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Abrasive Vacuum Recovery Systems Buying Guide

With nearly 50 years of experience in rental, hire and service of onsite vacuum equipment, BlastOne has seen a lot of different projects and requirements for different types of equipment. We trust this page will help you understand which type of vacuum reclamation equipment is best for your application.

Should you have a special application and need advice, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our customer service.

Home / Abrasive Vacuum Recovery Systems Buying Guide

Name	Available for Rent	Conveyance	Powered By	Best Scenarios	Benefits	Disadvantages	Weight lbs/kgs
VacMax Air Powered Drum Vacuum System	Limited	Less than 1 tonne/hr	Pneumatic Requires 140 CFM	Entry-level industrial grade ‘shop vac’ Ideal for small projects/spot blasting Can handle hazardous lead waste with optional HEPA filter	Removable vacuum head gives you the flexibility to interchange waste drums Wet & dry operations Small portable unit is ideal for ease of use in tight spaces	Lower suction power makes it unsuitable for large job cleanup	13 kg
VACULOAD SERIES I – SKID MOUNTED VACUUM SYSTEM	Yes	10 m hose = 4.4 tonnes/hr 20 m hose = 3.3 tonnes/hr 40 m hose = 2.3 tonnes/hr	Pnuematic Requires 350 CFM	Entry level vacuum recovery. Relevant where Capex availability is limited. Ideal where access is limited but vacuum recovery does provide productivity benefits.	Relatively low cost entry into vacuum blasting. Versatile – can load into 200 litre drum, directly into a blast pot, into a bulk bag or feed an interceptor.	Existing compressor may not have sufficient capacity to run vacuum and blast machine simultaneously.	400 kg
VACULOAD IV – SKID MOUNTED VACUUM ABRASIVE RECOVERY SYSTEM	Yes	8 tonnes / hour	Pnuematic Requires 900 CFM	Mid-range vacuum recovery system. Most common sized unit. Requires external compressed air. Often used in tank blasting and in shipyards.	Higher productivity than Vacuload Series 1	Will require separate compressor to the one supplying your blast pot (if both vacuum & blasters operating at the same time)	1450 kg
VacMax 500	Yes	7-11 tonnes / hour	Diesel 170HP T4	High production vacuum recovery system Uses a diesel powered blower to generate vacuum Often used in plant maintenance due to its mobility	Diesel powered, does not require external compressed air Self contained – one piece of equipment to move and position Waste hopper lifts hydraulically allowing dumping into skips or dump trucks	Blower is very noisy – try to avoid using near residential or office facilities. Diesel consumption is high	4,800 kg
Vacuload 6D	Yes	15-20 tonnes / hour	Diesel 235HP T4	Highest production vacuum recovery system Uses a diesel powered blower to generate vacuum Often used in plant maintenance due to its mobility	Diesel powered, does not require external compressed air Self contained – one piece of equipment to move and position Waste hopper lifts hydraulically allowing dumping into skips or dump trucks Maximum vacuum power for multiple operators	Blower is very noisy – try to avoid using near residential or office facilities Diesel consumption is high	6,300 kg


	VacMax Air Powered Drum Vacuum System	VACULOAD SERIES I – SKID MOUNTED VACUUM SYSTEM	VACULOAD IV – SKID MOUNTED VACUUM ABRASIVE RECOVERY SYSTEM	VacMax 500	Vacuload 6D
Available to Rent	Limited	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Conveyance	Less than 1 tonne/hr	10 m hose = 4.4 tonnes/hr 20 m hose = 3.3 tonnes/hr 40 m hose = 2.3 tonnes/hr	8 tonnes / hour	7-11 tonnes / hour	15-20 tonnes / hour
Powered By	Pneumatic Requires 140 CFM	Pneumatic Requires 350 CFM	Pneumatic Requires 900 CFM	Diesel 170HP T4	Diesel 235HP T4
Best Scenarios	Entry-level industrial grade ‘shop vac’ Ideal for small projects/spot blasting Can handle hazardous lead waste with optional HEPA filter	Entry level vacuum recovery Relevant where Capex availability is limited. Ideal where access is limited but vacuum recovery does provide productivity benefits.	Mid-range vacuum recovery system Most common sized unit Requires external compressed air Often used in tank blasting and in shipyards	High production vacuum recovery system. Uses a diesel powered blower to generate vacuum Often used in plant maintenance due to its mobility	Highest production vacuum recovery system Uses a diesel powered blower to generate vacuum Often used in plant maintenance due to its mobility
Benefits	Removable vacuum head gives you the flexibility to interchange waste drums Wet & dry operations Small portable unit is ideal for ease of use in tight spaces	Relatively low cost entry into vacuum blasting. Versatile – can load into 200 litre drum, directly into a blast pot, into a bulk bag or feed an interceptor	Higher productivity than Vacuload Series 1	Diesel powered, does not require external compressed air Self contained – one piece of equipment to move and position Waste hopper lifts hydraulically allowing dumping into skips or dump trucks	Diesel powered, does not require external compressed air Self contained – one piece of equipment to move and position Waste hopper lifts hydraulically allowing dumping into skips or dump trucks Maximum vacuum power for multiple operators
Disadvantages	Lower suction power makes it unsuitable for large job cleanup	Existing compressor may not have sufficient capacity to run vacuum and blast machine simultaneously	Will require separate compressor to the one supplying your blast pot (if both vacuum & blasters operating at the same time)	Blower is very noisy – try to avoid using near residential or office facilities Diesel consumption is high	Blower is very noisy – try to avoid using near residential or office facilities Diesel consumption is high
Weight lbs/kgs	13 kg	400 kg	1450 kg	4,800 kg	6,300 kg

High Powered Vacuum for Fast Job Site Abrasive Media Clean Up

Jobsite cleanup is the final necessary task in completing any project and no one enjoys the activity. It can be both time consuming and costly. A vacuuming recovery system is a significant improvement over the typical broom and shovel strategy. In this week’s Primed Insight Vince explains the mechanics of the Vacuload 1 system as well as giving a quick demonstration as to how powerful the suction truly is.

Time is money and thus any tool that improves efficiency also improves profitability. BlastOne offers many models of our Vacuload recovery systems for rental/hire which provides companies the option of speedy clean up without any investment expenditure. The system operates from the your jobsite air compressor and doesn’t need any electrical hookups.

The video referenced Vacuload 1 has many uses:

Vacuum recovery of bulk abrasives
Vacuum loading of blast pots
Acting as vacuum source for vacuum blasting
Vacuum shrouded hand tools

The Vacuload 1 has a built in filter cartridge to capture lead dust. This filter is self cleaning with the built-in pulse system.

Depending on your compressor and requirements, the Vacuload system utilize venturi-style eduction nozzles ranging from 150 cfm to 550 cfm.

NOT JUST A FANCY SHOP VAC

To see how powerful the Vacuload 1 truly is, watch the video and see how quickly the powerful suction of a 350cfm implodes a non-reinforced drum barrel

We want to know what questions, challenges, and problems you’re facing – either with blasting or painting – that we may be able to solve.

Why use a vacuum system

Recovery of spent abrasive is up to 50% of a blasting project’s cost. Increasing labor costs add to the need for higher productivity when recovering spent abrasive. A man, a shovel and a wheelbarrow is now too slow. To increase the recovery rate of spent abrasive, use a vacuum system. Power for these systems is diesel or electric. One operator can now recover as much spent material in an hour as six could previously. Systems are available to recover from 5 to 50 tons per hour. Recovered abrasive can be recycled or disposed of. Transfer of new abrasive into a storage hopper or into a blast machine is also possible with a vacuum recovery system

Common issues with vacuum reclamation

Three problems can cause issues with vacuum abrasive recovery – excessive hose length, “choking” of the hose and or pick-up tools and slow recovery when abrasive is spread out thinly. As with any pipe or hose, the further a material is collected in it from a vacuum source, less energy is available to convey it. When setting up a vacuum recovery task, make sure that the machine is a close as possible to where the spent abrasive is being recovered from. As the venturi principle uses incoming air to convey a material it stands to reason that if air can’t get into hose then material conveying will be severely restricted. This can happen with abrasive recovery if the hose or tool is pushed deeply into a pile of abrasive, restricting airflow. Vacuum abrasive recovery is also very slow when the abrasive is spread thinly out over a flat surface. In this either push the abrasive into a pile with blade or use a mechanical sweeper.

Important considerations when choosing a vacuum system

Have you got sufficient compressed air? Most blast systems have enough compressed to run a blast pot and breathing only. An additional compressor may be required.
How convenient are the controls? If motor controls are in one place and the vacuum in another starting the unit can be quite awkward.
How safe and efficient is it attach hoses? raise and lower any hoppers? clear out collected abrasive? Good engineering will ensure that operation of the unit will be with minimal risk of death or injury.
How well do trailer mounted units track when being pulled? Does it have a low centre of gravity for safe movement?

Vacuload Videos

Introduction to Vacuload abrasive recovery

Operation of a Vacuload vacuum recovery system

Operation of Vacuload Controls

Vacuload Operation Instruction – Pressure differential explained

Vacuload Air Supply

Dumping the waste from a Vacuload system

Frequently Asked Questions

How much compressed air will I need?

Between 350 to 900 cfm for Vacuload I and IV, ideally a separate compressor to the one used for the blast pot. Vacuload VI and VII have an on-board compressor for pulsing the dust collector and recovery vacuum is created by an on-board blower.
How close does the vacuum need to be to the collection point?

The closer you can get the vacuum to the collection point. Anything more than 2 or 3 200′ lengths of vacuum hose should be avoided.
Does the spent abrasive collect in away that aids efficient disposal/reuse?
Commonly 3 options are available for collecting the spent abrasive – into a 44 gal. drum, into a bulk bag and directly into the blast pot.
How easy are Vacuload 6 and 8 units to tow?

They are designed for yard towing only, not highway towing. They have a low center of gravity for stability while being maneuvered.
What size vacuum hose does a Vacuload take?
- Vacuload I – 3″
- Vacuload IV – 4 to 6″
- Vacuload VI – 4 to 6″
- Vacuload VII – 4 to 6″
How much fuel do the diesel units consume in an hour?
- Vacuload VI – 8 gals.
- Vacuload VII – 10 gals.

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