Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Basics About Los Angeles Steel Grit

Basics About Los Angeles Steel Grit

By Essie Osborn


Steel grit refers to steel particles used for various purposes either as abrasive or peening media. They result from steel shot with the major difference being in the shape and size of the particles. They are made by crushing steel shot which makes them smaller in size. The edges are very sharp and feature some broken sections. Producers say it is harder than shot even though the hardness may be varied from one type to another.

Advanced technology has rendered it easier to customize this commodity to great levels. In Los Angeles steel grit is made in three major categories, that is GL, GH, and GP. Of the three categories, GP is the softest. This category has a rounded external form due to shaping using steel water. Strengthening is done by use of special techniques to harden and make it strong with great fatigue resistance and elasticity.

GL is harder than GP and like GP, it loses the characteristic sharp edges during production due to shot blasting. It is best suited for preparing surfaces for painting or other applications and descaling. GH has maximum hardness with angular edges. This category produces smooth uniform surfaces when applied in surface treatment. It is recommended that it be used only in wheel machines mostly with compressed air blasting machines.

Beginners find it challenging to select the correct commodity to buy when they want to achieve elegant surface preparation and treatment. This writing presents some fundamental points to keep in mind when selecting. Most vital aspects to think about are hardness, size, and shape. Level of hardness picked must base on nature of dirt or surface being prepared and the propulsion speed during application. Harder particles also cost more, hence that should also be a consideration.

Hardness in this product means that it is capable of resisting deformation due to collision with the surface being operated on. The hardness should be well balanced with brittleness so as to reduce breaking during work. Tougher pellets also have a high cleaning rate hence may save one more time compared to those that are soft. The surface should however be the final determinant of the toughness of the pellets chosen.

Size is the other vital factor to check when purchasing grit. The impact given by larger particles is much higher than that of smaller ones. Producers grade the particles in a manner that they have a uniform size to ensure consistency in results. Pellet size remains considerably the same even when different categories are mixed together.

The applications of this commodity are wide and varied. The major ones are cutting, blasting, and peening. When applied as a blast medium it removes contaminants on a wide range of surfaces. In peening applications, it imparts compressive strength for loading metal components such as automotive springs, heavy appliance crankshafts, and jet engine turbine blades. In cutting, the pellets are used in gang.

Manufacturers do different tests on their products to ensure optimal performance. Some of these tests include metallographic and spectrographic analysis, particle fatigue testing, variable durability analysis, micro hardness testing and several others. It would be difficult to determine performance without these tests.




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