Glass Bead & Dry Ice Blasting

When a soft media replaces conventional blasting

A soft media replaces conventional blasting when the goal is to clean without removing metal or creating roughness. An angular abrasive such as garnet or steel grit marks the substrate: that is the point before a coating, and a problem on a finished part.

• Stainless steel: cleaning and finishing without contamination from a ferrous abrasive, which would cause surface rust.
• Aluminum: an even finish without tearing the soft metal or distorting thin sheet.
• Machined parts: bearing surfaces, threads and sealing faces that must keep their dimensions.
• Molds and tooling: injection, blow, foundry and tire molds, cleaned in place or hot depending on the method.
• Electrical equipment: motors, cabinets, generators and insulators, with a media that leaves neither conductive dust nor water.
• Equipment in place without disassembly: conveyors, presses, heat exchangers and process lines cleaned where they stand.

The service is for industrial sites only. It is carried out by our crews and qualified subcontractors.

Glass bead blasting

Glass bead blasting gives a satin, even finish by cleaning through impact, without cutting the metal. The spherical beads peen the surface instead of scratching it.

• A good fit for: finishing stainless steel and aluminum, removing light oxidation, fine scale and weld discolouration, and cosmetic preparation of machined parts.
• Glass bead blasting on aluminum: common for housings, castings and panels, with pressure set so the metal is not marked.
• Limit: glass bead does not create the anchor profile an angular abrasive does. It is therefore not suitable for preparing a thick coating, which needs a measurable roughness to bond (surface profile).

Glass bead can be recycled several times in a blast cabinet. On site, an enclosure holds the media and dust.

Dry ice blasting and cryogenic cleaning

Dry ice blasting propels pellets of solid CO2 that sublimate on impact: no abrasive residue remains, only the dislodged contaminant. It is the most common form of industrial cryogenic cleaning.

• A good fit for: grease, oil, process residue, ink, adhesives, mold deposits, and dirt on electrical equipment and food lines.
• Main advantage: cleaning in place, often without disassembly or long downtime, since there is no water or media to clear out of the machine.
• Limits: dry ice does not remove bonded rust or well-adhered paint, and it creates no profile. It is not surface preparation before coating.

Dry ice blasting vs sandblasting? Dry ice cleans without marking and without residue; abrasive blasting removes rust and paint and creates a profile. The choice depends on the result you need, not on which method is newer.

Soda blasting and choosing the method

Soda blasting uses sodium bicarbonate, a soft media that breaks down on impact and removes paint, grease and deposits without marking fragile surfaces. It leaves an alkaline residue that must be rinsed off before painting, or adhesion suffers.

A quick selection guide:

• Grease, oil, process residue, molds, electrical equipment in place: dry ice.
• Satin finish on stainless steel or aluminum, light oxidation, machined parts: glass bead.
• Paint or deposits on fragile surfaces (thin aluminum, fibreglass, seals) without removing metal: soda.
• Bonded rust, mill scale or old coating to remove before a new system: angular abrasive, through our abrasive blasting service.
• A part that will receive a thick coating after cleaning: soft cleaning first if needed, then a profile with angular abrasive.

How the work runs and how it is checked

A soft blasting job follows five steps, and the check is against the agreed result, not a blast cleaning grade.

• Survey: parts or equipment, contaminant to remove, substrate condition, shutdown and access constraints. A small test area confirms the method and settings.
• Quote: method, media, protection of sensitive components, waste handling, acceptance criterion.
• Protection: openings, bearings and connections sealed off; equipment locked out under site rules.
• Cleaning: pressure and flow set to the substrate, successive passes, continuous visual checks.
• Inspection and handover: cleanliness to the agreed criterion (appearance, no grease, water-break test), before and after photos.

When the part will be painted afterward, cleanliness is checked to SSPC-SP 1 for solvent cleaning, and the profile is created by a separate preparation. Our reference page on protective coatings explains what the following system requires.

Site conditions and safety

Each soft method carries its own hazards, and the measures are set in the quote.

• CO2 in confined spaces: dry ice releases carbon dioxide, which is heavier than air and collects in pits, vessels and closed rooms. Mechanical ventilation, continuous CO2 monitoring and a confined space entry procedure are mandatory in those cases.
• Noise: compressed-air blasting is loud, dry ice especially. Hearing protection for the crew and a marked perimeter for other workers.
• Cold: dry ice burns skin on contact; insulated gloves and suitable containers for handling.
• Dust: glass bead and soda produce dust that must be contained and vacuumed, especially near running equipment.
• PPE: supplied-air blast helmet or respiratory protection depending on the media, eye protection, gloves and full-coverage clothing.
• Waste: the removed contaminant may itself be hazardous (oils, lead paint) and is handled according to what it is.

Pricing: by quote

Soft blasting is priced by quote. The cost depends mainly on:

• The method and media: dry ice, glass bead or soda.
• The area, the shape of the parts and the contaminant to remove.
• Work in place or in a shop, and the downtime available.
• Protection of sensitive components and the ventilation required.
• Handling of the removed waste.

Send photos, dimensions and a description of the contaminant with your quote request: we reply within 24 business hours.

Where we work

Induscoat provides glass bead and dry ice blasting in Montreal, across Quebec and in Ontario, working from LaSalle:

• Montreal and Montérégie
• Quebec, for the province as a whole
• Abitibi-Témiscamingue
• Côte-Nord
• Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean
• Mauricie–Centre-du-Québec
• Ontario

When this service is not the right answer

Soft blasting is not the right answer when an anchor profile is needed before a coating: epoxy, zinc-rich primer, polyurea or a tank lining all require steel blasted with an angular abrasive to the specified grade. In that case, use our abrasive blasting service.

Nor is it suited to thick bonded rust or well-adhered old paint over large areas, where an angular abrasive is faster. If the paint to remove contains lead, the job falls under our lead paint removal service.

Typical Problems We Solve

• Grease, oil and process residue on equipment that cannot be taken apart
• Stainless steel or aluminum marked or contaminated by a conventional abrasive
• Mold deposits that slow production and damage finished parts
• Water and abrasive dust that cannot be tolerated near electrical equipment

What You Receive

• Test on a small area to confirm the method, media and settings
• Protection of bearings, openings and connections, and lockout under site rules
• Surface cleaned to the agreed acceptance criterion, with before and after photos
• Removed residue collected and handled according to its nature

Timeline

Standards & Certifications

• SSPC-SP 1: solvent cleaning before any coating
• SSPC-SP 10 / NACE No. 2: blast cleaning grade required when a coating follows
• ISO 8503: surface profile, to confirm whether an anchor profile is present
• Provincial confined space rules: ventilation and atmosphere monitoring for CO2

Industries We Serve

• Manufacturing and plastics: injection, blow and tire molds, presses
• Food and beverage processing: production lines and equipment in place
• Energy: motors, generators, electrical cabinets and insulators
• Metal fabrication and foundries: stainless steel, aluminum, castings

Service FAQ

Technical guides

• Surface profile: definition and measurement
• In-place coating of in-service equipment
• NACE No. 2 / SSPC-SP 10 surface preparation
• Coating failure modes and diagnosis

Related applications

Concrete industrial use cases where this service is applied.