Why Training Sandblasters Is Essential to Boosting Profitability

Incorrect nozzle choice, equipment clogs, abrasive overconsumption, and lack of safety precautions are some of the most common issues sandblasting companies must manage on a daily basis. While adjusting the settings can provide temporary fixes, employees must have a solid understanding of their equipment and its unique behaviors to permanently improve operations.

What companies most need to know is that training isn’t optional. An effective training program is necessary for achieving higher productivity, safer workplaces, and legal compliance. This guide explains everything organizations need to know about the impact training can have on their profit margins.

How Sandblaster Training Directly Impacts Profitability

Sandblaster training gives operators the skills they need to improve their work, which enhances operational outcomes through:

• Fewer mistakes: Operators who have undergone comprehensive training programs are more likely to perform each job using the proper techniques. 
• Less rework: Because skilled operators make fewer errors, the need to correct mistakes after job completion is significantly lower.
• Higher throughput: Operators who know how to work efficiently can complete more jobs in the same amount of time without overconsuming abrasive media. 
• Increased uptime: Training helps reduce costly downtime. Operators understand how to spot equipment issues before they can lead to breakdowns and malfunctions.

The Core Benefits of Training Sandblasters

The most significant benefits of sandblaster training programs include the following.

1. Enhanced Performance

Thorough sandblasting training helps your business deliver higher-quality results by educating operators on key standards and regulations, such as the surface preparation (SP) standards from the Association for Materials Protection and Performance.

For example, understanding the significant difference between SP-6 and SP-10 is essential for achieving the desired finish on a surface. SP-6, the standard for commercial blasting, requires the surface to be at least 2/3 per square inch clear of previous coatings or visible residue. SP-10, near white, requires a surface to be at least 95% clear with little to no traces of previous coatings.

Correct nozzle selection and equipment maintenance are other critical lessons. Employees must gauge the equipment weekly and replace their nozzles once the orifice is about 1/16 of an inch larger than its nameplate size to avoid excess pressure loss. 

Training also teaches employees the essential rules for sandblasting efficiency:

• Blast hose inner diameter (ID) should be greater than or equal to three times the nozzle orifice.
• Whip hose ID: match the whip hose size to the nozzle’s inlet opening.
• Worn nozzles should be replaced once they reach 1/16 of an inch above their original or nameplate ID.

2. Increased Output

Training teaches workers to use proper body mechanics when operating larger nozzles at higher pressures, reducing fatigue and increasing throughput.

Operators learn to maintain the correct stance, feet shoulder-width apart and slightly bent knees, which provides better support by removing some of the pressure from the arms. Mastering this stance enables operators to more easily move the nozzle across the surface in smooth, uniform strokes for more even application and faster travel. 

Teams also learn to measure the working pressure with a needle gauge near the nozzle, which helps them set the appropriate travel speed and standoff without increasing abrasive consumption.

3. Reduced Costs

Because pressure is mechanical energy, and nozzle pressure is the only force doing work on a surface, pressure losses through blaster components drain that energy, driving up costs by requiring more abrasive materials, labor hours, and air compressor energy. Training programs help operators learn how to optimize pressure through right-sizing hoses and properly sealing pots before blasting even starts, so they can properly tune their abrasive metering valves.

Once nozzle pressure is restored, many crews can decrease abrasive feed rate by up to 10%. Some are even able to further reduce abrasive consumption after making additional equipment fixes. 

4. Improved Site Safety and Compliance

Without the proper personal protective equipment and other safety precautions, employees are at a higher risk of workplace injuries. Employees must be aware of the relevant OSHA requirements and the potential health risks that can affect them if they fail to follow these regulations.

Silicosis, for example, is a lung disease that can occur if employees inhale free crystalline silica dust over time. However, organizations can protect employees from developing this condition by requiring operators to receive training on respirators, blasting materials, and safe working environments. They can also educate staff on the proper techniques for safe, dustless blasting.

How to Train Sandblasters: Product-Specific vs. Generic Sandblasting Training

On-site blasting equipment training programs tailored to the specific products your organization uses are often more effective than general training.

• Abrasive behavior: Each type of abrasive media behaves differently in sandblasting applications, so training teams specifically on the abrasive you use can help them develop a stronger understanding of how to work with it. For example, a company that exclusively uses superoxalloy products must account for the unique behavior of this abrasive at 110 psi nozzle pressures. 
• Equipment considerations: On-site training tailored to your equipment helps team members become accustomed to the specific compressor sizes, hoses, pot seals, and metering valves at your workplace, which is key for understanding and using the correct technique.
• Workplace specifications: The specific characteristics of your jobsite can impact how both abrasives and blasting equipment behave during normal operations. On-site training programs educate team members on how they can take these characteristics into account when approaching a new blasting job.

Measuring What Matters

Tracking blasting productivity can help businesses assess the effectiveness of their training programs and streamline compliance management by providing accurate data on how well employees are following these regulations. Organizations must remember the formula “training plus data equals compounding gains.” 

Some key factors to monitor in your productivity tracking include:

• Needle-gauge pressures taken at the blasting nozzles
• Pot refill counts
• Nozzle timers
• Daily nozzle productive output

Tracking these metrics can help your organization reveal common bottlenecks in your processes to create improvement plans.

A Micro Case Study on the Importance of Training Sandblasters

In one application where nozzle pressure increased by 10 pounds per square inch (psi), the abrasive feed rate decreased by approximately 10%, which raised profits by 36%. 

Adding another 10 psi and decreasing the feed rate by another 10% resulted in a 65% profit increase. Finally, adding training doubled profits and sped up operations by roughly 30%, enabling them to redeploy saved shifts and, eventually, to triple their income.

Get Your Blaster Certification Through 10X Engineered Materials

Untrained and undertrained crews leave money on the table through rework, wasted abrasive, and unplanned downtime. 10X Engineered Materials offers product-specific on-site training services to align your people, pressure, and process for a more measurable ROI. 

We have three breakthrough superoxalloy blasting product lines that remove tough coatings while resisting rust bloom and creating a safer blasting environment. Our products’ clean health and safety profile makes superoxalloy a top choice for protecting employees and the environment.

Empower your crew to enhance their performance while boosting your profit margins. Explore our on-site training packages and contact our expert team to discuss your specific blasting equipment training needs.