Process for blast cleaning fixtures having internal passageways
AssigneeGrand Northern Products, Ltd.
InventorsJohn Stein, Philip M. Whitney
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process for blast cleaning an article having internal passageways that produces a clean, weldable, and brazable article that is free of blast media residue. The process includes blasting the internal passageways of the article with a soluble blast media, rinsing the article with a solvent in which the blast media is soluble, and removing the solvent from the internal passageways of the article using a stream of air.
Claims17
A process for blast cleaning an article with internal passageways including the steps of:
- blasting an article by directing a gas stream containing a soluble blast media through the internal passageways of the article;
- and
- flushing the internal passageways after said blasting step with a solvent in which said soluble blast media is soluble to remove residual blast media left from said blasting step.
A process for blast cleaning an article with restricted access areas including the steps of:
- directing a particle-blasting gaseous stream containing a soluble blast media into the restricted access areas of the article;
- flushing the article after the directing step with a solvent in which said soluble blast media is soluble, whereby residual blast media from said directing step is removed in said flushing step.
A process for blast cleaning a article with internal passageways including the steps of:
- seating said article within a blasting apparatus, said blasting apparatus including a manifold and a vacuum chamber, said manifold forming a housing that encloses the inlet holes of said internal passageways, said vacuum chamber forming a second housing that encloses the outlet holes of said internal passageways;
- reducing the pressure within said vacuum chamber and increasing the pressure within said manifold, whereby a gas stream is caused to flow through said internal passageways of said article;
- introducing a soluble blast media within said manifold, whereby said soluble blast media is driven through said internal passageways of said article by said gas stream;
- subsequently flushing said internal passageways of said article with a solvent in which the blast media is soluble;
- and
- subsequently directing a second gas stream through said internal passageways of said article, whereby said liquid solvent is removed from said internal passageways of said article.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.