BOMBARDIER is using a Vacu-Blast mobile abrasive blasting system to prepare the surfaces of complex aluminium formed panels used in the construction of multiple-units and light rail vehicles.
The SHA03 and the larger SHA04 machines are installed at Bombardier’s Litchurch Lane plant in Derby, where they are used to produce an etched surface to ensure a secure and effective joint. A brush-enclosed blast gun both delivers the abrasive media and recovers it, along with any debris, by vacuum. Profiled blast heads can be used on curved or angular areas, and a phosphor-bronze version is available for cleaning hot welds.
The machines can be moved around a workshop, and the closed-circuit abrasive grading and recycling process minimises running costs as well as eliminating dust and the need for specialist clothing.
Vacu-Blast International, UK
