Stripping and degreasing steel prior to blasting

Pre-painted material needs to be totally stripped as powder coating is intolerant to contamination. Incineration and liquid strippers are the two main ways of re-moving paint.

Paint stripping with heat

Incineration breaks down the paint by heating and reduces it to ash. This is processed in a carefully temperature controlled Pyrolisis oven. The component is slowly and evenly heated to reduce risk of distortion to around 400 degrees Celsius. This process is only suitable for steel components as aluminium becomes very soft through being fully annealed.

Liquid Paint Strippers

Solvent strippers are more expensive but do not need heating and can be used with aluminium with out the risk of the metal being attacked.

Alkali strippers often require heating but will dissolve aluminium.