Were you aware there’s a blasting technique 20% faster than the world’s most popular and common technique?
20% faster means you can take an extra day off each week, or work your crew 4 days instead of 5 without losing productivity.
We tested the popular Scribble Technique against an industry underdog to see if there was any appreciable difference.
SCRIBBLE VS STRIPE
An operator blasted 2 patches of 4ft2 steel, changing his technique from one section to the other to see if one technique was indeed faster.
The first section was blasted using the scribble formation – which was his standard practice. Industry professionals believe this technique gives them a larger pattern which covers more surface area. In fact it generally over-blasts the surface by 40-50%.
The second section was cleaned with the stripe technique, where the nozzle moves in long, consistent strokes.
(Note: There is a psychological “illusion of perception” that by rapidly moving the nozzle and wrist in quick motions corresponds to faster blasting. Methodical long strokes seem overly drawn out and is therefore perceived as taking more time.)
At the end of the trial, before official times were compared, the operated stated he believed there was no difference in time taken for the two surfaces.
When compared however, the stripe blasting pattern proving 22% faster.
The stripe blasting technique proved faster, used less abrasive, and completed the job much quicker. We encourage every blaster to conduct this test for themselves and see which is faster.