Elastic abrasive manufacturing method, elastic abrasive manufacturing device, blasting method, and blasting device

A blasting method employing a re-circulatory type blasting device including a blasting chamber where ejection of an abrasive is performed, an abrasive recovery section in communication with a bottom section of the blasting chamber, and an abrasive ejection means for ejecting abrasive from inside the abrasive recovery section into the blasting chamber, with an abrasive re-circulation system being formed to re-circulate the abrasive from the blasting chamber, through the abrasive recovery section, to the abrasive ejection means, and an elastic abrasive employed as the abrasive having a structure in which abrasive grains have been adhered to a surface of cores that are formed from an elastic material and have adhesive properties at least at the core surface, the blasting method comprising:

• an elastic abrasive regeneration process in which at least some of recovered abrasive recovered in the abrasive recovery section is regenerated and returned into the abrasive re-circulation system, wherein the regeneration process includes
• a mixing process in which the recovered abrasive and abrasive grains are mixed together and the abrasive grains are adhered to the surface of the cores of the recovered abrasive;
• and
• a combining process in which the abrasive grains are pressed against and combined to the surface of the cores of the recovered abrasive by passing the recovered abrasive that has completed the mixing process in an aggregated state along a constricted flow path having a gradually narrowing flow path cross-sectional area and by compressing aggregate bodies of the recovered abrasive.

A blasting device comprising:

• a blasting chamber where ejection of an abrasive is performed;
• an abrasive recovery section in communication with a bottom section of the blasting chamber;
• and
• an abrasive ejection means for ejecting abrasive from in the abrasive recovery section into the blasting chamber, with an abrasive re-circulation system being formed to re-circulate the abrasive from the blasting chamber, through the abrasive recovery section, to the abrasive ejection means, and
• an elastic abrasive employed as the abrasive having a structure in which abrasive grains have been adhered to a surface of cores that are formed from an elastic material and have adhesive properties at least at the core surface;
• and
• the blasting device including an elastic abrasive regeneration device in which at least some of recovered abrasive recovered in the abrasive recovery section is regenerated and returned into the abrasive re-circulation system, the regeneration device including
• a mixer configured to mix the recovered abrasive and the abrasive grains together and to adhere the abrasive grains to the surface of the cores of the recovered abrasive;
• and
• a combining unit including a constricted flow path having a gradually narrowing flow path cross-sectional area in which the recovered abrasive that has been mixed in the mixer is passed through the combining unit in an aggregated state.