are the only abrasive medium used for this process, you should know that this is incorrect. The reality is you have a wide range of abrasive media to choose from ranging from glass beads, silicon carbide and even aluminium oxide. Your choice of material will ultimately depend on how aggressive you want the sandblasting process to be.