Which Vapour Blasting Cabinet Do You Need?
Vapour blasting, also called wet blasting or vapour honing, cleans and finishes parts with a mix of water, abrasive media and compressed air. Choosing the right cabinet comes down to four questions: how big your parts are, how heavy they are, how many you run, and what power and air you have in the workshop. This guide answers each one and compares the MultiBlast vapour blasting range side by side.
1. How big are your parts?
Your largest part needs to fit through the door with room to turn it inside the cabinet. The 680mm cabinet has a 520 x 480mm door and suits smaller components. The 900mm cabinet opens to 630 x 800mm, and the 1200mm cabinet to 910 x 860mm for large parts.
2. How heavy are they?
A rotary table lets you turn the part without lifting it, and suits the 680mm (400mm table) and 900mm (500mm table) cabinets. For heavy parts, the 1200mm cabinet with loading station and rotary table lets you load the part on a trolley outside the cabinet and roll it in.
3. How many parts do you run?
For one-off jobs and mixed work, a manual cabinet gives you full control. If you finish the same part day after day, the PRO1200WA automatic turntable cabinet runs four automatic guns under PLC touchscreen control, so the finish is the same from part to part.
4. What power and air do you have?
The manual cabinets plug into a standard 240V 10 amp power point and need a compressor that delivers 565 L/min (20 CFM) at 100 PSI. The PRO1200WA needs 415V three phase power and 5,000 L/min (177 CFM).
Compare the range
| Model | Cabinet size (W x D x H) | Door opening | Power | Air | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRO680 / PRO390W | 680 x 680 x 1670mm | 520 x 480mm | 240V, 10 amp | 20 CFM at 100 PSI | Smaller parts such as engine, motorcycle and hydraulic components |
| PRO900 / PRO900W | 900 x 900 x 1815mm | 630 x 800mm | 240V, 10 amp | 20 CFM at 100 PSI | Larger parts and mixed workshop work |
| PRO1200 / PRO1200W | 1200 x 1200 x 1910mm | 910 x 860mm | 240V, 10 amp | 20 CFM at 100 PSI | Large parts |
| PRO1200W with loading station and rotary table | 1200 x 1200 x 1910mm | 910 x 860mm | 240V, 10 amp | 20 CFM at 100 PSI | Heavy parts loaded on a trolley |
| PRO1200WA automatic | 1300 x 1200 x 2200mm (L x W x H) | Parts up to 635mm dia x 310mm high | 415V three phase, 6.5kW | 177 CFM (5,000 L/min) | Production runs of round and conical parts |
Vapour blasting or dry blasting?
Vapour blasting is the right choice to clean and polish parts with a fine, even finish and almost no dust. To strip paint, remove heavy rust or profile a surface ready for coating, a dry blasting cabinet is usually the better tool.
Support
Every MultiBlast cabinet comes with a 2-year warranty, and all spare parts are held in Melbourne. We deliver Australia-wide and to New Zealand, and our team has over 30 years of support experience, with faults resolved on site and remotely. Not sure which cabinet suits your parts? Give us a call on 1800 706 620 and we’ll help you choose.
FAQ
What is vapour blasting?
Vapour blasting, also called wet blasting or vapour honing, mixes water, abrasive media and compressed air to clean, deburr and finish parts. The water carries the media and keeps dust down, so it is cleaner to work with than dry sandblasting and gives a finer, more consistent finish.
How does a vapour blasting cabinet work?
A pump in the sump keeps water and abrasive media mixed into a slurry. The slurry is fed to the blast gun, where compressed air drives it onto the part, then drains back into the sump to be used again. On the manual cabinets you control blasting with a foot pedal and set the intensity with the air pressure regulator.
What is vapour blasting used for?
Cleaning, degreasing, deburring and polishing. Common jobs include aluminium engine parts, motorcycle components, hydraulic fittings and precision machined parts. The automatic PRO1200WA suits production finishing of round and conical components for foundry, aerospace and automotive work.
Should I choose vapour blasting or dry blasting?
Choose vapour blasting to clean and polish parts with a fine, even finish and almost no dust. Choose a dry blasting cabinet to strip paint, remove heavy rust or profile a surface ready for coating. A vapour blasting cabinet cannot be used for dry blasting, as it is built to carry the media in water.
Which blasting media should I use?
It depends on the job. For most cleaning and finishing work we supply No. 5 glass beads (100 to 200 microns), which give a smooth satin finish on aluminium and stainless steel. Where a little more cutting is needed, fine crushed glass or aluminium oxide can be used. Tell us what you are blasting and the finish you are after, and we will recommend the right media and confirm it suits your cabinet.
Can the media be reused?
Yes. The slurry recirculates through the sump, so glass beads are reused many times. Top up the media as it wears, and replace the whole batch once it breaks down and stops cleaning well.
What compressor and power does a vapour blasting cabinet need?
The PRO680, PRO900 and PRO1200 manual cabinets need 565 L/min at 6.89 bar (20 CFM at 100 PSI) and a standard 240V 10 amp power point. The PRO1200WA automatic cabinet needs 5,000 L/min (177 CFM) and 415V three phase power. If you’re not sure your compressor will keep up, give us a call and we’ll check it for you.
How do I stop flash rust on steel parts?
Start with clean water, as water high in chlorides makes flash rust worse. Add rust inhibitor (we stock MultiBlast Rust Inhibitor 20L) to the water at the recommended rate, rinse the part with the wash-down gun, blow it dry with clean air, and paint or coat it as soon as you can.
What do I do with used slurry?
Let the slurry settle, drain off the clear water, and dispose of the water and spent media in line with your local council and EPA rules. If drainage is limited on your site, ask us about closed loop options.
What maintenance does the cabinet need?
Mostly general cleaning. After each day’s work, wash down the inside of the cabinet and drain any water from your air line filter. Each week, check the gloves, hoses, window wiper and door seals, and check the slurry mix. From time to time, clean out the sump, change the media, and check the gun, nozzle and pump for wear. Spare parts are held in Melbourne.
What options and accessories are available?
Rotary tables to suit the 680mm (400mm table) and 900mm (500mm table) cabinets, a loading trolley with rotary table for the 1200mm cabinet, a nozzle stand, and closed loop water systems on request. For production work there is the fully automatic PRO1200WA.
What warranty and support do I get?
Every MultiBlast cabinet has a 2-year warranty, and all spare parts are held in Melbourne. We deliver Australia-wide and to New Zealand, and our team resolves faults on site and remotely, backed by over 30 years of support experience.
